Previous
Chapter 22
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Mysterious Benedict Society, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Confidence and Growing Up
Deception vs. Truth
Loneliness vs. Friendship
Control vs. Freedom
Hope
Summary
Analysis
Reynie is up late waiting for Sticky. Finally, Sticky arrives. He is covered in black stinking mud. His eyes are bloodshot from crying, and they hold a look of total despair. Sticky shuffles along without speaking, and he goes to the bathroom to wash off the mud. He gets into the shower fully clothed, and barely notices Reynie urging him to undress and use soap. Reynie tries to remain calm, but he feels sure that Sticky has been brainswept, and since cheating wouldn’t warrant that punishment, Sticky must have told Mr. Curtain everything.
Sticky is the member of the Mysterious Benedict Society who has been most afraid of the potential consequences of being caught at the Institute. Now he has had to face one of his worst fears in the form of the Waiting Room, and the experience has clearly taken its toll on him. Reynie tries to help his friend by encouraging him to clean himself properly, but Sticky is lost in his own mind and ignores this gesture of friendship.
Themes
Sticky returns from the shower and, without looking at Reynie, pulls his suitcase from the bed. Reynie begs Sticky to talk to him, and Sticky snaps that he doesn’t want to talk about the Waiting Room. Mr. Curtain didn’t meet with him today, so tomorrow Sticky will either have to go back to the Waiting Room or meet with Mr. Curtain. He plans to run away to avoid either option. He can’t go back to the Waiting Room, and he is sure that if he faces Mr. Curtain, he will let down the Mysterious Benedict Society. Reynie tearfully tells Sticky how sorry he is that this happened, but he is relieved that Sticky has not lost his memory and identity. Sticky insists that if he has to talk to Mr. Curtain, he will crack under the pressure and get them all caught, but Reynie confidently tells him that Sticky will come through for his friends when they really need him.
Sticky has faced one of his fears and come through in one piece, but he still considers himself a coward and doesn’t trust his ability to withhold information from Mr. Curtain. This continues a trend of Sticky underestimating his own courage. Reynie does not share Sticky’s doubt: he believes that Sticky is strong enough to help his friends, and he tells Sticky as much. Reynie often struggles with his own self-worth, but he can see through other’s insecurities and validate his friends.
Themes
Sticky is still worried about returning to the Waiting Room. Reynie assures him that he will not have to go back, and Kate agrees as she and Constance come in through the ceiling panel. She makes a little too much noise, and Jackson comes in to investigate. Kate hides in the ceiling, and Sticky zips Constance into his suitcase. Finding no rules broken, Jackson takes the opportunity to tease Sticky about the Waiting Room. Sticky responds calmly, but he glares at Jackson with such “defiant outrage” that Reynie is impressed. Sticky is strong, even if others (and especially Sticky himself) don’t notice. Eventually, Jackson leaves, and the children reconvene to hear Reynie’s plan.
Sticky is not outwardly rebellious like Constance or Kate, but he is capable of resistance. When Jackson teases him about the Waiting Room, Sticky is not only angry––he simmers with “defiant outrage.” The description of his rage as “defiant” highlights that Sticky’s feeling is specifically anti-authority. Sticky’s low self-esteem prevents him from understanding his true potential, but Reynie’s gift for reading people allows him to realize that Sticky has the capacity for furious rebellion.
Themes
