#lstua

[snicketstrange]

Sunny's Age and Lemony's Lies: An Investigation into the Great Hiatus

So, more and more my theory of the Great Hiatus seems to make more sense. Recalling, I defend the idea that the Masked Ball where Lemony was arrested happened many years after the main events described in TE. The Ball happened between the publication of the book TWW and TMM in the asoue universe. An important concept is that the books were originally published over many years.

Although TBB began to be written during the main events of asoue, TBB and TRR were only published at least 2 years after the main events described in asoue. TWW was published sometime shortly after TRR. But TMM was published many years after the publication of TWW. These years of hiatus, is what I call the Great Hiatus. Some events in the asoue universe that happened during the Great Hiatus were the Masked Ball, one of Lemony's false deaths, one of Lemony's escapes abroad, the closing of Prufrock-Prep, and evidently the sending of the original TMM to the editor.During the Masked Ball, Lemony tried to tell a supposed Beatrice something about Count Olaf.

According to this chronology, the only thing that would be relevant for a supposed Beatrice to know was the fact that "Count Olaf is Dead." Olaf died on a desert island. Olaf's death was not known to the general public, but it was known to Lemony, as evidently Lemony was on the island.

But the right question is: why would Lemony think it important that this information should reach a supposed Beatrice? That's because the reason that would lead a supposed Beatrice not to expose herself to the public was the fact that, in theory, Beatrice believed that as long as her death was accepted as true, at least one of her children would be kept alive by Count Olaf so he could recover the inheritance when the surviving child turned 18. If Beatrice showed herself alive, the inheritance would not be any of her children's but Beatrice's herself. So none of the children would have a reason to be kept alive by Count Olaf. Therefore she, in theory, needed to be regarded as dead. And that's why Lemony emphasizes so much that Beatrice is dead, even though he believes she may be alive. He tries not to alarm her and reinforce her pretense.

I want to make clear that all this is valid both in the case where Beatrice survived the fire and in the case where she died in the fire. Because it doesn't matter the truth, what matters is what Lemony believes to be true, and what he decides to do with his beliefs: reveal them or distort them for a greater good he believes to be a greater good. Lemony believes that lying is sometimes good and necessary. Even if he were right to say that Beatrice was dead, when he wrote that, he believed she was alive. So, he lied when he said she was dead. And all this can be seen by analyzing Sunny's age.

How old was Sunny when she arrived on the island? I can say more than 1 year, because of her behavior and the events mentioned in the story. Lemony claims he spent 14 years trying to talk about Count Olaf with Beatrice. But we have a limit for this subject to be relevant. When Sunny turned 18, if she was still in Olaf's clutches, he would find a way to cash the money and kill Sunny afterward. So, it wouldn't make sense for Beatrice to hide from Olaf anymore. If after discovering Olaf was dead, Lemony still tried to pass this information on to Beatrice, it's because he believed Beatrice believed Olaf had killed Klaus and Violet and preserved Sunny to cash the money. (It is interesting that Olaf tried to do exactly that at the end of TCC). Considering that Sunny spent 1 year on the island and Lemony didn't get there during that time, we can conclude that Sunny was at least 2 years old when she left the island, with the most likely being that she was 3 or 4 years old when she left the island. If Lemony got to the island during the year that followed and then found out that Olaf was dead (and also found the Baudelaires' notes), we can conclude that he spent the next 14 years trying to pass this information on to Beatrice, according to his own words, until the day of the Masked Ball.

This means that in the meantime he published 3 books, purposefully lying to the general public by saying that Beatrice was dead, when he believed she was alive.

That's why he couldn't complete the sentence for the general public. "Count Olaf is dead" would reveal that he believed Beatrice was alive.

It is interesting to note however, that evidence points to Beatrice in fact dying in her house fire, and that the woman Lemony thought was Beatrice was actually an imposter. Apparently that's what R meant to Lemony in the letter recorded in LSTUA chapter 2. "That girl was flammable." "Analyze these photos." "Impostors nearby in disguise". "Beatrice is far from reclaiming lost property." These hidden messages seem to be trying to tell Lemony, "Beatrice really is dead." And R only had to pass this message on to Lemony because he believed Beatrice was alive. This belief of Lemony's also explains why he was so alarmed when studying the city's underground, because he investigated possible survivors of fires hidden in fountains.

This deepens our understanding of the concept of unreliable narrators. Lemony Snicket becomes one of the most unique examples I've come across. He embodies the following notion: "One can tell an untruth without lying, simply by being mistaken. And one can tell the truth while lying, also by being mistaken." This intricate interplay of perceptions and realities adds another layer of complexity and intrigue to the narrative.

#asoue #asoue theory #asoue theories #count olaf #olaf #sunny baudelaire #sunny #lemony snicket the unauthorized autobiography #lemony snicket: the unauthorized autobiography #lemony snicket #beatrice baudelaire #a series of unfortunate events #lstua #masked ball #violet baudelaire #klaus baudelaire #duchness of winnipeg

[unfortunatetheorist]

Hidden Biblical Allusion in ASOUE

The subject of Biblical Allusions in ASOUE has been a very controversial one. It is the reason the series has been banned in some places, and it's the main reason for the series' criticism.

There are some very clear Biblical parallels in ASOUE, e.g. The Baudelaires receiving an apple from Ink in The End (alluding to Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden).

However, there is something that has caught my attention - 3 characters in particular - Ike Anwhistle, Ishamel and Jacob Snicket.

Ike's full name is Isaac, giving:

Ishmael, Isaac and Jacob

Which are the names of 3 Biblical characters.

Ishmael and Isaac were half-brothers and Jacob was Isaac's younger son - but they all stem from Abraham.

But how does this fit into ASOUE?

Well, in the Bible, the age order is:

Ish > Ike > Jake

But in ASOUE, it's:

Jake >= Ish > Ike

However, if we consider the numerous clear allusions to the Bible throughout the series, we could also interpret this as saying:

The Anwhistles, Snickets and Ishmael are RELATED to each other.

Of course, given the family tree in LSTUA, we see that most members of V.F.D. have some ludicrous connection to each other, but my theory is their genealogy is CLOSER to each other's than everyone else in the organisation.

This is why, in book canon, there is a CHANCE (albeit very slim) that Josephine MAYBE survives.

Also, thinking about this has led me to think of other things:

If Ishmael doesn't have a last name, and readers don't know what Bertrand's surname was (before he married Beatrice)...

