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Oh! Well, yes, I suppose I do know a lot of things. That's why people started calling me Sticky, because everything I read sticks in my head.
— Sticky Washington, The Mysterious Benedict Society[3]

George "Sticky" Washington is a member of The Mysterious Benedict Society. Having passed The Test at the same time as Reynie Muldoon, Kate Wetherall, and Constance Contraire, he is a antagonist of the series and appears in every book. He is noted for having a brilliant mind, incredible intelligence and very good at memorizing things and remembering it forever. Hence his name "Sticky" for keeping the info in his mind.

One of his remarkable abilities is his photographic memory, and he is able to retain any words and numbers he sets his eyes upon. His memory also works well with diagrams and pictures.[4]

Appearance[]

Sticky is described as having a fair light brown skin, a bald head, and spectacles. On the books' covers and illustrations, he is seen wearing a light blue sweater and polo, along with yellow-tinged pants, and sneakers. While he originally shaved his head to escape recognition after running away from home (see below), he later decided to keep it thus.

Personality[]

Nicknamed "Sticky" for his prodigious memory and speed-reading skills, Sticky is sensitive about his real name, which he believes carries expectations beyond what he is able to realize. While in the beginning of series Sticky's self-esteem is low, this trait and his sensitivity lessens as the series goes on and Sticky's self-confidence grows.

In The Mysterious Benedict Society, Sticky is timid, often fidgeting and second-guessing himself. He brings up information that's unneeded and often makes the situation worse that way. He seems to be afraid of Mr. Curtain and will not always defy him willingly (Although Reynie is suffering the same, not out of fear but out of longing for the Whisperer.)

In The Perilous Journey, Sticky begins to discover how useful his intellect is. He becomes somewhat proud, "acting like a peacock," according to Reynie. He begins to discover his courage, even speaking out against the Ten Men.

In The Prisoner's Dilemma, Sticky has almost fully overcome his cowardice by this point, doing things like running through pitch-black subway tunnels and tricking Ten Men. He convinces an addled Sharpe to knock himself out with his own chemical-coated handkerchief.

Abilities[]

He is able to read many languages, but cannot speak them well. He can read extremely large books or other information incredibly quickly and recall them with perfect clarity, though it can take time for him to organize the information or discern which individual details might be important. Although he often expresses fear of dangerous situations, he has vast reserves of courage.

Relationships[]

Reynie Muldoon[]

They are best friends.

Kate Wetherall[]

Kate and Sticky are also close friends.

Constance Contraire[]

Constance and Sticky are very close on the inside, but on the outside, they have more arguments than Sticky has with Reynie and Kate combined.

Parents[]

Sticky generally lived a cordial and happy life with his parents until such time as they learned of his special abilities. Realizing his capabilities, they took advantage of him to improve their poor financial situation by forcing him to enter quiz competitions for greater and greater fame and prizes. Sticky finally decided to make a point by pretending to run away from home. During this time, he overheard a portion of a conversation which led him to believe that his parents felt they would be "better off" without him and decided to run away for real.

*Spoiler Alert* Sticky later reunited with his parents following the mission to Nomansan Island and discovered that they, in fact thought that he would be better off without them due to their terrible mistake. He assured them that this was not the case, and they had a happy reunion. Afterward, they had a happy reunion, but their previous error caused them to become extremely protective of him. However, over time this was tempered thanks to Mr. Benedict's influence.

Biography[]

Before the Series[]

Even when he was young, Sticky was a genius due to his photographic memory, and his parents took advantage of this and forced him to enter multiple intellectual competitions to win them money and fame. Eventually, the pressure got to Sticky and he pretended to run away by hiding in a closet. Many people donated money to Mrs. Washington and Mr. Washington for them to use to find Sticky; however, they did not use the money for the said purpose.

While listening to his parents talking, he came to the conclusion that he was unwanted and ran away from his home for real. To change his appearance, he got rid of his hair by applying a self-made hair remover on it.

The Mysterious Benedict Society[]

We meet Sticky in the very beginning, when it is revealed that he knew the answers to the quiz questions without needing to solve the puzzle. This immediately shows his extreme intellect. Shortly afterward, it takes him over twenty minutes to complete the maze. He completes it a second time by memorizing it perfectly. He teaches the other children Morse code in order to communicate with Mr. Benedict, Number Two, and Rhonda on Stonetown.

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey[]

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma[]

Quotes[]

  • She was talking about you. And please don’t call me that.
  • I didn't call you 'that.' I called you George Washington. Ask the others. They heard me. I definitely did not call

you 'that,' George Washington.

  -Sticky and Constance

Gallery[]

Sources[]

  1. The Mysterious Benedict Society, Beware the Gemini, page 183
  2. ‘The Mysterious Benedict Society’: Hulu Drama Rounds Out Cast With Eight Series Regulars
  3. PROSE: The Mysterious Benedict Society – "Buckets and Spectacles"
  4. The Mysterious Benedict Society, Tactical Cactupi, page 265
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