Post by Optimism is my Phil-osophy on Feb 27, 2020 0:10:17 GMT -5
The mental picture made by Daniel Handler about the situation of Lemony Snicket during the time of TMM pubication became very different from the mental picture made by him in TBB, TRR and TWW. While in the opening books Lemony Snicket was portrayed in a relatively safe situation, in TMM there is evidence that Lemony Snicket was no longer so safe.
To begin, see the short biography of Lemony found in TMM:
LEMONY SNICKET grew up near the sea and currently lives beneath it. To his horror and dismay he has no wife or children, only enemies, associates, and the occasional loyal manservant. His trial has been delayed, so he is free to continue researching and writing the tragic tales of the Baudelaire orphans for HarperCollins.
By stating that his trial has been postponed, Daniel Handler shows us that Lemony Snicket was being accused of a crime at some point prior to the publication of TMM.
More than that. This sentence makes us think that Lemony was pre-trial detained for this crime, but then there was a legal strategy for him to be released from prison until trial, something like a habeas corpus.
Now notice what Lemony wrote in chapter 4 of TMM:
Apparently when Daniel Handler wrote LSTUA, he took advantage of these excerpts to create a subplot involving Lemony Snicket's arrest, and his subsequent escape abroad.
Lemony wrote:
To begin, see the short biography of Lemony found in TMM:
LEMONY SNICKET grew up near the sea and currently lives beneath it. To his horror and dismay he has no wife or children, only enemies, associates, and the occasional loyal manservant. His trial has been delayed, so he is free to continue researching and writing the tragic tales of the Baudelaire orphans for HarperCollins.
By stating that his trial has been postponed, Daniel Handler shows us that Lemony Snicket was being accused of a crime at some point prior to the publication of TMM.
More than that. This sentence makes us think that Lemony was pre-trial detained for this crime, but then there was a legal strategy for him to be released from prison until trial, something like a habeas corpus.
Now notice what Lemony wrote in chapter 4 of TMM:
If someone offered to smuggle me out of the country in her sailboat, in exchange for free tickets to an ice show, that would be a fair deal.
Apparently when Daniel Handler wrote LSTUA, he took advantage of these excerpts to create a subplot involving Lemony Snicket's arrest, and his subsequent escape abroad.
I would like to take the time to defend my theory of the Great Hiatus and relate to this thread. My theory of the Great Hiatus states that between the publication of the book TWW and the publication of the book TMM there was a long period of many years in which Lemony was unable to publish any book because he was abroad, and many believed that he had died. I would like to enrich this concept.
First of all, I don't believe Daniel Handler thought about it while he was writing TMM. The idea of the Great Hiatus must have come to Daniel Handler's mind while he was writing the LSTUA.
Second, I want to avoid talking about the secret letter in TSS. Regardless of what I believe about that letter, let's talk about what we can actually prove canonically. I can say that at least until the publication of LSTUA in our universe, Daniel Handler certainly had in mind that Lemony published ASOUE's books over several years.
So, let us turn our attention to the report in chapter 1 of LSTUA.: Look this excerpts from UA chapter 1.
Lemony Snicket, Autor of A Séries of Unfortunate events, the purportedly true chronicles of the Baudelaire children, was reported dead today by anonymous and possibly unreliable sources... Mr. Snicket became a fugitive from justice and was rarely seen in public... At least, the Baudelaires' story, and his, appears to be over... A burial maybe scheduled later this year.
Lemony Snicket, Autor of A Séries of Unfortunate events, the purportedly true chronicles of the Baudelaire children, was reported dead today by anonymous and possibly unreliable sources... Mr. Snicket became a fugitive from justice and was rarely seen in public... At least, the Baudelaires' story, and his, appears to be over... A burial maybe scheduled later this year.
This excerpt combines with the new situation that Lemony came to live from the publication of TMM in his universe. The gap filled by some sections of LSTUA is the gap that exists between the publication of TWW and the publication of TMM. Let's look at this in more detail.
The journalist who wrote this report for the TDP newspaper certainly knew that Lemony Snicket had already published some of ASOUE's books.
Now read below an excerpt from Lemony's personal notes regarding this report.