Is Ishmael Bertrand's grandfather?

This would explain his overtaking of The Island - he may THINK Bertrand is far too child-like and irresponsible, and is unaware of the dangers of the world, allowing him to act 'in loco parentis' to Bertrand.

It's possible, but it's also just an idea.

Maybe I've gone to Very Far Distances with this one...

¬ Th3r3534rch1ngr4ph, Unfortunate Theorist/Snicketologist

#asoue #vfd #a series of unfortunate events #lemony snicket #snicketverse #theory #ike anwhistle #isaac anwhistle #ishmael #jacob snicket #jake snicket #the little snicket lad #lstua #lemony snicket the unauthorised autobiography #beatrice baudelaire #bertrand baudelaire #bible #biblical allusion

[visual-findings-disclosure]

One of the rare photos of The Librarian of VFD.

Taken in The Mortmain Mountains Headquarters before Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire were born.

“Well, young lady, have you been good to your mother?”

#asoue #a series of unfortunate events #lemony snicket #vfd #atwq #all the wrong questions #librarian code #vfd aesthetics #asoue aesthetics #vfd codes #lstua #the unauthorized autobiography #librarian #mortmain mountains #vfd headquarters #library #books #vintage

[kitsnickett]

ok, little help

in what order should i reread the snicketverse books?

and by snicketverse i mean asoue 1-13, atwq + fu:13si (and the hero of the story), tbl, lstua and pfb

#i'm reading a different edition of the first 3 that i bought this year #i don't even remember how i read it the first time lol #asoue #a series of unfortunate events #atwq #all the wrong questions #file under: 13 suspicious incidents #fu:13si #13si #the beatrice letters #the unauthorized autobiography #poison for breakfast #pfb #k.txt

[transexualheart-1]

The best/worst thing about asoue is that every time you think you’ve read all the books some just like...appear out of nowhere

IKR when I started reading the books maybe a year & a half ago(after watching the show multiple times) I was like oh the thirteen books, wait what’s this, this random book that’s been sitting unread on my shelf for forever is actually one of a four-part series in the same universe, great! Oh look & it’s got a companion book too... oh then there’s the rare edition that’s got extra info apparently... what’s this LSTUA everyone’s going on about, is that where the Vineyard of Fragrant Drapes mentioned in a bunch of theories is from? Oh & the Beatrice letters how cool I’ll ask for that for my birthday yay. & then there are other books under the pen name lemony snicket but don’t seem to be in the vfd universe... wait what’s going on where was I oh fuck

#asoue #a series of unfortunate events #all the wrong questions #atwq #lemony snicket #snicketverse #fun fact obsessively reading through snicket-slueth’s blog when I was like 10/11 was basically my first introduction to both fandom & tumblr #(apart from supercarlinbros youtube skdkddkdk) #I never even made an account I just read through every single post on that blog multiple times #I’m very sad they’re not active anymore :/ #ask answered #oh hey maybe i should make an actual tagging system for asks #nah too lazy

[jacobsnicket]

i know i’m probably wrong but i’m fully convinced that absolutely no one on the netflix!asoue writing team read lstua

#i will elaborate in a reblog probably #asoue #kiran.txt

[mariamallahan]

Chapter 6 - I may not publish this because I still need to know what I will find out.

With Dr. Handler as my editor, I gained access to many historical documents. Dr. Handler asked me not to explicitly disclose my sources. So, to differentiate them in this text, I will use some code of my own making. Keep in mind that the names cited are not necessarily the names of the groups.

Finding information about VFD has always been a big challenge. I was lucky to be able to trace the origin of this secret organization as well as the method of expansion that the organization decided to use. However, tracking down VFD's arrival in Rome proved to be a bigger challenge than I thought. The number of masnuscripts about the Romans between the 1st century BCE and 5 AD is indeed very large. The Namor Archaeological Information Group sent me thousands of photocopies of these manuscripts.

After months of reading in my secret office in a city that I can't disclose the location, I can assure you that VFD managed to remain a secret organization at that time.

Most of the manuscripts about that time are written in Greek and Latin, so the method used by the Essenes (who wrote in Hebrew) to hide information was not used in other languages. Hebrew is written without vowels, so combining multiple consonants lets you hide various information. On the other hand, Latin and Greek are written with vowels, so hiding information in these languages using letter counts has apparently become unfeasible. According to LSTUA, a contemporary man from Lemony Snicket (Dr. Sebald) developed a method involving English word count instead of letter count. Probably this method was an adaptation of the method used by the Essenes. However, this method was developed long after the time of the ancient Rome. If there were documents produced by VFD members containing secret codes, I didn't know those codes.

I turned my attention back to the writings of Lemony Snicket.

The only message I could find is recorded in TBB chapter 1. About Klaus, Lemony wrote:

"Being only twelve, Klaus of course had not read all of the books, but he had read a great many of themand had retained a lot of the information from his readings. He knew how to tell an alligator froma crocodile. He knew who killed Julius Caesar. "

When I first read this passage, I believe Julius Caesar was referring to the goalkeeper of the Brazilian national team, who in the soccer world cup in 2014 AD conceded 7 goals from the German national team, after all, we all studied about this historical fact in primary school. However, after the MM method, I realized that in 2014 the book TBB had already been published. So Julius Caesar could only refer to someone who lived before that. The second best known Julius Caesar in history was a Roman ruler and general whom I conclude Lemony Snicket was referring to. He was also murdered. Thus, this observation led me to conclude that there were indeed members of VFD in ancient Rome, and that the facts recorded involving the murder of this Julius Caesar were passed on to at least one of the 20th century VFD libraries.

Realizing this made me increase my determination to find records of VFD activities during the ancient Roman Empire. But rereading TBB gave me another idea, of a second method essential to my research.

After explaining to Dr Handler the principles of the method, he suggested that I call the method Verifying Full Defeats. How does he pay my salary, I had to agree. (I intended to call the method the More Marvelous Method).

As a secret organization, most of the time that VFD was able to avoid literal or figurative fires, the success of these actions was not recorded. This should be a little frustrating, as VFD members throughout history have been anonymous heroes. Thousands (or perhaps millions) of fires may have been prevented by VFD members, but they never achieved glory for their deeds, due to the secrecy of their actions. On the other hand, the defeats of VFD are relatively easy for humankind to perceive. The literal and figurative fires wreak enough havoc for humanity to never forget (similarly to conceding 7 goals in a World Cup).

