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Mr. Benedict
Mr. Curtain is the primary antagonist of the story. He is an egomaniacal man whose obsession with control is enabled by his mechanical genius. He has constructed a machine, the Whisperer, which transmits mind-controlling messages around the word, and other machines that “brainsweep” (erase the memories of) his enemies. Mr. Curtain is the founder of the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where he trains children to transmit subliminal messages and ultimately join his workforce as Executives. He is also Mr. Benedict’s twin brother. The two were born in Holland, but after being orphaned, the twins were separated and raised apart, so neither man knows of the other until the Mysterious Benedict Society infiltrates the Institute. Mr. Curtain plans to use his Whisperer to take over the world by causing the mass hysteria of the Emergency and then purporting to fix it. His inflated self-importance proves to be his undoing: he believes that children are too simple-minded to match his genius, so he does not suspect the Mysterious Benedict Society until they confront him head-on. In this confrontation, Reynie easily manipulates Mr. Curtain into revealing that anger is the trigger for his narcolepsy. The children stoke Mr. Curtain’s temper, and they are able to put him to sleep long enough to defeat him. Mr. Curtain hides his narcolepsy by using a wheelchair and wearing mirrored sunglasses, revealing that his need for control and skill with propaganda extend to his own self-image.
Ledroptha Curtain Quotes in The Mysterious Benedict Society
The The Mysterious Benedict Society quotes below are all either spoken by Ledroptha Curtain or refer to Ledroptha Curtain. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 10
Quotes
Exploring was what she did best, and Kate liked always to be doing what she did best. Not that she was a bad sport; in fact, she was a very good one, and she rarely complained. But Kate had spent all her life––ever since her father abandoned her, which affected her more than she cared to admit––trying to prove she didn’t need anyone’s help, and this was easiest to believe when she was doing what she was good at.
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Chapter 18
Quotes
“Children despise superior minds, you know, especially in leaders, who must often make unpopular decisions.”
Reynie thought suddenly of Kate and Sticky, who had been so shocked at his suggestion to cheat on the quizzes. But they didn’t despise him, he knew that….
“One problem with being a leader,” Mr. Curtain was saying, “is that even among your friends you are alone, for it is you––and you alone––to whom the others look for final guidance.” (Reynie felt a pang. That was true, he thought. He did feel that way sometimes.)
Chapter 21
Quotes
“No one seems to realize how much we are driven by FEAR, the essential component of human personality. Everything else––from ambition to love to despair––derives in some way from this single powerful emotion. Must find some way to make use of this.”
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Chapter 35
Quotes
It has to be all four of us, but Constance can’t handle them. You can handle them, though. It will be rough, but you can handle them.
(Part of Kate believed this––a very important part, for Kate’s sense of invincibility was the main thing that had sustained her all her young life alone. But another part did not believe this––and it, too, was an important part, for unless you know about this part it is impossible to understand how brave a thing Kate was about to do.)
Chapter 36
Quotes
“Mr. Benedict! Is he the one who tricked you into joining him, who encouraged you to cheat on quizzes, who offered you ‘special opportunities’? Or was that Mr. Curtain, who said cheating doesn’t bother him, who rounded up poor unfortunates only to give them a better life, who has offered you a chance to be an Executive? How different are the two men? Not very, Reynard. The only difference is that one can offer you only suffering now, while the other offers you a way to belong––a way to relieve the loneliness.”
Chapter 37
Quotes
For a moment Constance and Mr. Curtain both trembled violently, as if caught in an earthquake….And then, in a voice so loud it hurt everybody’s ears, Constance exclaimed: “I…don’t…CARE!”
… This was Constance’s great gift––the gift of stubborn independence––and she was bringing it to bear with all her might.
For all her valiant resistance, though, the child was, after all, only a child….She could not hold out forever.
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Ledroptha Curtain Quotes in The Mysterious Benedict Society
The The Mysterious Benedict Society quotes below are all either spoken by Ledroptha Curtain or refer to Ledroptha Curtain. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 10
Quotes
Exploring was what she did best, and Kate liked always to be doing what she did best. Not that she was a bad sport; in fact, she was a very good one, and she rarely complained. But Kate had spent all her life––ever since her father abandoned her, which affected her more than she cared to admit––trying to prove she didn’t need anyone’s help, and this was easiest to believe when she was doing what she was good at.
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 18
Quotes
“Children despise superior minds, you know, especially in leaders, who must often make unpopular decisions.”
Reynie thought suddenly of Kate and Sticky, who had been so shocked at his suggestion to cheat on the quizzes. But they didn’t despise him, he knew that….
“One problem with being a leader,” Mr. Curtain was saying, “is that even among your friends you are alone, for it is you––and you alone––to whom the others look for final guidance.” (Reynie felt a pang. That was true, he thought. He did feel that way sometimes.)
Chapter 21
Quotes
“No one seems to realize how much we are driven by FEAR, the essential component of human personality. Everything else––from ambition to love to despair––derives in some way from this single powerful emotion. Must find some way to make use of this.”
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 35
Quotes
It has to be all four of us, but Constance can’t handle them. You can handle them, though. It will be rough, but you can handle them.
(Part of Kate believed this––a very important part, for Kate’s sense of invincibility was the main thing that had sustained her all her young life alone. But another part did not believe this––and it, too, was an important part, for unless you know about this part it is impossible to understand how brave a thing Kate was about to do.)
Chapter 36
Quotes
“Mr. Benedict! Is he the one who tricked you into joining him, who encouraged you to cheat on quizzes, who offered you ‘special opportunities’? Or was that Mr. Curtain, who said cheating doesn’t bother him, who rounded up poor unfortunates only to give them a better life, who has offered you a chance to be an Executive? How different are the two men? Not very, Reynard. The only difference is that one can offer you only suffering now, while the other offers you a way to belong––a way to relieve the loneliness.”
Chapter 37
Quotes
For a moment Constance and Mr. Curtain both trembled violently, as if caught in an earthquake….And then, in a voice so loud it hurt everybody’s ears, Constance exclaimed: “I…don’t…CARE!”
… This was Constance’s great gift––the gift of stubborn independence––and she was bringing it to bear with all her might.
For all her valiant resistance, though, the child was, after all, only a child….She could not hold out forever.
