Characters' Religions

[JTB]

Like I mentioned a few days ago, I thought making a list of the characters' religions would be pretty fun. These are based on me just thinking about different religions or denominations and choosing one that fits each character best, in my opinion. Admittedly, in my opinion, Snicket's universe is mostly Jewish, but there are plenty of others, as well.

This list isn't based on anything other than just random thinking and some mild guestimating involved. If this list offends anyone, please PM me and I'll remove the offending statement.

Disclaimer: This list does not in any way intend to insult, demoralize, or berate any religion or anyone apart of any given religion.


Olaf: Jewish heritage/Atheist/Agnostic

Baudelaires: Jewish

Monty Montgomery: Irish Catholic (attends Cathedral of the Alledged Virgin)

Josephine Anwhistle: Presbyterian

Sir: Agnostic

Charles: Jewish

Nero: ? (any suggestions?)

Remora: Roman Catholic

Bass: Baptist

Esme Squalor: Jewish heritage

Jerome Squalor: Jewish

Hector: Scientologist

Hal: Hindu

Madame Lulu/Olivia: Wicca

Hugo: Unitarian Universalism

Collette: Jewish

Kevin: Jehovah's Witness

Widdershins Family: Jewish

Denouement Family: Mormon

Ishmael: Deist

Snicket Family: Jewish

Mr. Poe: Jewish

[Dante]

Apr 18, 2010 15:53:48 GMT -5 JTB said:

This list isn't based on anything other than just random thinking and some mild guestimating involved.

If so, should this perhaps be in Fearsome Fiction instead?

[JTB]

Well, I considered both, but I thought since this could turn into an open discussion of the characters' respective beliefs, but I think either one could work. Move it where thou whilt.

[thedoctororwell]

Ishmael: Deist
Meh. A deist tends to believe there was no moral purpose to the creation of the universe and that God has no qualms about what humans do. I should say a deist would have a much more relativist aproach to politics and morals... And Ishmael is a complete fanatic, willing to lie and kill for whatever he believes without any regard for other people's opinions, with a major god-complex only aggravated by his idea that everyone is the "child" of his/her "father," aka God. Doesn't match to me...

Madame Lulu/Olivia: Wicca
She's a fraud... Were she a wiccan I would expect her not to disrespect the ancient arts of witchcraft and turn it into a profit.

Hector: Scientologist
How DARE you ?

Monty Montgomery: Irish Catholic (attends Cathedral of the Alledged Virgin)
No devout Catholic would ever think of building a church dedicated to the alleged Virgin. It's probably a protestant church baptised with a name likely to annoy catholics. ;D

Olaf: Jewish heritage/Atheist/Agnostic
Unfortunate implications here : if Asoue were a XIXft century novel, Olaf would probably pass off as an antisemitic figure of a stereotyped shabby, greddy jew.
Then again Atheism seems to suit him, that's true.

[Dante]

Apr 18, 2010 16:10:09 GMT -5 thedoctororwell said:

Monty Montgomery: Irish Catholic (attends Cathedral of the Alledged Virgin)
No devout Catholic would ever think of building a church dedicated to the alleged Virgin. It's probably a protestant church baptised with a name likely to annoy catholics. ;D

Handler had to wriggle out of that one when he got some angry letters. "All 'alleged' means is that she was called a virgin..."

[thedoctororwell]

"All 'alleged' means is that she was called a virgin..."
Oh ! Do you have that interview stored somewhere ?

[JTB]

Madame Lulu/Olivia: Wicca
She's a fraud... Were she a wiccan I would expect her not to disrespect the ancient arts of witchcraft and turn it into a profit.

However, if she were apart of several other religions,, she would be very in the wrong to be practicing fortune-telling.

Hector: Scientologist
How DARE you ?

Lol, I knew I'd get flak from this. I wanted to put scientology in the Snicket universe and I thought this would be an interesting place to put it.

Monty Montgomery: Irish Catholic (attends Cathedral of the Alledged Virgin)
No devout Catholic would ever think of building a church dedicated to the alleged Virgin. It's probably a protestant church baptised with a name likely to annoy catholics. ;D

Despite the name, it's still a cathedral. Like Dante said, or at least implied, I think this was Handler poking fun, for which he almost got in trouble. I'm assuming this cathedral is a Catholic cathedral, and based on the LSUA map, it isn't far from Monty's house, so I matched them up.

Olaf: Jewish heritage/Atheist/Agnostic
Unfortunate implications here : if Asoue were a XIXft century novel, Olaf would probably pass off as an antisemitic figure of a stereotyped shabby, greddy jew.
Then again Atheism seems to suit him, that's true.

I picture the Baudelaires as the good little Jewish boys and girls - they don't practice the religion very strictly (at least, I wouldn't assume), and yet they're stereotypes of it. I put Olaf as the good little Jewish boy gone bad - he had his faith in place, and yet certain childhood travesties drove him from his faith and instead placed him against it.