Thus, if I researched major fire events, I would probably find people involved in trying to prevent such fires, as well as their methods and causes of failure. In other words, I would find the records of VFD activities.

In addition to approving the method, Dr Handler realized that he could face an additional challenge using it. The fire itself probably destroyed most of the manuscripts in which I could find written information. So Dr Handler said it would be good for me to have the help of an archaeologist specializing in the ancient Roman empire.

A week later, I was flying to Rome to meet a member of the Namor Archaeological Information Group. Unfortunately, I couldn't talk to him in person. I was disguised as a vet at the West Side restaurant. I was holding a red flower, as coveted, and I had a name tag named Victoria. As I watched the sunset, waiting for the archaeologist to arrive, one of the waiters brought me a fortune cookie without my having asked. I was hungry, so I didn't complain. I was surprised to find that there was nothing inside the cookie, but I ate it lightly. But the next moment, a knife flew past my left side. As I looked back, I noticed that a customer had thrown that sharp object toward me. He had another knife in his hands. I do not know exactly what happened next, because I demailed in that exact moment. I woke up in a hotel room, next to a boy who looked to be 13 years old. He looked at me and said:

"I'm sorry for the sleeping pill containing cookies. I didn't know if I could trust you. It's nice to meet you, Miss Mallahan. My name is Snicket. And you're being fooled."

I asked for a glass of water to the boy, and a time to be held to recover my strength. I took the time to write to write this chapter. I feel exhausted, and I did not want to have to go through it. I do not know if that kid will tell the truth about what that, but apparently he saved my life. So I will listen what he has to say.

#asoue Fanfic #asoue

[snicketstrange]

Who sent Mr. Poe to fetch the Baudelaire children at the beach?

Lemony Snicket sent Mr. Poe to rescue the Baudelaire children from the beach. Lemony knew the Baudelaire mansion was on fire and that he'd be blamed, as stated in Mr. Helquist's letter. From this same location, he could send quick messages. Lemony respected Beatrice's wish for her kids not to be under VFD's care, so he opted to send a non-VFD member, Mr. Poe, for their swift rescue.

#asoue #asoue theory #lemony snicket #a series of unfortunate events #lstua #lemony snicket the unauthorized autobiography

[snicketstrange]

Understanding ASOUE Enigmas: The Duchess and the Hiatus

For many years, I have pondered how to satisfactorily resolve the Miss K Enigma, the Prufrock Prep Enigma, the Masked Ball Enigma, the R's Letter Enigma, and (the greatest of them all) the Secret Letter Enigma in TSS.

Let me clarify each of these enigmas and how far I have solved them.

Let's start with what is canonically proven: Despite Lemony Snicket starting to write TBB (and possibly TRR) around the time of the main events described in ASOUE, he only managed to publish these books (and TWW) several years later. After the publication of TWW, there was a hiatus of many years until TMM was published. This period is commonly referred to as the "Great Hiatus". You can find a detailed discussion and proof of the Great Hiatus in the canonically-accepted source here: asoue.proboards.com/thread/36354/change-lemonys-life-submitted-jean

Understanding the Great Hiatus is key to resolving the Masked Ball Enigma, the R's Letter Enigma, the Miss K Enigma, and the Prufrock Prep Enigma. However, they cannot be fully solved through this alone. Let's consider each case separately.

The Prufrock Prep Enigma: In TAA, Lemony claims that Prufrock Prep has been closed for many years at the time of the book's publication. And it was closed after Mrs. Bass was arrested for theft. However, in LSTUA, we part with an event that indicates that an ASOUE book had already been published when Prufrock Prep was still operating, and Mrs. Bass was not yet arrested. Carmelita Spats was still studying there. The enigma is: how could Prufrock Prep be operating if ASOUE had already been published, and Lemony stated in TAA that the school had been closed for many years? More than that:  According to LSTUA, in Chapter 9, an enemy of Lemony sought information about the reptiles from Uncle Monty's collection in the book TRR. This book was in the library of Prufrock Prep, at that time Prufrock Prep was open and running. However, in writing the TAA book, Lemony says Prufrock Prep was closed many years ago. 

The answer is: considering the great hiatus that occurred between the publication of TWW and TMM, it's quite possible that Prufrock Prep continued to operate for some time after the publication of TBB, TRR, and TWW. After the publication of one or more of these books, the teacher known as Miss K was at Prufrock Prep, bringing with her one of the already published ASOUE books. After this event, Prufrock Prep was closed. A few years passed, and then Lemony published TMM and TAA and could then claim that the school had been closed for many years. This explains why one of Lemony's enemies found the TRR book at Prufrock Prep. The book had already been published in Lemony's universe, and the school was still in operation when this enemy was there. However, years later, when Lemony wrote TAA, the school had already been closed for many years.

Miss K Enigma: In Nero's letter to Carmelita Spats' parents, which is printed in Chapter 8 of the UA, Nero states that he hired Miss K to become a teacher. At that time Mr. Remora had retired. Mrs. Bass was still at her job, but she had to take time off in order to settle matters with the bank (probably rob the bank). Miss K took Prufrock several books of interest to VFD, including one of the ASOUE books. The enigma is: Who is Miss K? The first time I read it, I evidently thought it was Kit Snicket. But, Miss K is not Kit Snicket, as TBB could only be published after Kit Snicket's death. In LSTUA, there is a picture of a woman with children at Prufrock Prep. Whether this woman is Miss K or not is debatable. But the fact is that there is an observation from Lemony about her ("will I see her again?"), indicating that the person in the picture is an associate of Lemony who is alive but with whom he has not had contact for a long time. She is someone with whom he wishes to keep contact. We know it's not Kit or Beatrice, as both were already dead at this time.

The answer is: That is R. Sometimes, the most obvious answers are right in front of us, and we simply don't see them.  We have access to Lemony's life story, albeit fragmented in TBL and in LSTUA. Canonically, in Lemony's life, there were only three women who were his friends and remained in his life throughout his life: Kit, Beatrice, and R. If Kit and Beatrice were already dead, the only person who could bring feelings of nostalgia to Lemony is R, the Duchess of Winnipeg. Why had R been away from Lemony for such a long time? According to TBL, R had become a duchess after her mother's death, and evidently, the service of a duchess was laborious and carried out far from the City where Lemony usually operated. Even when Lemony went to R's house, there's nothing to suggest that he and she had time to interact. He was desperately trying to find a supposed Beatrice, and was captured shortly thereafter.

