Character Analysis
Little Orphan Reynie
As you know, orphans rule this book, and Reynie Muldoon is the king of the orphans. Unlike Sticky, who actually has parents, Kate, who has vague memories of her father and is eventually reunited with him, and Constance, who's so young she shouldn't have memories of any of this in a few years, Reynie has been an orphan for eleven years.
His parents died when he was a baby, and he's been on his own ever since. Miss Perumal, his tutor-turned-mother, has, of course, been an important figure in his life, but she didn't arrive on the scene until after Reynie had "completed all the textbooks [in the Stonetown Orphanage] on his own, even the ones for high school students" (1.3), which, despite Reynie's brilliance, probably didn't happen until he was at least nine. Maybe ten. And up until then? Reynie was pretty much isolated.
The Benefits of Alone Time. . .
At the orphanage, we're told that Reynie has many times thought, "Here I'm alone," and "often wondered what life might have been like at school where the other students didn't find him so odd" (1.14). It's pretty sad really, and we feel for him. But all that isolation? It's also probably why "although he was only eleven years old, [Reynie] was quite used to figuring things out for himself" (1.1). He's very clever—like a fox one might even say (see the discussion of names in the "Tools of Characterization" section for more on that)—and it's his ability to analyze things and figure them out that allows him to solve all the Morse code riddles that Mr. Benedict & Co. send the kids from the mainland.
Another result of Reynie's years of isolation is that he's extremely good at observing and reading people. When he's not being teased by his classmates for finding books so enjoyable (1.10), we have to imagine that he mostly blended into the background:
Usually, he was the least noticeable of boys: He was of average size, of an average pale complexion, his brown hair was of average length, and he wore average clothes. (1.23)
Overall, an excellent look for people-watching, and his skills in this area pay off when he's able to read Mr. Curtain so well at the Institute, enabling both he and Sticky to become Messengers in record time.
. . . And the Drawbacks
Of course all that isolation, coupled with the ridicule he's received from his peers, has had a negative effect on Reynie's self-esteem. While he's not quite as insecure and anxious as Sticky, he's also not used to "other children wanting his opinion" (10.95). And now that he finally has friends? He's worried that he'll let them down and wind up alone again.
Reynie's a natural leader, but having actual followers is a new experience for him, and his almost constant self-doubt (gee thanks, isolation) nearly convinces him to give in to Mr. Curtain and the Whisperer. Of course, in the end the Whisperer proves a little too good at soothing Reynie's fears, and once he hears it utter the words, "Don't worry. You will never betray your friends. You are brave enough" (36.39), it's all over.
Character Counts
At his core Reynie has always been honest and kind—and clever, don't forget clever—and when it comes down to the wire, it's that part of him that loves truth and is concerned with doing the right thing that wins out.
And once Reynie realizes that he'll never betray his friends he seems a lot more able to accept that he really does have them. It's a new concept for him, but his years of isolation are over. Unless, of course, you want to get into the fact that feelings of alienation are part of the human condition, that everyone experiences those feelings from time to time, and that despite his friendships and new found family Reynie is, in fact, likely to feel isolated—or alienated—again at some point in his lifetime. But hey, why ruin a happy ending?
And It Is a Happy Ending
Before his experiences with the Mysterious Benedict Society, Reynie's feet were firmly planted in childhood, but after? He's learned some things that he—like the other kids—kind of misses not knowing (specifically, just how evil and cruel people can be—yes, Mr. Curtain, we're looking at you), but all of his experiences and the knowledge he's gained from them have ultimately made him stronger and helped him to begin his journey across the divide between youth and adulthood.
And Reynie, it seems, is off to a very good start. In the end, "every person in the car, adult and child alike, realized […] that they trusted this eleven-year-old boy quite without reservation. If Reynie Muldoon asked them to do something, if he promised them something, they would do what he asked and believe every word" (38.28).
Reynie has gone from being an orphan to having a mother, from feeling isolated and unsure of himself to having solid friendships and self-confidence. So yeah, let's leave all that talk of isolation and alienation behind and just be happy… at least until we find out what's in store for Reynie in the next book.
Reynie's Timeline