The Mysterious Benedict Society Courage Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

The children's plan was bold, ill-formed, and likely to fail, and all of them knew it. They also knew they must act now or never. (33.1)

This is really the definition of courage: knowing you don't have a great chance of success and trying anyway. Because really, how hard is it to do something when you know it's going to go well? Not hard. At all. But when your plan seems doomed to failure and you plunge forward anyway, that's pretty hardcore.

Quote #5

Yes, [Milligan] had wanted to convince Mr. Curtain he was working alone, had wanted to take suspicion off the children. He had sacrificed himself for them. (33.64)

That's another thing that takes a lot of courage: putting others before yourself. And Milligan's not just putting the kids' needs before his in a letting-them-order-first-at-the-ice-cream-stand kind of way—he's risking his life to save theirs. Can you say hero?

Quote #6

It will be rough, but you can handle them. (Part of Kate believed this—a very important part […]. But another part did not believe this—and it, too, was an important part, for unless you know about this part it is impossible to understand how brave a thing Kate was about to do). (35.74-75)

Yep—it's true. Kate's action here is a lot braver when you realize that she wasn't completely confident she could handle the Executives. Up to this point, Kate's always seemed pretty invincible, so it's important that Stewart points out to us that (a) she's not, and (b) she knows it.