What I'm saying is that when we put R into the equation, along with the Great Hiatus, everything beautifully fits together. During the writing of TCC, TSS, and TGG, R was pretending to be Kit, and Lemony knew it. Lemony referred to her as "my sister" in secret letters, he arranged a meeting with her at Hotel D (which had been restored), and even said in TGG that this sister Kit (he mentioned her by name) could be saved through a small, herbed piece of toast. Obviously, this Kit Snicket couldn't be the real Kit Snicket, because Kit was dead. To move from "this couldn't be Kit" to "this is R" may seem like a big leap. In addition to being a friend of Lemony, in R's letter to Lemony recorded in LSTUA chapter 2, R makes an important observation: "There are many of us left, Mr Snicket, but we're ready to help you in any way we can." This means that R offered to help Lemony. This sentence is significant. Moreover, R indicates that she has great disguise skills, as she states in the letter that she has disguised herself as Lemony Snicket impersonating someone else. Then she sends photos to Lemony. She makes a single request to Lemony: Study these photos. Among the photos is the photograph of herself with Kit Snicket, both wearing the same clothes and striking an identical pose. Although they are of different heights (when they were children), the resemblance between the two is obvious. At the time when R's letter was being written, Kit had already died. But R does not put the information that Kit was dead in writing in the letter. Everything in this letter takes into consideration the possibility that Lemony's enemies could read the letter. Either way, R trusted that Lemony, by studying the photographs along with the subsequent events, would deduce that R was going to assume the identity of Kit Snicket, and he should go along with the ruse and take advantage of it. 

The idea of R seems to have worked very well. We find a reply letter from Lemony to a supposed "sister" in LSTUA page 192: "My dear sister, I understand how desperate our situation has become, but it's already unpleasant enough for people to read about the Baudelaires, I can't imagine who would dare to help them." The question had been: "Is there something a concerned citizen can do if he or she wants to help the Baudelaires?" Evidently, at the time this letter with this question was sent to Lemony (and which had been sent to him under the false name of Kit), Lemony had already published at least one ASOUE book, since in the reply he talks about people reading about the Baudelaires. In other words, Kit was already dead. Another important detail is that, according to TE, when Kit died she thought Lemony was dead, and she had no way to contact him. So, the person who was passing as Kit, was most likely R. When Lemony wrote secret messages in the books for his sister, he was sending messages to R.

It's interesting how everything really fits together, taking into account this timeline. At the Masked Ball, Lemony went there believing that Beatrice was alive and hiding in R's house. The excuse for Beatrice hiding instead of searching for her children was that, if her survival became public, Olaf would have no reason to preserve the life of at least one of her children if they were captured. Thus, Lemony tried to communicate for 14 years with the supposed Beatrice (the Great Hiatus lasted more than 14 years) to pass on the information: "Count Olaf is dead." It was because he believed that Beatrice was alive that Lemony stopped writing about the children for so long. Additionally, during these 14 years Lemony was engaged in another mission: producing TBL and finding the My Silence Knot poem. And here, we enter an Extra Enigma: The TBL part 3 enigma, which is a secret Enigma of TBL.

TBL Enigma Part 3 - To be clear, this is part 3, because there are other enigmas in TBL that draw more attention than this one, and which appeared much earlier. But this enigma is as follows: In Beatrice Junior's last letter to Lemony, she claims to be 10 years old. How could the Great Hiatus last more than 14 years, if Beatrice Junior was only ten years old when she tried to meet with Lemony?

Answer: Beatrice Junior tried to meet with Lemony after the publication of TBB and TRR but before the publication of TWW, in other words, before the Great Hiatus began. Most interestingly, this is canon. According to BB To LS #5, Beatrice Jr read some of the ASOUE books and was able to compare what she had heard from the Baudelaires themselves with what Lemony had written. However, according to BB to LS #2, Beatrice Jr was not able to identify what a paperweight in the shape of one of the lake's leeches was. More than that, according to TWW, Lemony was still living in a building while he was writing TWW. He hadn't yet started to be a fugitive from the authorities (despite apparently having problems with them). That's why Beatrice Jr was able to rent an apartment above the apartment where Lemony lived in the Rhetorical Building. This was because Lemony was still living there. Lemony wrote to the editor (TBL) that he spent years trying to find the letters and items that form TBL. This also happened during the Great Hiatus.

Something important in all of this is understanding that both Kit's death and Olaf's death were not publicly disclosed until the publication of TE. For not understanding that Olaf was already dead, the owner of the Prospero Ship thought that the enemy disguised as a cow was an accomplice of Count Olaf. But in fact, he was an accomplice of Genius. Who could this Genius be? There's no way to be sure, but one possibility is Esmé. After all, it was her fan club who managed to get the chorus of the Mamba Du Mal. But why did Lemony decide to reveal the death of the real Kit only in TE? He didn't reveal it before to protect R. But when he published TE, R had probably already died. In TGG we learn that the person who was pretending to be Kit needed to be saved, probably from an assassination attempt. Even if Lemony managed to save her that time, the assassins may have tried again and again until they succeeded. Thus, when Lemony published TE, it was no longer necessary to protect R's identity.

#asoue #asoue theory #lstua #lemony snicket the unauthorized autobiography #lemony snicket #TBL #the beatrice letters #beatrice jr #duchness of winnipeg #r

[snicketstrange]

The Leech, the Letters, and the Lurking Lies

Beatrice Jr. attempted to locate Lemony Snicket while he was writing "The Wide Window".

This theory seems simple, but gains plausibility if one accepts that the ASOUE books were written over many years. It's easy to believe that Beatrice Jr. was familiar with Lemony Snicket’s work. In BB to LS #2, she says she's heard of his research. She later states that the Baudelaires' accounts differ from Lemony’s own reports in some details. Dante even argues that Beatrice Jr. represents fans of Lemony Snicket, passionately seeking answers from their favorite author; an interpretation closely aligning with her portrayed character.However, in BB to LS #2, Beatrice Jr. reveals she didn't recognize a paperweight shaped like a leech. How could a fan not recognize this, given that TWW contains detailed descriptions and illustrations of leeches? The most likely explanation is that the book hadn't been published yet.

Further supporting this is the fact that Lemony still lived in an apartment in the City when these books were written, and he wasn't yet being pursued by authorities.

Interestingly, both Lemony and Beatrice Jr. believed that Beatrice Sr. was alive and in hiding. Imagine Lemony's confusion upon receiving those letters! Beatrice subtly hints at this belief in BB to LS #1, indicating she knows of at least one other person with her initials, likely referring to her belief that the Baudelaires' mother was alive.

