The Bad Beginning

by

Lemony Snicket

Klaus Character Analysis

Twelve-year-old Klaus is the middle Baudelaire child, and like his older sister, Violet, Klaus is exceptionally smart. While Violet likes to invent, however, Klaus loves to read and consume knowledge. Before the tragic fire that killed his parents, Klaus would spend hours reading in their family’s enormous private library, often sneaking books upstairs to read at night with a flashlight. One of the things Klaus is saddest about after the accident is that he will never get to read all the books in their family library. When the children first move to Count Olaf’s house, one of the only things to lift Klaus’s spirits is the unlimited access that Justice Strauss gives them to her private library. Like Violet, Klaus is horribly unhappy living with Count Olaf, and though he finds respite––however temporary–– in his life-long love of reading. As the story progresses, however, Klaus’s love of reading slowly transforms from a hobby into a tool for survival. Suspecting Count Olaf of foul play, Klaus begins reading law books to figure out what Olaf could be planning, eventually uncovering his plot to marry Violet and steal their fortune. Though his plan to confront Count Olaf backfires in the short term, it is this discovery that ultimately leads to Violet’s being able to thwart Olaf’s scheme.

Klaus Quotes in The Bad Beginning

The The Bad Beginning quotes below are all either spoken by Klaus or refer to Klaus. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Family and Parenthood Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

One of the things Violet, Klaus, and Sunny really liked about their parents was that they didn’t send their children away when they had company over, but allowed them to join the adults at the dinner table and participate in the conversation as long as they helped clear the table.

Related Characters: Lemony Snicket (speaker), Violet, Klaus, Sunny, Count Olaf, Mr. Poe
Page Number: 6
Explanation and Analysis:

“Perished,” Mr. Poe said, means ‘killed.’”

“We know what the word ‘perished’ means, Klaus said crossly. He did know what the word “perished” meant, but he was still having trouble understanding what exactly it was that Mr. Poe had said. It seemed to him that Mr. Poe must somehow have misspoken.

Related Characters: Klaus (speaker), Mr. Poe (speaker)
Page Number: 8
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 2  Quotes

“But our parents never mentioned Count Olaf to us. Just how is he related to us, exactly?”

Mr. Poe sighed and looked down at Sunny, who was biting a fork and listening closely. “He is either a third cousin four time removed, or a fourth cousin three times removed. He is not your closest relative on the family tree, but he is the closest geographically.”

Related Characters: Klaus (speaker), Mr. Poe (speaker), Violet, Sunny, Count Olaf
Page Number: 15
Explanation and Analysis:

They could see, in the space of pale skin between his tattered trouser cuff and his black shoe, that Count Olaf had an image of an eye tattooed on his ankle, matching the eye on his front door. They wondered how many other eyes were in Count Olaf’s house, and whether, for the rest of their lives, they would always feel as though Count Olaf were watching them even when he wasn’t nearby.

Related Characters: Lemony Snicket (speaker), Violet, Klaus, Sunny, Count Olaf, Mr. Poe
Related Symbols: Eyes
Page Number: 25
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3  Quotes

I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed this, but first impressions are often entirely wrong. You can look at a painting for the first time, for example, and not like it at all, but after looking at it a little longer you may find it very pleasing. The first time you try Gorgonzola cheese you may find it too strong, but when you are older you may want to eat nothing but Gorgonzola cheese. […] I wish I could tell you that the Baudelaire’s’ first impressions of Count Olaf and his house were incorrect, as first impressions so often are. But these impressions––that Count Olaf was a horrible person, and his house a depressing pigsty––were absolutely correct.

Related Characters: Lemony Snicket (speaker), Violet, Klaus, Sunny, Count Olaf
Page Number: 28
Explanation and Analysis:

I hate it here, Violet! I hate this house! I hate our room! I hate having to do all these chores, and I hate Count Olaf!”

“I hate it too,” Violet said, and Klaus looked at his older sister with relief. Sometimes, just saying you hate something, and having someone agree with you, can make you feel better about a terrible situation. “I hate everything about our lives right now, Klaus,” she said, “but we have to keep our chin up.” This was an expression the children’s father had used, and it meant “try to stay cheerful.”

“You’re right,” Klaus said. “But it is very difficult to keep one’s chin up when Count Olaf keeps shoving it down.”

Related Characters: Violet (speaker), Klaus (speaker), Sunny, Count Olaf
Page Number: 32
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 4  Quotes

“I can’t tell you how much we appreciate this,” Violet said, carefully. With their kind parents dead and Count Olaf treating them to abominably, the three children were not used to kindness from adults and weren’t sure if they were expected to do anything back. “Tomorrow, before we use your library again, Klaus and I would be more than happy to do household chores for you. Sunny isn’t really old enough to work, but I’m sure we could find some way she could help you.”

