How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"It only makes sense," Reynie quickly explained, when he saw his friends' horrified expressions. "None of us accepted Rhonda's offer to cheat, remember? That was part of the test. Mr. Benedict is saying we must become what we are not—cheaters—so we can all become Messengers more quickly!" (17.42)
What's interesting here is that on Nomansan Island, the principles are flipped. The qualities Mr. Curtain values in other people—mainly obedience without question—can really only exist in unprincipled, or oppositely principled, people. Therefore, in order to be valued and rewarded (and welcomed into Mr. C's inner circle), the kids have to adopt principles that are the reverse of the principles they really hold.
Quote #5
"You're not going to flub anything."
"How can you know?"
"I can see it in you," Reynie said with perfect conviction. "You'd hold fast tomorrow even if I didn't have a plan—which I do. When your friends really need you, they can count on you. I just know it." (23.21-23)
Yup—sometimes we don't really know what matters to us most or how strong our principles are until they're challenged. That seems to be the case with Sticky—and Reynie too, come to think of it. Neither one of them is sure he has the strength to do what needs to be done, but when their principles are challenged, they find ultimately that they do. And part of the reason they do is because they've formed strong connections with others, and those connections offer them support.
Quote #6
Reynie had begun to feel rather ill. It was starting to seem everything he did got someone hurt. […] For all his caution and wits, he was turning out to be a dangerous person to be close to. (24.67)
To some extent Reynie's had to compromise his principles in order to achieve the MBS's mission—he let someone else take the fall for him, and he encouraged Sticky to lie and say Martina was the one he'd been helping to cheat. One of those is a lie of omission (not coming clean and admitting he was the one SQ saw spying), and the other (claiming Martina is a cheat) is a straight out lie—and both originated from a boy who values honesty and has a powerful love of the truth.
So obviously, Reynie's feeling conflicted here. But what do you think? Has he compromised his principles? Or are his actions in line with his principles?