For a long time, I struggled to understand BB to LS #1. I wondered, "How could she know so much, when she only joined VFD after sending BB to LS #3?" It struck me that BB to LS #1 might have been written after she joined VFD, and the letters are out of order. However, Dante pointed out that in BB to LS #1, Beatrice Jr. implies she's never been to Lemony’s office before, but she had been there in BB to LS #2. I tried to justify this, but wasn't fully satisfied.

With the clarity of the previous theory in mind, a coherent solution appeared.

To recap: When Beatrice Jr. wrote BB to LS #1, she was far away from Lemony and wasn’t in VFD yet. She knew about the challenges of training bats and assumed Lemony would understand the reference. She received information on Lemony, including his location and office details. She also believed that Beatrice Sr. was alive.The right questions are: Where was Beatrice Jr. during this time, and who could have informed her about Lemony and Beatrice Sr.?

Given the evidence, the simplest and most logical answer is that Beatrice Jr. was in Winnipeg. She likely received information about Lemony from the Duchess of Winnipeg, who unfortunately had been coerced into a scheme to capture Lemony.

In a way, Beatrice Jr. was an unwitting agent to expose Lemony to his enemies. The Duchess must have used her network to ensure Beatrice Jr.'s letter reached Lemony, and likely provided the information about bat training, or perhaps the information about bat training was provided by an imposter posing as Beatrice Sr. After all, Beatrice Jr. had never seen Beatrice Sr.'s face to refute any claims about her identity.

Even though the cards landed in Lemony's hands out of order, there is chronological consistency in BB to LS#1 actually being the first card. But evidently the rest of TBL needs to be understood by the obvious truth that someone who grew up with Lemony passed information to Beatrice Jr. After all, she even knew who Lemony's teacher was many years before. She was told details of Lemony's relationship with Beatrice that only an eyewitness could have passed on to her. And even that gives relevance to the character of R, who interfered in Lemony's story not only during her childhood and early adulthood, but also years later she continued to interfere.

#asoue #asoue theory #lemony snicket #beatrice baudelaire #a series of unfortunate events #the beatrice letters #lstua #lemony snicket the unauthorized autobiography #vfd #tbl #desventuras em s├®rie #desventuras em série

[snicketstrange]

Who is the possible survivor of the fire to which the Snicket File refers?

Short theory:

The sentence on page 13 states: "Because of the evidence discussed on page nine, experts now suspect that there may in fact be one survivor of the fire, but the survivor's whereabouts are unknown".

It can't be Quigley Quagmire, as the file explicitly states "one survivor," not "another survivor." Given that Isadora and Duncan Quagmire's survival is public knowledge, we're not discussing the Quagmire mansion fire. The clues point to the Baudelaire mansion fire and the alleged arsonist, Lemony Snicket, who has also been declared dead. This leads us to believe that Lemony, initially presumed dead and guilty, had his death status questioned by experts. Kit and Jacques Snicket, as shown in LSTUA and TCC, are on a mission to clear Lemony's name and confirm his survival, despite their grave doubts.

The Snicket File, aptly named "Snicket Fires" by Hall, underlines their fight against their brother's fiery accusations.

#asoue #asoue theory #lemony snicket #a series of unfortunate events #lstua #snicket file #Quigley Quigmire #quagmire #ducan Quagmire #isadora duncan #isadora quagmire #beatrice baudelaire #lemony snicket the unauthorized autobiography #a serie of unfortunate events icons #Snicket #jacques snicket #kit snicket #VFD #desventuras em s├®rie #desventuras em serie #desventuras em série #des

[snicketstrange]

Did I solve the mystery of Dr. Sebald?

One of the first ideas I tried to discuss on Dark Avenue was how to solve Chapter 4 of LSTUA. This was an unresolved question left open by Hermes and Dante, Two of the three A Series of Unfortunate Events theorists I respect the most in the world, (the third being @Snicketsleuth [despite our temporary schism due to chronological issues of asoue on which we didn't reach a consensus]).

The big problem involving chapter 4 involves the chronology of events. Comparing TRR with LSTUA, we come to Lemony's conclusion, while researching the main events described in TRR (everything indicates that the research of Lemony happened a few years after the events actually took place) he received from Dr. Sebald the script for the movie Zombies in the Snow. However, Count Olaf claimed that he killed Gustav by drowning during the main events of TRR.

Furthermore, the Zombies in the Snow script contains a secret message that seems to apply in some way to the Baudelaires' case. However, the secret message indicates that there is a fire survivor inside the snowman and asks the recipient of the message to take the three children to the location where the movie takes place. Also, the secret message alerts the recipient of the message that his new assistant is not one of us.

This generates a lot of confusion in the reader's mind, as Gustav was certainly taken by surprise when he suffered the attempt on his life.

"One day when he was out collecting wildflowers I drowned him in the Swarthy Swamp. Then I forged a note saying he quit." - Count Olaf, TRR, Chpater 13.

The entire process of shooting the movie to send an urgent message to Uncle Monty seems completely impossible to do, especially when you consider that the movie Zombies in the Snow looks like it was filmed when Gustav was a kid (according to a photo in LSTUA) when Lemony was a teenager (according to an observation made in File Under 13) and appears to involve 3 similar-looking children who are unrelated to the Baudelaires. (LSTUA chapter 4).

I can proudly say that I resolved this last issue some time ago in what I think is the best possible and canonical way: Despite what Lemony may think on the matter, Zombies in the Snow's secret message refers some old case unrelated to the Baudelaires. That is, when Uncle Monty and the three Baudelaires watched that movie, this was a rerun. The secret message they might have received did not apply to them. [Some might want to believe that someone decided to play the same film as the subject was relevant again... But this is something that in practice doesn't matter for my main goals, which is to understand the chronology of events in this chapter of LSTUA in relation to the TRR].

Even though I have satisfactorily resolved this last question, the first problem I raised in this text still remained. In Lemony's letter to the cheesemakers, Lemony states that he received the script from a man named Dr. Sebald. He was getting ready to return the script to Dr. Sebald, but he just didn't show up. Lemony begins to realize that the possibility that Dr. Sebald has been captured is high. So he decided to send at least the part of the script containing the Sebald code to the cheesemakers. The letter makes it clear that all this happened after Lemony had already unsuccessfully tried to publish at least one book by ASOUE. The Baudelaires hadn't been at Uncle Monty's house for quite some time, and the cheesemakers were Lemony's penultimate chance to publish ASOUE. That is, Gustav Sebald had already been presumed dead.