Related Characters: Violet (speaker), Klaus, Sunny, Count Olaf, Justice Strauss, Mr. Poe
Page Number: 43
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 5  Quotes

“Whatever Count Olaf has done,” Mr. Poe said, glancing down at one of his papers and circling a number, “he has acted in loco parentis, and there’s nothing I can do about it. Your money will be well protected by myself and by the bank, but Count Olaf’s parenting techniques are his own business. Now, I hate to usher you out posthaste, but I have very much work to do.”

The children just sat there, stunned. Mr. Poe looked up, and cleared his throat. “Posthaste,” he said, “means––”

“––means you’ll do nothing to help us,” Violet finished for him. She was shaking with anger and frustration”

Related Characters: Violet (speaker), Mr. Poe (speaker), Klaus, Sunny, Count Olaf
Page Number: 67
Explanation and Analysis:

It is very useful, when one is young, to learn the difference between “literally” and “figuratively.” If something happens literally, it actually happens; if something happens figuratively, it feels like it’s happening.

Related Characters: Lemony Snicket (speaker), Violet, Klaus, Mr. Poe
Page Number: 68
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6 Quotes

“I wish we knew something more about inheritance law,” Klaus said. “I’ll bet Count Olaf has cooked up some plan to get our money, but I don’t know what it could be.”

“I guess we could ask Mr. Poe about it,” Violet said doubtfully, as Klaus stood beside her and dried the dishes. “He knows all those Latin legal phrases.”

“But Mr. Poe would probably call Count Olaf again, and then he’d know we were on to him,” Klaus pointed out. “Maybe we should try to talk to Justice Strauss. She’s a judge, so she must know all about the law.”

“But she’s also Olaf’s neighbor,” Violet replied, “and she might tell him that we had asked.”

Related Characters: Violet (speaker), Klaus (speaker), Sunny, Count Olaf, Justice Strauss, Mr. Poe
Page Number: 80
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

The man leaned over until his face was just inches from Klaus’s, so close that the man’s features flickered into a blur. “Listen to me very carefully, little boy,” he said, breathing out foul steam with every word. “The only reason Count Olaf hasn’t torn you limb from limb is that he hasn’t gotten hold of your money. He allows you to live while he works out his plans. But ask yourself this, you little bookworm: What reason will he have to keep you alive after he has your money? What do you think will happen to you then?”

Related Characters: The Hook-Handed Man (speaker), Violet, Klaus, Count Olaf, Justice Strauss
Page Number: 90
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 8  Quotes

The book was long, and difficult to read, and Klaus became more and more tired as the night wore on. Occasionally, his eyes would close. He found himself reading the same sentence over and over. He found himself reading the same sentence over and over. He found himself reading the same sentence over and over.

Related Characters: Lemony Snicket (speaker), Klaus
Page Number: 94
Explanation and Analysis:

“The word ‘nuptial,’” Klaus said, “means ‘relating to marriage.”

“I know what the word means,” Count Olaf growled. “Where did you get that book.”

“From Justice Strauss’s library,” Klaus said. “But that’s not important. What’s important is that I have found out your plan.”

Related Characters: Klaus (speaker), Count Olaf (speaker), Violet, Justice Strauss, Mr. Poe
Page Number: 96
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10 Quotes

As she worked, she remembered something her parents had said to her when Klaus was born, and again when they brought Sunny home from the hospital. “You are the eldest Baudelaire child,” they had said, kindly but firmly. “And as the eldest, it will always be your responsibility to look after your younger siblings. Promise us that you will always watch out for them and make sure they don’t get into trouble.” Violet remembered her promise, and thought of Klaus whose bruised face still looked sore, and Sunny, dangling from the top of the flower like a flag, and began working even faster. Even though Count Olaf was of course the cause of all this misery, Violet as though she had broken her promise to her parents, and vowed to make it right.

Related Characters: Lemony Snicket (speaker), Violet, Klaus, Sunny, Count Olaf
Related Symbols: Grappling Hook
Page Number: 117
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 11 Quotes

I am certain that over the course of your own life, you have noticed that people’s rooms reflect their personalities. In my room, for instance, I have gathered a collection of objects that are important to me, including a dusty accordion on which I can play a few sad songs, a large bundle of notes on the activities of the Baudelaire orphans, and a blurry photograph, taken a very long time ago, of a woman whose name is Beatrice. These are items that are very precious and dear to me.

