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Chapter 11
Themes
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
Violet and Klaus stand backstage at the theatre. They feel “dread” because of Count Olaf’s evil plan, but also fascination, as they have never been backstage at a theatre production. They watch the troupe members hurry around and catch a glimpse of Count Olaf performing. The first act ends, and Count Olaf chastises the crew members backstage for not putting the children in their costumes. Two white-faced women lead Violet and Klaus into a dressing room to costume them, forcing Klaus into a sailor suit and Violet into a wedding dress.
This scene highlights how confusing and contradictory emotions can sometime be. Though Violet and Klaus are terrified about the play, they cannot help but enjoy being backstage. They are both bright, curious children, and this is an exciting, new experience for the two of them.
Themes
Violet and Klaus realize that Justice Strauss is there with them, and she expresses her excitement for the play. She describes how Count Olaf instructed her to read the real wedding ceremony from the law book to make the play hyper-realistic. Violet and Klaus suggest that she change her lines around, but Justice Strauss says she had better not. Before they can say anything about Count Olaf’s plot, someone calls her to do makeup. The women finish putting on Violet and Klaus’s costumes, and the children think how ugly they look.
Upon meeting Justice Strauss backstage, the children attempt to have her change her lines, thereby nullifying the legality of the marriage. Once again, however, the children are too subtle, and Justice Strauss is too excited for the play to read into their request or take it seriously. As such, this is another missed opportunity for the Baudelaire children, though it’s not entirely their fault that it doesn’t work out. Though they are not nearly explicit enough about their dilemma, Justice Strauss is too naïve to suspect that anything nefarious might be underway or to wonder why the children might be making such a strange request.
Themes
Klaus suggests they pretend to be sick, but Violet shoots down this plan; Count Olaf would not be so easily tricked. Act Three begins, and backstage becomes hectic with actors rushing everywhere. A bald troupe member reminds the children not to try anything, telling them to just do as they’re told, or else Sunny will be hurt.
With time running out before the start of the play, Klaus and Violet brainstorm new ideas. None of them are very good, however, and after a warning from the bald man, the children remember the leverage Count Olaf has over them.
Themes
Mr. Poe arrives backstage to wish the children good luck. Klaus attempts to tell Mr. Poe of Count Olaf’s plot but is interrupted by Count Olaf holding a walkie-talkie. Instead of exposing the scheme, Klaus expresses his appreciation for all Mr. Poe has done for them. Mr. Poe leaves, and Count Olaf leads them to the stage. Klaus is instructed to stand in one spot for the whole play, and Violet is placed next to Count Olaf. Lemony Snicket describes the play as “dull and insipid,” and he doesn’t provide any of the plot points. Klaus realizes that the play was chosen entirely for the marriage scene, and he notices how bored the crowd is.
Again, Count Olaf showcases his uncanny ability to stay one step ahead of the Baudelaire children. Almost as if they he has been constantly watching them, Olaf arrives just in time to stop Klaus from telling Mr. Poe about Olaf’s schemes. Thus, the Baudelaire children miss their last chance to stop Count Olaf and are led onto the stage for the final act. As he watches from the sidelines, Klaus realizes that The Marvelous Wedding was picked solely because it had a marriage scene. This makes sense given that Al Funcoot, the supposed playwright, is an anagram of Count Olaf’s name—it seems that Olaf not only chose the play, but he wrote it, too.
Themes
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Justice Strauss begins speaking, reading straight from the law book. She is visibly happy to be performing, though she does not realize the part she is playing in Count Olaf’s evil plan. Finally, she asks Count Olaf and Violet whether they will take each other as husband and wife, and they both say, “I do.” Justice Strauss produces the legal document for Violet to sign, and a troupe member warns Klaus not to do anything. Klaus thinks of Sunny in the birdcage and does nothing. Violet looks at the document and signs her name with her left hand.
Seemingly, Count Olaf’s plan goes off without a hitch. Justice Strauss unsuspectingly reads her lines straight from the law book, and Count Olaf and Violet both say, “I do.” When Violet goes to sign the legal document, however, she signs it with her left hand. Though her reason for doing this is unclear, it seems connected to the reaction she had at the end of Chapter 11 while looking at her right hand.
Themes