Dante suggested two solutions to this apparent contradiction: the first is that Uncle Monty's assistant named Gustav and the film director named Gustav Sebald are different people. Another suggestion from Dante is that although Count Olaf assumed that the attempt to cause Gustav's death was successful, Gustav actually survived. So years later Gustav was still alive so he could give Lemony the script, but he died (for real this time) before he got the script back.

I'm here to say that Dante was wrong on both assumptions, and that the best way to solve this mystery is to remove from our eyes some of the preconceptions we have as readers. Furthermore, we must accept that the simplest explanation is usually the best explanation. Consider again Sally Sebald's letter to Lemony. I must say that everything indicates that this letter (actually the set of letters) was written by Daniel Handler on purpose to reinforce our prejudices, in order to prevent the understanding of a simple truth. First of all, the order of the letters is wrong in the way it is presented in the chapter. (In the introduction to LSTUA there is already confirmation that you can read the work in any order, indicating that the documents are not necessarily in the chronological order in which they were originally produced in that universe.)

Evidence that Sally Sebald's letter was written before Lemony's letter to the cheesemakers is in the fact that Sally comments that Lemony first requested the photographs related to Zombies in the Snow, which were kept in files referring to the film. Sally Sebald stated in the letter that if Lemony had any more requests, he should do so. When Sally received Lemony's first letter requesting the photographs, Sally thought Lemony was dead, indicating that Lemony had not yet published any ASOUE books. In the letter, Saly found it necessary to describe the scene where the Sebald code had been used. Evidently, it was Sally who sent Lemony the script for the film, after Lemony requested it at some later point. So Lemony was about to return the scrip to Sally Sebald. Please note that in Lemony's letter to the cheesemakers, at no point does Lemony refer to Dr Sebald as "Gustav". Lemony calls the film director just Dr Sebald. Sally Sebald states in the letter to Lemony that now the one who takes care of the business left by Gustav Sebald is Sally Sebald. Evidence that Sally Sebald also became a film director is in the fact that Sally Sebald uses the symbol of a cinematographic camera in the letter.

So the person who didn't show up for Lemony's appointment was in fact Dr. Sally Sebald and not Gustav Sebald.

This idea is not completely new to me. However, Dante made a powerful counter-argument that he convinced me for over 2 years. I'll paraphrase Dante: "You're an idiot! Don't you realize that the person called "Dr. Sebald" in Lemony's letter to the cheesemakers is a male? Lemony uses masculine pronouns to refer to "Dr. Sebald" all along the letter!" But the correct answer I should have given Dante at that moment shouldn't have been exactly an "answer" but a "question." I should have asked the right question. But I was prejudiced.

I should have asked Dante, "How do you know Sally Sebald is a woman?"

Yes dear reader, "Sally" is a name that can apply to both boys and girls.

Nothing indicates that Sally Sebald is a woman. However, Daniel Handler knew of our prejudices as readers. Intentionally Daniel Handler provided a handwritten signature in a typical female handwriting. And the prejudice is precisely in the word "typical" of the previous sentence. In fact, you cannot tell a person's gender from their signature, especially if the person's name is commonly applied to both male and female genders. In my case, there is an aggravating factor in my prejudice: The ending of the letter "yours" seemed to me (mistakenly) more appropriate for a female friend to write to a male friend. But that has nothing to do with it! Similarly, Sally Sebald when talking about Gustav uses the word "siblings" instead of "brothers". In my prejudiced mind, "siblings" was more common to refer to children of different genders, however it is obvious that two brothers can refer to each other as "siblings" especially in the context of the letter, since the relationship between the three Snickets (one female and two males) is compared to the relationship between the two Sebalds (two males). However, Daniel Handler's choice of words makes a prejudiced reader like me fall into his trap.

So, putting together in a summarized and simple way the puzzle involving Zombies in the Snow, I propose the following chronology:

1 - When Gustav Sebald was a child, he recorded Zombies in the Snow and entered a secret code involving some relevant case at the time. (A teenage Count Olaf/"Omar" may have participated in the filming.)

2 - Years later, when Gustav Sebald was an adult and became Uncle Monty's assistant.

3 - Just before the children arrived at Uncle Monty's house, Gustav Sebald was surprised and drowned.

4 - Years later, Lemony sends a letter to the man and doctor Sally Sebald, requesting photographs from the movie Zombies in the Snow, as he had become a film director and took care of his late brother's business.

5 - The man and doctor Sally Sebald sent the photographs, and then lent Lemony Snicket the script for the movie Zombies in the Snow.

6 - After reviewing the script and photographs, Lemony deduced that Uncle Monty had never learned the Sebald code. (The word "never" here probably indicates that not even when Uncle Monty was younger had he been able to understand a Sebald code that had been sent to him, back at the time of the shooting of Zombies in the Snow.)

7 - After reaching the conclusion mentioned above, Lemony went to meet the male and doctor Sally Sebald. However, the new film director did not show up at the meeting point. Lemony then sent the script to the cheesemakers.

In other words, by understanding this chronology, we don't need to create yet another character with the same first name as Gustav involved also with Uncle Monty. By understanding this chronology, we need not believe that Gustav Sebald survived the drowning. There are already canonically more than one Sebald. And it was this man, who was misgendered by me and most fans who read LSTUA, is the person who holds the key to solving this mystery.

#lemony snicket #lemony snicket: the unauthorized autobiography #lemony snicket the unauthorized autobiography #asoue #asoue theory #asoue theories #a series of unfortunate quotes #a serie of unfortunate events chronology #a serie of unfortunate events icons #a serie of unfortunate events #snicketsleuth #dark avenue #lstua #tua #snicketverse #baudelaire #sally sebald #gustav sebald #sabald #beatrice baudelaire

[unfortunatetheorist]

*Joint Theory 6 - @unfortunatetheorist & @snicketstrange*:

-The Truthful Time Period-

When EXACTLY do the events of ASOUE (Netflix & Book) occur?

Firstly:

*Happy New Year, wherever you are celebrating from!*

(This post debuts on my, @unfortunatetheorist's, blog; 00:00 GMT)

The subject of time has been one of great debate throughout the ASOUE fandom, especially with references such as the Baudelaires' favourite film being the 1938 version of Dawn Patrol and Olaf saying he bought the hourglass from TBB online.

