TWIQHere
Bewildered Beginner
Violet...the inventor.
Posts: 8
|
Post by TWIQHere on Apr 30, 2005 9:49:48 GMT -5
Ok
Here's a new thread to discuss the picture that appears at the beginning of TBB.
Chapter Two
"...had been recuded to charred rubble.Mr. Poe had taken them to the remains of the Baudelaire mansionto see if anything had been unharmed..."
Ok, it's suggested that in the picture, the Baudelaires may actually be traveling home from the beach, on the trolley, but, if this is so, where is Mr. Poe. It is possible that he be inside the trolley car, but then, shouldn't he be comforting them in their time of need. And of course there's a fire engine traveling the opposite way down the street, strengthening the proposal that they are traveling back on the trolley.
Post your thoughts, theories, discuss.
|
|
|
Post by Dante on Apr 30, 2005 12:42:54 GMT -5
In my opinion, it's simple artistic license.
|
|
|
Post by odh on Apr 30, 2005 12:47:27 GMT -5
I think that the picture - assuming it's the first we see, as you said "firetruck" - depicts the Baudelaire's going to the beach and the truck going to the mansion.
|
|
|
Post by Dante on Apr 30, 2005 13:02:02 GMT -5
I think that the picture - assuming it's the first we see, as you said "firetruck" - depicts the Baudelaire's going to the beach and the truck going to the mansion. Would that not require, though, that the mansion began to burn almost the second the children left? The timing is a little unlikely in your proposed scenario.
|
|
|
Post by SnicketFires on Apr 30, 2005 13:10:37 GMT -5
But according to the map on page 150-1 of the UA, Briny Beach is far out of the city, which would mean a trolley ride to it could take quite a while. If the place where the trolley and the firetruck crossed (the opening picture of TBB) could be closer to the outskirts of The City, which is quite large. Usually, fire departments have a quick response time. However, this being the OFD, I wouldn't be surprised if it was called early.
|
|
|
Post by Dante on Apr 30, 2005 13:17:45 GMT -5
But according to the map on page 150-1 of the UA, Briny Beach is far out of the city, which would mean a trolley ride to it could take quite a while. If the place where the trolley and the firetruck crossed (the opening picture of TBB) could be closer to the outskirts of The City, which is quite large. Usually, fire departments have a quick response time. However, this being the OFD, I wouldn't be surprised if it was called early. But it doesn't look much like the outskirts of a city at all. Indeed, it more resembles the heart of an old city, in my eyes. Lack of people (in case anyone was thinking of saying it) can be explained by people not wanting to go near the ashy air - to which one might also attribute Mr. Poe's absence, or rather, his theorised presence within the trolley. However, you have a good point about O.F.D., if my theory about them is correct. But then, one can easily invent small details and such. The only really viable solution is artistic license, although I expect that to be opposed for the same reason people oppose my dismissing of chronological inconsistencies as being just that.
|
|
TWIQHere
Bewildered Beginner
Violet...the inventor.
Posts: 8
|
Post by TWIQHere on Apr 30, 2005 17:41:39 GMT -5
Ok, I'm new here, so you're going to have to fill me in on the O.F.D.
|
|
Antenora
Detriment Deleter
Fiendish Philologist
Put down that harpoon gun, in the name of these wonderful birds!
Posts: 15,891
Likes: 113
|
Post by Antenora on May 1, 2005 4:57:48 GMT -5
OFD supposedly means "official fire department" but Lemony says that the O in OFD stands instead for a person's name (TBB Rare Edition notes). The implication I'm getting is that Olaf either took over the fire department, recruiting all the firefighters, or simply calls his half of VFD "Olaf's Fire Department". And if "fire department" means "a group dealing in some way with fires", then Olaf and Co. is one--they just happen to start the fires rather than douse them.
|
|
|
Post by PJ on May 1, 2005 5:02:52 GMT -5
OFD supposedly means "official fire department" but Lemony says that the O in OFD stands instead for a person's name (TBB Rare Edition notes). The implication I'm getting is that Olaf either took over the fire department, recruiting all the firefighters, or simply calls his half of VFD "Olaf's Fire Department". And if "fire department" means "a group dealing in some way with fires", then Olaf and Co. is one--they just happen to start the fires rather than douse them. Hmmm, I think that Olaf isn't the type to lead organisations. He has his little troupe. I think the sinister duo are more....leaderish than him, so perhaps one of them also is called O, which completely wrecks the siblings theory, though. And yes, this is off-topic, but I wanted to say that.
|
|
TWIQHere
Bewildered Beginner
Violet...the inventor.
Posts: 8
|
Post by TWIQHere on May 1, 2005 7:20:35 GMT -5
Are you referring to the man with a beard but no hair, and the woman with hair but no beard?
|
|
Antenora
Detriment Deleter
Fiendish Philologist
Put down that harpoon gun, in the name of these wonderful birds!
Posts: 15,891
Likes: 113
|
Post by Antenora on May 1, 2005 7:45:17 GMT -5
Those two are often known as the Sinister Duo.
Hmm, maybe Olaf started OFD but the Sinister Duo managed to take over somehow. They certainly seem more like authoritative leaders than Olaf does.
|
|
TWIQHere
Bewildered Beginner
Violet...the inventor.
Posts: 8
|
Post by TWIQHere on May 1, 2005 7:49:46 GMT -5
Quite alot more frightening also I suspect.
|
|
POTOphan
Catastrophic Captain
It's not a question but a lesson learned in time
Posts: 71
|
Post by POTOphan on May 20, 2005 18:37:28 GMT -5
The firetruck was probably foreshadowing that was only to be picked up upon re-reading.
|
|