The Mysterious Benedict Society - Supporting Characters

Supporting Characters

• S.Q. Pedalian is an Executive working for Mr. Curtain. He is known to be a klutz, but even though he is clumsy, he happens to be the only Executive who is kind to the Mysterious Benedict Society. However, he is somewhat oblivious to the dangerous effects L.I.V.E. and the Whisperer have on the world's inhabitants. The author is prone to word play throughout the novel including using locations like Nomansan Island (which could be read as: No Man's an Island, a literary reference to the John Donne statement which also has thematic reference to Reynie's problems in the novel), the careful reader should be aware of the literary reference of S.Q.'s name and his character (including his stated shoe size of 15) to the word sesquipedalian, which translates from Latin as "a foot and a half long."
• Jackson and Jillson are abusive Head Executives. Jackson has icy blue eyes, stockily built, and has a nose long and sharp like a knife. Jillson is six foot tall, has small piggy eyes, and 'arms like a gorilla', according to Kate. Their names are a pun on "Jack and Jill went up the hill", as they climb a hill to try to get Kate, but she throws her bucket full of water at them, the 'pail of water', sending them down the hill onto Martina.
• Martina Crowe is originally a Messenger at the Institute first, but later on is promoted to the position of Executive by Mr. Curtain. She despises the members of the Mysterious Benedict Society because Sticky and Reynie got better grades than she did, threatening to replace her as Executive.
• Miss Perumal is Reynie's tutor, of Indian extraction, and is intelligent and friendly. She is the only person who is kind to Reynie at the orphanage. She also speaks Tamil, which she teaches Reynie during their lessons. At the end of the novel, she adopts Reynie and supports him.
• Mr. Rutger is the Stonetown Orphanage director. Blinded by greed, he wouldn't let any children in the orphanage go to an advanced school in order to retain funding he received per child.
• The Helpers make food, do laundry and many other tasks that help keep the Institute running. They are not allowed to talk to any students at L.I.V.E. or make eye contact. They are apparently addled by the Whisperer, because Mr. Bloomsburg, Mr. Rutger's inspector, is a helper.