In this theory, @snicketstrange and I have come up with what we believe to be a definitive answer, for each case - Netflix Canon and Book Canon.

A firm starting point is this line from TBB:

"In the years since, I've inquired what became of the Brothers Poe. One followed his father into the world of banking. The other lives in a cave and talks to sheep. They each think the other has it better."

This means that the time between the main events of ASOUE and the release of the first season of the series on Netflix in the ASOUE universe is enough for Mr. Poe's children to grow up and one of them to become a banker. We can assume that it would be reasonable to think about at least 10 years. This should be approximately the age difference between Lemony who appears in TSS and Lemony who narrates.

Also, Violet's line from TRR:

"Um, Dawn Patrol, the 1938 version."

This implies 2 things: there was a later remake of Dawn Patrol (hence, "version") and the Baudelaire parents must have been at the suitable age rating to watch the movie when it came out, as:

Monty: "It was your parents' favourite too."

Let's estimate to see how accurate we can be. In 1938 the film was released. Bertrand probably saw this film when he was a teenager, but perhaps not at the premiere. But maybe. (Favourite films when we are adults often arise when we watch these films in [pre-]adolescence).

So, Bertrand in 1938 could have been 12 years old. Let's put this scenario as the oldest. If he was 12 years old in 1938, he must having got married and fathered Violet at around 28 (estimate based on all of Beatrice's history with Lemony prior to her marriage to Bertrand, and Bertrand's appearance in TE). In this case Violet would have been born in 1954, and the series' main events would have been 14 years later in 1968. Lemony would be narrating the story in about 1978.

Now, thinking about the upper limit, we would have the case where the premiere of the Netflix series in our universe happened in the same year as in Lemony's universe. In this case, 2017 would be the year of Lemony's narration, and then 2007 would be the year of ASOUE's main events. So, to date, our estimate is between 1968 and 2007 (book + Netflix).

The main problem is that ASOUE in the books is quite anachronistic. Despite the aesthetics Netflix exists within the universe. But, in contrast, we can argue that Netflix at the time was a video home delivery service, as was the original Netflix. (We don't see people with internet at home in ASOUE, and a computer like in Prufrock Prep was quite rare, hence it being called 'Advanced').

[And apparently something not connected to the internet.]

And this is very interesting. ASOUE's Netflix series is meant to be a video delivery service. After all, we see in THH that there are video delivery services in the library and devices for showing videos.

The first type of Home Video to exist in our world was Betamax in 1975.

And the first microcomputer for personal use was also launched in 1975, the Altair 8800.

And if we look at a detail in LSTUA.

They are separate universes, but this photographic record is the only one dated in the entire Unfortunate universe: October 1977. It wouldn't be surprising if the series' writers (who are fans of the books) had this enigmatic date in mind, and made ASOUE take place in the 1970s.

And 2 years after the launch of home video and after the launch of microcomputers would be exactly the time needed for a newly launched technology to have spread enough to suggest services like Netflix in the world of ASOUE.

Long enough for some people to buy video cassettes and even cameras.

Here's the full picture:

So the answer to our original question:

JOINT THEORY: ASOUE is set in the 1970s.

#asoue #lemony snicket #vfd #a series of unfortunate events #snicketverse #asoue netflix #theory #joint theory #snicketstrange #chronological #time #time period

[unfortunatetheorist]

*Joint Theory 3: @unfortunatetheorist with @snicketstrange *

The Masked Ball - Book Canon VS Netflix Canon

After quite a wait (my [@unfortunatetheorist's] bad), here it is.

The Masked Ball that Duchess R invites Lemony to in LSTUA is notably different in both the book and Netflix canon. This post will try and take into account all of the differences that both Masked Balls have.

Obviously, the Very First Difference is that:

BOOK: The Ball happens AFTER the Baudelaire fire, during the events of The Carnivorous Carnival.

NETFLIX: The Ball happens 'IN THE PAST, a phrase which here means BEFORE THE BAUDELAIRES WERE BORN'.

This impacts the storyline greatly, as the book canon allows for the possibility of Beatrice surviving the fire, before Lemony met her at the Masked Ball and tried to save her, where she ultimately died.

This also paves the way for a slightly chilling possibility, especially when you look at it in terms of Lemony:

According to Netflix canon, if the Baudelaires weren't born at the time of the ball, and we know Beatrice was there... who's to say that Bertrand was not? The possibility is there, however slim it may be.

This COULD, in THEORY, mean one thing - Beatrice CHEATED on Lemony with Bertrand, and he didn't know. He found out later when she confessed to it, out of guilt, in her 200-page book. This, in turn, is what led to Lemony spiralling into depression, and is what makes him say this line in TPP:

"The man in the back of that taxi is myself, many years ago when I was much younger and more naive than I am now."

His naivety is referring to his unrequited love for Beatrice, despite the fact that she cheated on him.

It also, referring to BOOK canon this time, makes him say this line in TAA:

"[And] because I felt like a different person, I dared to approach a woman I had been forbidden to approach for the rest of my life."

The only reasons he would've been forbidden to approach her are:

a) Bertrand

b) Beatrice - if she ever saw him again, it would bring back all those emotions of guilt and sadness that she didn't want to hold on to.

(But that's just theoretical. Back to the point...)

Another key difference is that:

BOOK: Olaf is not present at this ball.

NETFLIX: Olaf IS present at this ball.

This is important, as @snicketstrange points out in a theory, Lemony sees Beatrice at the ball and says to her "Count Olaf is dead" - in book canon only.

Here's an interesting one:

BOOK: The Masked Ball is mentioned in TAA.

NETFLIX: The Masked Ball is only mentioned/shown in TCC.

This plays quite a part, as it allows for the possibility to be referenced in TEE, and therefore, for Esmé to have been at the ball, as she says in the Netflix series (TSS):.

"You once threw a Masked Ball here and didn't invite me - not that I care! A face this gorgeous should never be hidden behind a mask."

However, it is also not made explicitly clear in the books as to whether or not Esmé was invited/there.

BOOK: It is not mentioned whether or not Esmé is at the ball.

NETFLIX: Esmé is clearly NOT INVITED to this ball.

Another similarity is that both Balls were held explicitly by the Duchess of Winnipeg, Duchess R:

BOOK: Duchess R of Winnipeg holds the Masked Ball.

NETFLIX: Duchess R of Winnipeg holds the Masked Ball.

