Beatrice Theories?

[Dante]

Beatrice was always mysterious because references to her were presented without context; this gave the impression of there being some kind of secret to her, some fact which, once we were told it, would act as a key and explain the references. So even though Snicket didn't directly say that there was a ghastly secret to do with Beatrice or anything like that, we inferred it because of the way language works. Because of that, it would've been more surprising if there was no secret, if Beatrice was completely unconnected to the Baudelaires' story. Although there were times when it looked as if that might be the case.

[Hermes]

Well, we knew from TMM onwards that there was some connection betwen Beatrice and Count Olaf.

I think it's very interesting how gradually it becomes clear that the Baudelaires' story and Lemony's own story are connected - something that isn't at all obvious at first; one might think L was just a historian. This happens partly through references to Beatrice, and partly through VFD. The first clue we get is in TMM, where we are told that Beatrice once asked 'Where is Count Olaf?'; and the process is more or less completed in TCC, where Lemony tells us that he has a tattoo of an eye on his ankle and that Olivia is his former associate.

[B.]

And in TEE, Esme brings up the "I want to steal from you like Beatrice stole from me" so that may have been (probably was) a hint to the fact that she was something to do with the Baudelaires.

[csc]

And those dedicatories, if you stopped for a moment to winder who Beatrice was, your mind immeadiatly thought about the Baudelaire mother- at least my mind..

[Dante]

There were never many cast members who were females whose forename we didn't know, and the Baudelaire mother was there right from the start. Mrs. Bass isn't much of a competitor, really.

[B.]

And Mrs. Morrow??? No chance, she's horrible!

[Hermes]

It would be interesting to make a list of the clues that suggested Beatrice was the Baudelaires mother.

Brunch has mentioned one - 'I want to steal from you as Beatrice stole from me'.

A few more I can think of:

Also in TEE, Jerome remembers an occasion when he went climbing with the Baudelaires' mother, and an eagle swoooped down and [here he is interrupted]. This recalls the memory Lemony has of the woman he loved being carried off by an eagle.

In THH, one of the anagrams used to conceal Violet's whereabouts is Carrie E. Abelabudite , an anagram of Beatrice Baudelaire.

In TUA, we learn that Beatrice could whistle Mozart's fourteenth symphony, which Josephine had earlier mentioned that the Baudelaire's mother could do.

In BBRE we learn of two lions called after their trainers, Bertrand and Beatrice. In TPP we discover that Bertrand was the name of the Baudelaires' father.

Also in BBRE - oh gosh, this is complicated. In the original TBB, Violet is described as looking like a ghost. In his note on this passage, Lemony says that, because of (among other things) the family resemblance, she recalled a woman who is no longer alive (i.e., we suppose, her mother). Then Lemony refers us to another page where he describes his mourning for Beatrice. (Or something. Dante, have I got that right?)

I'm sure there are more.

However, there are two counter-clues, suggesting that B is not the Baudelaires' mother. One is in TUA: we have a letter from Lemony to the Duchess accepting an invitation to the masked ball (where we know he met Beatrice) and clearly dated after the Baudelaire fire. We have to say either that this is a forgery, or that there was more than one masked ball.

The other is in TGG, where we are told that the captain believed a report he read in the Daily Punctilio, and showed it 'the Baudelaire parents, the Snicket siblings, and the woman I happened to love'. This might be read as referring to Bertrand's parents, or possibly to Beatrice's parents, if, as some believe, it was her maiden name.

[B.]

That seems like a Very Fine Decode of references, Hermes.
I believe the final two counter references are Red Herrings. Another possible Red Herring worth noting the following: Like you say above Carrie E Abelabudite is indeed an anagram "Beatrice Baudelaire" but also on the list is the name NED H. RIRGER which is an anagram for "Red Herring."
However this Red Herring actually turned out to be a Red Herring, because Beatrice is without a doubt the mother of the baudelaires...(if that makes sense....
Anyway, great list!

[Dante]

For that matter, the U.A. reference to the whistling of Mozart's Fourteenth also takes place at the "Ned H. Rirger Theater," as opponents of the Beatrice as the Baudelaire mother theory were always keen to point out. We must assume, ultimately, that the red herrings are themselves red herrings. As for the BBRE, after the "woman who is no longer alive" reference, Lemony links back to his list of songs, which is appended to the description of his room, which contains, conspicuously, a picture of Beatrice.

[B.]

So many red herrings......
Edit: On the subject of Red Herrings, if you look up Red Herring it directs you to page 29. Look at page 29 of TUA.

[Hermes]

Oct 17, 2011 11:21:38 GMT -5 B. said:

That seems like a Very Fine Decode of references, Hermes.

Thanks!

I believe the final two counter references are Red Herrings. Another possible Red Herring worth noting the following: Like you say above Carrie E Abelabudite is indeed an anagram "Beatrice Baudelaire" but also on the list is the name NED H. RIRGER which is an anagram for "Red Herring."

It's not obvious that that Red Herring relates to the Beatrice clue at all - it may just mean that all the anagrams are Red Herrings intended to distract people from Violet.

The Ned H. Rirger reference in TUA, though, probably does have to do with Beatrice, since that book is written with clue-seekers especially in mind.

This reminds me, by the way, that there is another clue in TUA - in the Duchess's (perhaps forged) letter to Lemony it says 'Beatrice is past caring about [something or other] - the very reason, I am sure, why you have devoted yourself to telling the story of those poor children'.

[B.]

[glow=red,2,300]Beatrice is of course past caring about lost possessions- perhaps the reason you have devoted your life to researching the case of those poor children? [/glow]

Yep. So, whoever forged the letter knew that Lemony was researching the Baudelaire case.