"I have arrived early at the harbor and still have a few minutes before the Prospero os scheduled to appear so I thought I might jot down a few notes concerning the news of my death, which was alarming but not true. I'm, as of half -past four this afternoon, still alive, and I was most certainly alive the day I sat at Cafe Kafka with my afternoon tea and read my obituary in the newspaper.
The Daily Punctilio has never been a reliable newspaper: not when I worked there as part of an under-cover assignment, not when that terrible reporter to write about the Baudelaire case and not when they advertised a sale on three-piece suits a few days ago, at a store that turned out to sell nothing but Indian rugs... The only thing that turned out to be true about my obituary was the last sentence, and this morning I had the curious experience of attending my own burial. To my astonishment, quite a crowd showed up for the event - mostly people who had believed the EARLIER stories about me IN THE DAILY PUNCTILIO and wanted to be sure that a notorious criminal was indeed dead. That is why I am waiting here at this fogged-in harbor, in order to ... The Prospero has arrived, so I ill stop writing and file these notes with my letter... It make me sad to think that my whole life, from the cradele to the grave, is full of errors, but at least that will not happen to the Baudelaires.”
"I have arrived early at the harbor and still have a few minutes before the Prospero os scheduled to appear so I thought I might jot down a few notes concerning the news of my death, which was alarming but not true. I'm, as of half -past four this afternoon, still alive, and I was most certainly alive the day I sat at Cafe Kafka with my afternoon tea and read my obituary in the newspaper.
The Daily Punctilio has never been a reliable newspaper: not when I worked there as part of an under-cover assignment, not when that terrible reporter to write about the Baudelaire case and not when they advertised a sale on three-piece suits a few days ago, at a store that turned out to sell nothing but Indian rugs... The only thing that turned out to be true about my obituary was the last sentence, and this morning I had the curious experience of attending my own burial. To my astonishment, quite a crowd showed up for the event - mostly people who had believed the EARLIER stories about me IN THE DAILY PUNCTILIO and wanted to be sure that a notorious criminal was indeed dead. That is why I am waiting here at this fogged-in harbor, in order to ... The Prospero has arrived, so I ill stop writing and file these notes with my letter... It make me sad to think that my whole life, from the cradele to the grave, is full of errors, but at least that will not happen to the Baudelaires.”
Daniel Handler's mental image for Lemony Snicket at LSTUA was quite evident. He became a fugitive, and went abroad. He was presumed dead. This happened (this time) after he published some of the books.
In the letter of "R" to Lemony, found in LSTUA, we find a reference to this presumed death of Lemony after the publication of some of the books, and his departure abroad.
But in addition, we found a reference to a letter to the editor regarding the TMM manuscript. Again I want to make it clear that I don't believe Daniel Handler thought about it all while he was writing TMM or that letter to the editor. I want to say that when Daniel Handler wrote LSTUA, he wanted to take advantage of these specific passages to create a parallel story, which happened a few years later to the main events recorded in ASOUE (If Daniel Handler later regretted it while he was writing TSS, it's another question, which I don't want to discuss here).
The letter to the editor says:
“To My Kind Editor,
I am writing to you from the Paltryville Town Hall, where I have convinced myself the most to allow me to enter the eye-shaped office of Dr. Orwell in order to further investigate what happened to the Baudelaire orphans while they were living in the area. Next Friday, a black jeep will be in the northwest corner of the parking lot of the Orion Observatory. Break into it. In the glove compartment, you should find my description of this frightening chapter in the Baudelaires' lives, entitled THE MISERABLE MILL, as well as some information on hypnosis, a surgical mask, and sixty-eight sticks of gum. I have also included the blueprint of the pincher machine, which I believe Mr. Helquist will find useful for his illustrations.
Remember, you are my last hope that the Baudelaire orphans can finally be told the general public.
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket "
I am writing to you from the Paltryville Town Hall, where I have convinced myself the most to allow me to enter the eye-shaped office of Dr. Orwell in order to further investigate what happened to the Baudelaire orphans while they were living in the area. Next Friday, a black jeep will be in the northwest corner of the parking lot of the Orion Observatory. Break into it. In the glove compartment, you should find my description of this frightening chapter in the Baudelaires' lives, entitled THE MISERABLE MILL, as well as some information on hypnosis, a surgical mask, and sixty-eight sticks of gum. I have also included the blueprint of the pincher machine, which I believe Mr. Helquist will find useful for his illustrations.