Speaking of people at Masked Balls, let's refocus on the main man himself - Lemony. Here's some things @snicketstrange pointed out:

In the books there are two dances mentioned. One of them was during the main events described in TCC. But it was NOT the same ball at which Lemony was captured nor the same ball at which he said "Count Olaf is..." This other ball is the one mentioned by the narrator Lemony in TAA, but it took place after the publication of TWW.

It's important to think in 5 dimensions here. (@snicketstrange is one of the few people that can do that!)

Lemony published his books over the years after the main events described in the books. And over these years, Lemony experienced some things that he, as a narrator, INCLUDED in the books as he published them. And the Ball at which Lemony was captured was one of those events.

Some more differences are:

Lemony's outfit

According to Lemony, it was the only time in his life that he wore this outfit. This detail is VERY significant. During the Netflix show's second season, Daniel Handler was still on the show's creative team.

It may be that he made these demands to ensure that people knew that the ball depicted in the show was a different ball than the ball depicted in the books, even though there were similarities.

In other words, in the show they weren't trying to replicate what was described in the books, even though there are SOME thematic similarities, and purposeful differences.

The fact that Lemony is being chased or not

The people described at the ball. Note that there are no people who died (with the exception of one Beatrice present) at the book ball. Monty, Dr. Orwell, Josephine, are not mentioned.

[Thank you again @snicketstrange, your words continue to provoke wisdom and thought into the minds of keen ASOUE fans...]

¬ Th3r3534rch1ngr4ph (@unfortunatetheorist) & @snicketstrange, Unfortunate Theorists/Snicketologists

#asoue #vfd #a series of unfortunate events #lemony snicket #asoue netflix #snicketverse #theory #esme squalor #count olaf #masked ball #beatrice baudelaire #bertrand baudelaire #snicketstrange #joint theory

[unfortunatetheorist]

*Joint Theory 4: @unfortunatetheorist with @snicketstrange* :

Liar, Liar? Quag's on Fire? - (BCT & NCT)

We're back! This time, to discuss the apparent contradiction surrounding the Quagmire fire:

How did Duncan and Isadora get out of the Orphans Shack if their parents were already dead when they got there?

But perhaps, more importantly, When did the Quagmire fire occur?

Well, there are some key excerpts that further our understanding:

The letter to the editor found in TAA indicates that the Baudelaires stayed a half-term (half-semester) at Prufrock-Prep.

According to Nero, for a child to live in the good apartments of Prufrock-Prep, a signature from a parent or guardian would be required. It could not be Mr. Poe, who was in charge of their inheritance.

TAA - Chapter 3: "My sister and I went through the experience of a terrible fire, and we know what it's like. Did your father die in the fire?" "Our parents also died in a fire. It's horrible to miss your parents, isn't it?" "For a long time," Duncan confessed, "I was afraid of any kind of fire. I didn't even like to look at heaters or fireplaces." "Duncan and I had to live there for three terms because we needed a father or mother or a guardian to sign our authorization pass, and we had no one."

According to Quigley's account in TSS, the fire occurred after the events in TRR.

Brett Helquist's Letter to Lemony from Ch 11 of LSTUA:

Note: There was a Quagmire case that Lemony Snicket was accused of being involved in that PRECEDED the Baudelaire mansion fire. (Mr. Helquist arrived at the mansion while it was still on fire, and made the drawing that can be found in TBB).

Quigley's speech from Ch 8 of TSS:

You can verify that the Quagmire fire, according to Quigley, happened after the events described in TRR, that is, after the Baudelaire mansion was destroyed.

And all the main events described from TBB until Ch 13 of The End, take place within a MAXIMUM of 1 year. We know this because Violet and Klaus start the story at 14 and 12 years old, respectively, and have birthdays during the story: Klaus in TVV and Violet in TGG, and when they arrive on the island they are 15 and 13 years old respectively.

Actually, this is something the showrunners of the Netflix series picked up on - and SOLVED:

THEORY: The Quagmire parents faked their deaths. This means the children would've been sent to the Orphans' Shack before the revelation of Mr & Mrs Quagmire being alive allowed Isadora and Duncan to live in the apartment section of Prufrock Prep - they would've been alive to sign the necessary paperwork, and thus get out of the Shack. Then they died for REAL, meaning that the two triplets went back to Prufrock, but they STAYED at the dormitory because the papers had already been signed.

Netflix clears a lot of it up [hence 'BCT & NCT'], answering the questions we posed earlier:

Q: How did Duncan and Isadora get out of the Orphans Shack if their parents were already dead when they got there?

A: They were sent to the Orphans' Shack during the time when their parents' deaths were faked. The problem was that they didn't have someone to sign the paperwork. The Orphans' Shack is a temporary location until the parents can sign the paperwork. They only managed to get out of there, because their parents weren't really dead, and they signed the papers. When their parents actually died, they had already signed the papers.

Q: When did the Quagmire fire occur?

A: As Netflix states it, during the events of TMM.

¬ Th3r3534rch1ngr4ph & @snicketstrange,

Unfortunate Theorists/Snicketologists

#asoue #vfd #lemony snicket #a series of unfortunate events #snicketverse #asoue netflix #theory #quagmires #quagmire #duncan quagmire #quagmire triplets #isadora quagmire #quigley quagmire #brett helquist #kind editor #the miserable mill #the austere academy #the bad beginning #the end #lemony snicket the unauthorised autobiography #lstua #snicketstrange

[snicketstrange]

What did Lemony say to Beatrice at the Masked Ball?

Short Theory:

"Count Olaf is dead." Lemony believed it was crucial to tell this to a supposed Beatrice, whom he was convinced had survived the fire at her mansion. This conviction happened between the publication of book 3 and book 4 (which have a difference of over 14 years between their publication dates in Lemony's universe). All this was part of a plan to capture Lemony. Placing an imposter dressed as Beatrice disguised as a dragonfly at a ball where everyone should be in costume was the easiest part of the plan. R, in his letter to Lemony in LSTUA chapter 2, subtly tried to inform Lemony that Beatrice was indeed dead, both through a photograph of little Beatrice which Lemony would recognize but the enemies would not, and through phrases that indicated her and the girl in the photo's death.

The excuse Lemony's enemies gave for the supposed Beatrice having fled and hidden instead of looking for her children was that if Count Olaf (who died on a deserted island) was still alive and got his hands on the children, and found out Beatrice was still alive, he would have no reason to leave the children alive. Therefore, the message "Count Olaf is dead" was a relevant message to be passed on to her.