Being smart is one of the best kinds of talents. As Violet, Klaus, and Sunny find out in The Bad Beginning, it also comes in great use when you're living with an awful madman. The three Baudelaires are extremely clever and resourceful, and they use their wits to keep Count Olaf from getting hold of their fortune and murdering them. Not too shabby. But they're not just dealing with some garden-variety villain—Count Olaf is also a bit of a criminal mastermind himself. And there's nothing scarier than a madman who knows what he's doing.
Questions About Cunning and Cleverness
- Why are books and reading so important in this story? How do these things help the Baudelaires? Give examples from the text to support your answer.
- Which Baudelaire child do you think is the cleverest? Use the book to prove your case.
- In what ways are the children in this story smarter than the adults?
Chew on This
Violet's, Klaus's, and Sunny's interests are perfectly suited to helping them survive during this series of unfortunate events.
Count Olaf is really not as clever as he thinks he is—but he's still too clever for his own good. Sigh.