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Chapter 9
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Bad Beginning, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Family and Parenthood
Surveillance, Supervision, and Guardianship
Children vs. Adults
Intelligence and Ethics
Summary
Analysis
Like Klaus the night before, Violet stays up the whole night working. Earlier that day, she brought Sunny’s curtain sheets to the tower to make her more comfortable, but the troupe member standing guard had refused to let her in. Violet was hoping to hold and reassure Sunny—and to case the joint—and she’s unhappy that she was unable to. Now Violet works on her invention, using the few materials she has to make a “rescuing device.” She makes it from a curtain rod, a wire from a painting, and the clothes Mrs. Poe bought them, the latter being tied together using a type of knot called the “Devils’ Tongue.” As she works, she remembers her promise to her parents to protect her younger siblings.
For the first time in the story, Violet demonstrates her skills as an inventor. Like with Klaus’s skills as a reader, Violet’s knack for inventing––once a mere hobby––has become a survival tool. Rescuing Sunny is the only way to save herself from marriage and from Count Olaf stealing their fortune and so, in an impressive show of ingenuity, Violet manages to scavenge enough materials from Olaf’s house to build a rescue device. This scene also emphasizes the responsibility Violet feels for her younger siblings—a responsibility passed down from her parents.
Active
Themes
Violet finishes her creation, which turns out to be a grappling hook. Her plan is to climb to the tower from the outside and rescue Sunny. Violet knows it is a risky plan, but it was the only invention she could think of with such limited time and materials. While she works, she remembers how she promised her parents she would watch over her siblings. Once outside, Violet realizes how difficult her plan really is, but she tries anyway. She throws the hook several times, but it never catches, and it makes a loud sound each time. Violet is nervous that the noise will wake Count Olaf, and she almost gives up, but then thinks of Sunny. She gives the hook one more throw, and it catches.
Here, Violet shows herself to be brave as well as inventive. Not only is climbing Count Olaf’s tower dangerous, but so is throwing the grappling hook—at any moment, Count Olaf could hear her attempts to land the grappling hook on the tower. Because of her love for Sunny, however Violet persists, again showcasing the responsibility she feels as the eldest Baudelaire child.
Active
Themes
Violet closes her eyes and begins to climb the tower, motivating herself by thinking of Sunny and her promise to her parents. As she climbs higher, Violet becomes scared the rope will break, but thankfully, it never does. Finally, Violet arrives at the top and sees Sunny. Sunny is trying to say something, but her mouth is taped shut. Then Violet sees with horror that her grappling hook is stuck to another hook – the hook-hand of one of Count Olaf’s troupe members, the hook-handed man. He reaches toward Violet with his other hook.
Active
Themes
