Character Analysis
Mother Alert
Miss Perumal is clearly a mother figure for Reynie and pretty much his only connection in what is otherwise a very lonely world for him. Reynie is very happy to have her, and though he often wished that she didn't have to worry about him, "he did like knowing she cared. She was the only one who did" (1.9).
But Reynie isn't the only one Miss Perumal worries about. She also takes care of her mother, who is apparently somewhat old and occasionally ill, which is why Miss Perumal almost can't take Reynie into town for the tests. But wait, back up a minute: Miss Perumal has a mother. Whoa. Alert the presses, because she may very well be the only person in the book with an intact family.
Okay, Sticky has a mom too, and a dad, but we don't meet them until the end, and we're led to believe—even if we question the truth of it—that Sticky's parents are, well… deadbeats. That makes Miss Perumal the only person in the book with a parent who is still alive and involved in her life, and that's important for us to see: not all exceptional people have to come from exceptional circumstances.
Sometimes Average Is Extraordinary
And as a perfectly average person who offers kindness, companionship, and guidance to a young person (Reynie) in her role as his tutor, we see the impact that such compassion and consideration can have on a fellow human being. Reynie benefits tremendously from his relationship with Miss Perumal—she becomes his confidant and, to some extent, his conscience. When he's uncertain about what to do, feeling sad, or questioning his character, he writes her mental letters, which offer him great consolation and help him to continue.
All You Need Is Love
You might even say that Reynie's relationship with Miss Perumal, and the affection he feels for her, help to counter Mr. Curtain's theory that fear is the most powerful motivator of human behavior by providing another motivator that may be equally as powerful: love.