[Emma “Emmz” Squalor]

This is very interesting, and gives us a more in-depth look to the characters' backgrounds, which is always fun to read about. As for it offending anyone, I don't see any reason why it would, and so you really shouldn't worry.

I've never given much thought to the characters' religions, with the exception of Esme, who in my ficverse is Jewish on her father's side. Madame Lulu I can definitely see being Wicca, and Hugo's religion is what I consider my own to be.

[thedoctororwell]

Lol, I knew I'd get flak from this.

Oh, yeah, that's just instant flamewar, dear. Just add water. ;D

I wanted to put scientology in the Snicket universe and I thought this would be an interesting place to put it.

Well, I live in France and here it is not a recognized religion. At all (it's listed as a dangerous sect, legally). Actually about 80% of the French consider it to be an horrible sect and nothing more. Obviously I'm one of them... So why Hector ? Why such a beloved character ? Geraldine, now that's a born and raised scientologist. ;D (this is an OPINION, guys, by the way, and I actually know my views on religion are ultra-stubborn)

[Hermes]

I'm inclined to say that if the Baudelaires are Jewish, there's a presumption (not unbreakable, of course, but worth following in the absence of contrary evidence) that all their relations are Jewish - at least by heritage: in my view this would include Olaf, Monty, Josephine (and the other Anwhistles), Sir and Jerome. (I think Jerome rather than Esme because he volunteers to remain their guardian after she has left him. Though as his wife there's a presumption she'd be Jewish too.) The Snickets are also likely to be Jewish, as, of course, is Lemony's representative.

Regarding Olaf as greedy Jew - yes, I see the problem, but I think if a lot of the sympathetic characters are also Jewish it's not too worrying. (By the way, at one point Handler seems deliberately to refer to this stereotype by giving the Baudelaires a distant relative called Fagin. About whom I have a theory...)

Agree totally Lulu isn't Wiccan. Either atheist, or belongs to a mainstream religion but, like many people, doesn't follow its precepts closely.

The alleged virgin: well, Protestants believe Mary was a virgin too, you know: I can't imagine any real religious group giving a cathedral that name. If we want to make sense of this (though of course it isn't really meant to make sense) I think we will have to say that it doesn't refer to Mary but to a lesser saint whose virginity was disputed, or something.

[JTB]

Honestly, I have no clue why I chose Hector out of everyone to be the Snicket Universe scientologist.

Here's a reason I came up with in five seconds: Maybe because he feels a connection to the church - he lives in a place where virtually everything is oppressed or looked down upon in some fashion, and the Church of Scientology - as you have just wonderfully proved - is treated in much the same way. ;D

[thedoctororwell]

I've always thought Josephine was a Quaker... She's a very contemplative and meditative person.
I picture the Quagmires as asians, so they're bouddhists (of the theravâda tradition).

[Seymour Glass]

Here's my personal interpretations.

The Snicket Family: Definitely Jewish

The Baudelaires: Maternal grandfather Jewish. Father and maternal grandmother Roman Catholic.

Jerome Squalor: Jewish (Father born Jewish. Mother converted.)

Esme Squalor: Jewish (converted)

Hector: Jewish on his mother's side.

Monty: Jewish on his mother's side. Raised Catholic.

Josephine: Jewish

Nero: Roman Catholic (He is Italian)

[Christmas Chief]

Apr 18, 2010 16:41:13 GMT -5 Hermes said:

(By the way, at one point Handler seems deliberately to refer to this stereotype by giving the Baudelaires a distant relative called Fagin. About whom I have a theory...)

I'd be interested to hear this!

I see Olaf as being either agnostic, or technically religious but disregards the "rules" to the religion completely. Olivia, I agree with everyone else, that she doesn't seem to follow the standards of the Wicca faith. Also, I can't seem to see why Hal would be Hindu? He does mention a liking for Indian food, but I don't think he'd follow the religion mainly originating from that country.

The only other thing I can think to add is that I agree that if the Baudelaires are going to be Jewish, so should all their reletives. Or at least have some religion similar to the Jewish beliefs.

[bumblebee]

Well, I agree that Olaf is probably atheist, but again he might be a Catholic or a Jew just doing things against his beliefs, like many.
I also agree with the theory that Baudelaires are Jewish, since there are so many proofs (sp?) for it. I don't know much about the other religions mentioned, so I won't say anything about that, however I have to say that we shouldn't judge all commonly seen as bad religions as sects, since I am a part of a religion some call a sect which is NOT true. I was thinking about which character could be part of my religion, yet I can't see any that fit. If anyone comes up with an idea as to which character could be a satanist then I'd love to hear it. And please don't judge, it is just a name