Lose weight. Wear these clothes. Drink this soda. Eat this food. These are some of the messages we get every day from advertisements, movies, TV, webisodes—you name it. Marketing is everywhere, and sometimes the messages are pretty subtle. So subtle we don't even realize we're getting them. That's what's going on in The Mysterious Benedict Society, too. Mr. Curtain's messages are sneaking into people's brains, and he's using these messages to manipulate people's behavior.
Questions About Manipulation
- What kinds of messages have you noticed being aimed at you when you're online, watching TV, listening to music, or interacting with other media? How susceptible do you think you are to these messages? Do you think there are any messages that are slipping by you and getting directly into your brain without your knowledge? Why or why not?
- The Emergency has been a big part of Mr. Curtain's grand scheme. What is the Emergency? Is it real? Can you see any similarities between the Emergency and people's reactions to it and the way people view the world today? Explain.
- Why are some characters in the book easier for Mr. Curtain to manipulate than others? Which characters seem pretty easy to manipulate? Which ones are more resistant to the manipulation? Why?
- During the testing in the beginning of the book, do Mr. Benedict and his adult helpers (Number Two, Rhonda, and Milligan) manipulate the kids at all? If so, how? And is it okay? Why or why not?
Chew on This
Mr. Benedict uses lies and manipulation to test and recruit the four kids for his team.
People who don't watch TV, spend time online, or keep up with current technologies are ultimately easier to manipulate than people who are up to date and very familiar with the way these forms of media work.