Related Characters: Lemony Snicket (speaker), Violet, Klaus, Sunny, Count Olaf
Page Number: 124
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13 Quotes

To Violet, Klaus, and Sunny, it seemed that Mr. Poe and the law had made the incorrect decision to take them away from the possibility of a happy life with Justice Strauss and toward an unknown fate with some unknown relative. They didn’t understand it, but like so many unfortunate events in life, just because you don’t understand it doesn’t mean it isn’t so.

Related Characters: Lemony Snicket (speaker), Violet, Klaus, Sunny, Count Olaf, Justice Strauss, Mr. Poe
Page Number: 161-162
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The Bad Beginning LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Bad Beginning PDF

Klaus Quotes in The Bad Beginning

The The Bad Beginning quotes below are all either spoken by Klaus or refer to Klaus. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Family and Parenthood Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

One of the things Violet, Klaus, and Sunny really liked about their parents was that they didn’t send their children away when they had company over, but allowed them to join the adults at the dinner table and participate in the conversation as long as they helped clear the table.

Related Characters: Lemony Snicket (speaker), Violet, Klaus, Sunny, Count Olaf, Mr. Poe
Page Number: 6
Explanation and Analysis:

“Perished,” Mr. Poe said, means ‘killed.’”

“We know what the word ‘perished’ means, Klaus said crossly. He did know what the word “perished” meant, but he was still having trouble understanding what exactly it was that Mr. Poe had said. It seemed to him that Mr. Poe must somehow have misspoken.

Related Characters: Klaus (speaker), Mr. Poe (speaker)
Page Number: 8
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 2  Quotes

“But our parents never mentioned Count Olaf to us. Just how is he related to us, exactly?”

Mr. Poe sighed and looked down at Sunny, who was biting a fork and listening closely. “He is either a third cousin four time removed, or a fourth cousin three times removed. He is not your closest relative on the family tree, but he is the closest geographically.”

Related Characters: Klaus (speaker), Mr. Poe (speaker), Violet, Sunny, Count Olaf
Page Number: 15
Explanation and Analysis:

They could see, in the space of pale skin between his tattered trouser cuff and his black shoe, that Count Olaf had an image of an eye tattooed on his ankle, matching the eye on his front door. They wondered how many other eyes were in Count Olaf’s house, and whether, for the rest of their lives, they would always feel as though Count Olaf were watching them even when he wasn’t nearby.

Related Characters: Lemony Snicket (speaker), Violet, Klaus, Sunny, Count Olaf, Mr. Poe
Related Symbols: Eyes
Page Number: 25
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3  Quotes

I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed this, but first impressions are often entirely wrong. You can look at a painting for the first time, for example, and not like it at all, but after looking at it a little longer you may find it very pleasing. The first time you try Gorgonzola cheese you may find it too strong, but when you are older you may want to eat nothing but Gorgonzola cheese. […] I wish I could tell you that the Baudelaire’s’ first impressions of Count Olaf and his house were incorrect, as first impressions so often are. But these impressions––that Count Olaf was a horrible person, and his house a depressing pigsty––were absolutely correct.

Related Characters: Lemony Snicket (speaker), Violet, Klaus, Sunny, Count Olaf
Page Number: 28
Explanation and Analysis:

I hate it here, Violet! I hate this house! I hate our room! I hate having to do all these chores, and I hate Count Olaf!”

“I hate it too,” Violet said, and Klaus looked at his older sister with relief. Sometimes, just saying you hate something, and having someone agree with you, can make you feel better about a terrible situation. “I hate everything about our lives right now, Klaus,” she said, “but we have to keep our chin up.” This was an expression the children’s father had used, and it meant “try to stay cheerful.”

“You’re right,” Klaus said. “But it is very difficult to keep one’s chin up when Count Olaf keeps shoving it down.”

Related Characters: Violet (speaker), Klaus (speaker), Sunny, Count Olaf
Page Number: 32
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 4  Quotes

“I can’t tell you how much we appreciate this,” Violet said, carefully. With their kind parents dead and Count Olaf treating them to abominably, the three children were not used to kindness from adults and weren’t sure if they were expected to do anything back. “Tomorrow, before we use your library again, Klaus and I would be more than happy to do household chores for you. Sunny isn’t really old enough to work, but I’m sure we could find some way she could help you.”

Related Characters: Violet (speaker), Klaus, Sunny, Count Olaf, Justice Strauss, Mr. Poe
Page Number: 43
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 5  Quotes

“Whatever Count Olaf has done,” Mr. Poe said, glancing down at one of his papers and circling a number, “he has acted in loco parentis, and there’s nothing I can do about it. Your money will be well protected by myself and by the bank, but Count Olaf’s parenting techniques are his own business. Now, I hate to usher you out posthaste, but I have very much work to do.”

