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Post by queequegcaptain on Dec 29, 2006 16:00:28 GMT -5
In BL and UA, the VFDers described are very young. There is a picture of Sebald working on the set, and he is but 7 or 8 years old. Also, in the transcript, one of the VFDers says "I know I am just nine, but...". and the letter to Beatrice from Lemony in TBL is when he was 11.
So, any theories on this, explanations, or further back up?
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Antenora
Detriment Deleter
Fiendish Philologist
Put down that harpoon gun, in the name of these wonderful birds!
Posts: 15,891
Likes: 113
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Post by Antenora on Dec 30, 2006 17:35:02 GMT -5
Not really. There are clearly a lot of VFDers who are adults, and the fact that the child in the UA transcript was calling attention to her age implies that she was one of the the youngest people around. (This R might be intended as an allusion to Ramona Quimby, as a passage from one of the Ramona books is quoted elsewhere, and the "been good to your mother" code phrase comes from it.) All these examples really prove is something that's been evident for a while-- that volunteers start their noble work in childhood They're recruited as toddlers, so it's logical enough that they should know something about codes and volunteer work by the age of nine.
As for the Gustav Sebald photo, I'm inclined to explain it away in the same way as some other confusing UA photos, such as the "sent to Prufrock Prep" one which some interpret as the Quagmires despite the fact that the children in it look nothing like the illustrations: The designers of the book used the only photos they could find(from wherever they got those photos) that seemed remotely fitting, even if the people in them didn't look like the characters they were supposed to be. Or this might be a photo taken of Gustav before he was recruited, used to demonstrate his snowman-building skill that VFD thought would prove useful, like the one that may be a young Daniel Handler at a playground with a bucket of water. The chronology of Zombies in the Snow, how long ago it was made and how a coded message relevant to Monty's current situation was put in, is fairly confused anyway.
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Post by Dear Dairy on Dec 30, 2006 22:20:27 GMT -5
I especially like the way VFD members treat child-members as equals, with opinions and ideas that are just as valuable to the organization as anyone else's. Obviously, these children are well-mannered and intelligent, perhaps beyond the norm, but they are not pushed aside or treated as "just kids."
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Post by The Man With Hair But No Beard on Mar 21, 2007 18:13:10 GMT -5
The question about Sebald and his films' messages is a whole mystery in and of itself. The idea that VFDers start their work when they're still children would clear up some confusing chronology issues about the VFD timeline.
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dsa
Bewildered Beginner
VFD
Posts: 3
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Post by dsa on Mar 31, 2007 14:16:43 GMT -5
And...how can you describe the V.F.D.? CAuse it's a very complex...But it's a good idea for the writer
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Post by The Duchess on Oct 8, 2013 16:57:43 GMT -5
The reason is that they were kidnapped when they were toddlers
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Post by Dante on Oct 9, 2013 3:39:13 GMT -5
That's certainly why some very young children appear among the volunteers, yes. There's (not undisputed) evidence to suggest that Lemony Snicket himself was still of crawling age when he was taken. "Kidnapped" is perhaps not an entirely fair description, though. V.F.D. asks permission first. Or at least, those on the fire-extinguishing side of the schism do.
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Post by Hermes on Oct 9, 2013 6:39:36 GMT -5
True, but Lemony does actually use 'kidnapped' in 'Thirteen Shocking Secrets'. Although they actually have permission, they do still grab the children at a moment their parents aren't looking, rather than simply collecting them in an above-board way.
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Post by Dante on Oct 9, 2013 11:51:09 GMT -5
They're a persecuted secret organisation. Doing things above board might be dangerous.
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Post by Charlie on Oct 10, 2013 9:31:17 GMT -5
I simply love the part of The Little Snicket Lad that's in quotation marks:
"When we grab you by the ankles Where our mark is to be made You'll soon be doing noble work Although you won't be paid When we drive away in secret You'll be a volunteer So don't scream when we take you The World is Quiet Here"
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