General Allusion Observance, Discussion

[Dante]

We've decided that a general thread to post - and discuss - the many, many literary allusions - or any allusion, for that matter, be it to movies or history - in the series.

If you have discovered any new allusions in the series, or would like to discuss one, please do so here.

Example: Vice-Principal Nero is named after the Roman Emperor Nero, who was infamous for his bad lyre playing. He continued to play even as Rome burnt to the ground - a fire which some suspect Nero himself set.

Note that many allusions are listed in Quidditch.com's excellent guide.

[Sugary Snicket]

Nevermore Tree, as you probably know, is from E.A. Poe's The Raven.

[Brian]

I like to think of the many crows in The Vile Village as an allusion to the great Hitchcock flick "The Birds."

[Sugary Snicket]

That got my attention, too. The puttanesca scene from TBB always remids me of Chef Boyardee for some reason.

[Hanna Squalor]

There was a very large murder trail in the 1800s where somone named Klaus killed his wife Sunny and his lawyers name was Violet.

[callum]

of course goergina orwell is an allusion to the writer goerde orwell
i wonder if handler doesnt like him as she is an evil character

[s]

I should hope not...that would be sad if Snicket disliked him. I like Orwell.

[Flaneur]

The Scriabin Institute for Accuracy in Music is named for Aleksandr Nikolayevich Scriabin, a late nineteenth-eighteenth century Russian composer who wrote such pieces as Satanic Poem, Divine Poem, and Prometheus: a Poem of Fire.
Dr. Charley Patton, the Adjunct Professor of the Folk Song Department of the Institute, was a "Mississippi bluesman" from Bolton Mississippi who was a tremendous Delta blues influence on music. He was not really, as far as I can find, a Dr. of any sort.

Both of these references are from the letter about "The Little Snicket Lad" in the UA.

[Rowan]

Veblen Hall is a reference to economist Thorstien Veblen who coined the phrase conspicuous consumption; which is when people waste excessive amounts of money in order to display a higher status than others. One of his examples is the use of silver utensils to eat with when utensils made of cheaper materials work just as well and possibly better.

[Antenora]

Isadora and Duncan Quagmire are named for the modern dancer Isadora Duncan, who died when her long scarf got caught in a car's wheels.

Esme Squalor's name comes from JD Salinger's story "For Esme, with Love and Squalor".

[Sixteen]

Mr. Poe's sons are called Edgar and Albert; an allusion to Edgar Allan Poe.

[Rowan]

The children's family name, Baudelaire, is a reference to French poet Charles Baudelaire. He was a respected poet in his own right and is also known for translating the works of Edgar Allen Poe into French.

[Sixteen]

Isadora Quagmire's favourite book is Les Fleurs du Mal by Charles Baudelaire.

[Linda Rhaldeen]

Hugo the hunchback is an allusion to the author of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, written by Victor Hugo.

[champ103]

'Caligari Carnival' is an allusion of a film-I think the title is 'The Cabinet Of Doctor Caligari'