The children just sat there, stunned. Mr. Poe looked up, and cleared his throat. “Posthaste,” he said, “means––”

“––means you’ll do nothing to help us,” Violet finished for him. She was shaking with anger and frustration”

Related Characters: Violet (speaker), Mr. Poe (speaker), Klaus, Sunny, Count Olaf
Page Number: 67
Explanation and Analysis:

It is very useful, when one is young, to learn the difference between “literally” and “figuratively.” If something happens literally, it actually happens; if something happens figuratively, it feels like it’s happening.

Related Characters: Lemony Snicket (speaker), Violet, Klaus, Mr. Poe
Page Number: 68
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6 Quotes

“I wish we knew something more about inheritance law,” Klaus said. “I’ll bet Count Olaf has cooked up some plan to get our money, but I don’t know what it could be.”

“I guess we could ask Mr. Poe about it,” Violet said doubtfully, as Klaus stood beside her and dried the dishes. “He knows all those Latin legal phrases.”

“But Mr. Poe would probably call Count Olaf again, and then he’d know we were on to him,” Klaus pointed out. “Maybe we should try to talk to Justice Strauss. She’s a judge, so she must know all about the law.”

“But she’s also Olaf’s neighbor,” Violet replied, “and she might tell him that we had asked.”

Related Characters: Violet (speaker), Klaus (speaker), Sunny, Count Olaf, Justice Strauss, Mr. Poe
Page Number: 80
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

The man leaned over until his face was just inches from Klaus’s, so close that the man’s features flickered into a blur. “Listen to me very carefully, little boy,” he said, breathing out foul steam with every word. “The only reason Count Olaf hasn’t torn you limb from limb is that he hasn’t gotten hold of your money. He allows you to live while he works out his plans. But ask yourself this, you little bookworm: What reason will he have to keep you alive after he has your money? What do you think will happen to you then?”

Related Characters: The Hook-Handed Man (speaker), Violet, Klaus, Count Olaf, Justice Strauss
Page Number: 90
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 8  Quotes

The book was long, and difficult to read, and Klaus became more and more tired as the night wore on. Occasionally, his eyes would close. He found himself reading the same sentence over and over. He found himself reading the same sentence over and over. He found himself reading the same sentence over and over.

Related Characters: Lemony Snicket (speaker), Klaus
Page Number: 94
Explanation and Analysis:

“The word ‘nuptial,’” Klaus said, “means ‘relating to marriage.”

“I know what the word means,” Count Olaf growled. “Where did you get that book.”

“From Justice Strauss’s library,” Klaus said. “But that’s not important. What’s important is that I have found out your plan.”

Related Characters: Klaus (speaker), Count Olaf (speaker), Violet, Justice Strauss, Mr. Poe
Page Number: 96
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10 Quotes

As she worked, she remembered something her parents had said to her when Klaus was born, and again when they brought Sunny home from the hospital. “You are the eldest Baudelaire child,” they had said, kindly but firmly. “And as the eldest, it will always be your responsibility to look after your younger siblings. Promise us that you will always watch out for them and make sure they don’t get into trouble.” Violet remembered her promise, and thought of Klaus whose bruised face still looked sore, and Sunny, dangling from the top of the flower like a flag, and began working even faster. Even though Count Olaf was of course the cause of all this misery, Violet as though she had broken her promise to her parents, and vowed to make it right.

Related Characters: Lemony Snicket (speaker), Violet, Klaus, Sunny, Count Olaf
Related Symbols: Grappling Hook
Page Number: 117
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 11 Quotes

I am certain that over the course of your own life, you have noticed that people’s rooms reflect their personalities. In my room, for instance, I have gathered a collection of objects that are important to me, including a dusty accordion on which I can play a few sad songs, a large bundle of notes on the activities of the Baudelaire orphans, and a blurry photograph, taken a very long time ago, of a woman whose name is Beatrice. These are items that are very precious and dear to me.

Related Characters: Lemony Snicket (speaker), Violet, Klaus, Sunny, Count Olaf
Page Number: 124
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13 Quotes

To Violet, Klaus, and Sunny, it seemed that Mr. Poe and the law had made the incorrect decision to take them away from the possibility of a happy life with Justice Strauss and toward an unknown fate with some unknown relative. They didn’t understand it, but like so many unfortunate events in life, just because you don’t understand it doesn’t mean it isn’t so.

Related Characters: Lemony Snicket (speaker), Violet, Klaus, Sunny, Count Olaf, Justice Strauss, Mr. Poe
Page Number: 161-162
Explanation and Analysis: