Post by captainwiddershins on Feb 15, 2009 3:25:05 GMT -5
Book 12's core theam is nobility. Now, the beaudelaires are not considered noble by their enemies, and they, in turn, do not conisder their enemies noble. Both have a point. The villans are, obviously, not noble. But are the Beaudelaires any better? They've done a lot of bad things, like setting fire to the Caligri Carnival, and helping with so many evil plots in Book 12, including setting the building on fire in the end and joining with Count Olaf.
Now, they had to do these things to survive, but they are hardly noble, as they were only concerned with themselves in these circumstances. I think this is how most characters see it, even the "noble" characters. But why did the Beaudelaires do these things for self-preservation?
Because their guardians, members of VFD, changed them. No one has ever done anything but let them down. They've known nothing but neglect and wickedness. They've turned on the world for this. Let's take a look at all their guardians.
OLAF: No explanation needed.
MONTGOMERY MONTGOMERY: Well, he's the exception to the rule. He cared deeply for the beaudelaires, and would have given them a good home for the rest of their youth if not for Olaf.
JOSEPHENE ANWHISTLE: Cared more for herself than the beaudelairs.
SIR: Never cared for them one bit. His assistant, Charles, was kind, but worthless and let them down.
VICE PRINCIPAL NERO: Saw the Beauselaires as toys to be taken advantage of.
ESME/JEROME SQUALAR: Esme was evil, and Jerome simply abandoned them.
VILLAGE OF FOUL DEVOTEES(VFD)/HECTOR: VFD took advantage of the orphans, and Hector tried his best to help, but was held back by personal fears.
CAPTAIN WIDDERSHINS/FIONA/PHIL: After a long stretch of being on their own, they seemed to have guardians again. Captain W. and Phil abandoned them, and Fiona joined Olaf, although double-crossed him later. (See Book 12.)
KIT SNICKET: Not really a guardian, but left the beaudelaires on their own forcing them into awful situations at the hotel.
FRANK/ERNEST/DEWEY: Well, Ernest was just plain bad, Frank was too dumb to reveal hismelf, and Dewey revealed himself much too late.
Analyzing all this, the question becomes "Are the Beaudelaires Noble?" And are they? In some eyes, no. They've been selfish and potentially harmed others to save themselves.
But it was not their fault. Looking at the list of guardians, almost no one cared enough for them to help them in their most dire hours. And so they learned from this, and had to fend for themselves.
VFD is supposidelly noble. But on the contrary, they are as noble as Count Olaf. The answer to the question is YES. The Beaudelaires are the ONLY noble ones. They still remained as pure as possible no matter what the hardships. They didn't purposefully kill, though they could have. Everyone in their lives was too skittish and nervous to realy help them and reach out to them. Book 12 proves this. All the hype, and the "noble people" give us a freaking court trial. They don't care enough to actually help the beaudelaires.
Jerome Squalar could have been looking for them, but instead he researches "injustice." No use. Justice Strauss assembles the high court to put Olaf behind bars, and fails miserablly. But through it all, the Beaudelaires stay true to themselves, and each other, and that is their true nobility.
Now, they had to do these things to survive, but they are hardly noble, as they were only concerned with themselves in these circumstances. I think this is how most characters see it, even the "noble" characters. But why did the Beaudelaires do these things for self-preservation?
Because their guardians, members of VFD, changed them. No one has ever done anything but let them down. They've known nothing but neglect and wickedness. They've turned on the world for this. Let's take a look at all their guardians.
OLAF: No explanation needed.
MONTGOMERY MONTGOMERY: Well, he's the exception to the rule. He cared deeply for the beaudelaires, and would have given them a good home for the rest of their youth if not for Olaf.
JOSEPHENE ANWHISTLE: Cared more for herself than the beaudelairs.
SIR: Never cared for them one bit. His assistant, Charles, was kind, but worthless and let them down.
VICE PRINCIPAL NERO: Saw the Beauselaires as toys to be taken advantage of.
ESME/JEROME SQUALAR: Esme was evil, and Jerome simply abandoned them.
VILLAGE OF FOUL DEVOTEES(VFD)/HECTOR: VFD took advantage of the orphans, and Hector tried his best to help, but was held back by personal fears.
CAPTAIN WIDDERSHINS/FIONA/PHIL: After a long stretch of being on their own, they seemed to have guardians again. Captain W. and Phil abandoned them, and Fiona joined Olaf, although double-crossed him later. (See Book 12.)
KIT SNICKET: Not really a guardian, but left the beaudelaires on their own forcing them into awful situations at the hotel.
FRANK/ERNEST/DEWEY: Well, Ernest was just plain bad, Frank was too dumb to reveal hismelf, and Dewey revealed himself much too late.
Analyzing all this, the question becomes "Are the Beaudelaires Noble?" And are they? In some eyes, no. They've been selfish and potentially harmed others to save themselves.
But it was not their fault. Looking at the list of guardians, almost no one cared enough for them to help them in their most dire hours. And so they learned from this, and had to fend for themselves.
VFD is supposidelly noble. But on the contrary, they are as noble as Count Olaf. The answer to the question is YES. The Beaudelaires are the ONLY noble ones. They still remained as pure as possible no matter what the hardships. They didn't purposefully kill, though they could have. Everyone in their lives was too skittish and nervous to realy help them and reach out to them. Book 12 proves this. All the hype, and the "noble people" give us a freaking court trial. They don't care enough to actually help the beaudelaires.
Jerome Squalar could have been looking for them, but instead he researches "injustice." No use. Justice Strauss assembles the high court to put Olaf behind bars, and fails miserablly. But through it all, the Beaudelaires stay true to themselves, and each other, and that is their true nobility.