Remember, you are my last hope that the Baudelaire orphans can finally be told the general public.
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket "
Now watch out for some excerpts from the "R" letter.
“You took a terrible chance in contacting me, but I am glad you did. I am so sorry that I was unable to prevent, or least delay, your CAPTURE at my masked ball that evening, and I have been worried sick ALL THESE YEARS THAT YOU WERE DEAD, despite rumors of your activities spreading through the network of loyal members. There are not many of us left, Mr. Snicket, but we are ready to help you in any way we can.
R's letter was written after Lemony's presumed death, who spent many years presumably dead.
"My Dear Mr. Snicket,
Thank you, you are alive and relatively well! The night, when I arrived at the Orion Observatory to give my annual lecture to the Metrological Society, I saw someone breaking into a navy blue Jeep parked in the southwest corner of the parking lot, and my heart leaped: perhaps there was a chance you were still alive. I did not expect to find out until the man handed me his letter. "
Thank you, you are alive and relatively well! The night, when I arrived at the Orion Observatory to give my annual lecture to the Metrological Society, I saw someone breaking into a navy blue Jeep parked in the southwest corner of the parking lot, and my heart leaped: perhaps there was a chance you were still alive. I did not expect to find out until the man handed me his letter. "
Lemony wrote:
The Jeep outside the Orion Observatory was of course not navy blue but black, and parked in the northwest corner, not the southwest."
R also wrote:
"I can not, however, help you answer the question YOU WROTE ME ON THAT GUM WRAPPER... BEATRICE, OF COURSE, IS FAR PAST COMPLAINING ABOUT LOST POSSESSIONS – THE VERY REASON, I AM CERTAIN, THAT YOU HAVE DEDICATED YOUR LIFE RESEARCHING THE LIVES OF THOSE THREE POOR CHILDREN.”
It is true that canonically there were several balls at the Duchess of Winnipeg's mansion. However, it is evident that Daniel Handler had a very clear mental picture when he wrote this letter in LSTUA: R saw the arrival of the TMM manuscript as indicated in the letter to the editor concerning TMM. Daniel Handler took advantage of the fact that he had written in that letter to the editor that there would be gum wrappers accompanying the manuscript, and included in LSTUA a letter from Lemony to R in one of those gum wrappers.
What conclusion we reached:
When writing TMM, Daniel Handler decided to give Lemony a slightly more dangerous life. This danger to which Lemony was passing during the time of publication of ASOUE in the universe of Lemony, was increasing subtly with each book from TMM. When Daniel Handler decided to write LSTUA, Daniel Handler created a subplot in which Lemony Snicket between the publication of TWW and TMM, was captured, then arrested, and then fled abroad. Then he came back from abroad. This subplot created for LSTUA, expanded the information we had in ASOUE about Lemony's dangerous life. In LSTUA, Daniel Handler made explicit a situation in which Lemony Snicket was captured and arrested. Daniel Handler did this to match Lemony Snicket's claim that he could continue his research because his trial was postponed. And by mentioning in LSTUA that Lemony did indeed flee abroad, Daniel Handler combined this with Lemony's statement in TMM about fair trade.
What conclusion we reached:
When writing TMM, Daniel Handler decided to give Lemony a slightly more dangerous life. This danger to which Lemony was passing during the time of publication of ASOUE in the universe of Lemony, was increasing subtly with each book from TMM. When Daniel Handler decided to write LSTUA, Daniel Handler created a subplot in which Lemony Snicket between the publication of TWW and TMM, was captured, then arrested, and then fled abroad. Then he came back from abroad. This subplot created for LSTUA, expanded the information we had in ASOUE about Lemony's dangerous life. In LSTUA, Daniel Handler made explicit a situation in which Lemony Snicket was captured and arrested. Daniel Handler did this to match Lemony Snicket's claim that he could continue his research because his trial was postponed. And by mentioning in LSTUA that Lemony did indeed flee abroad, Daniel Handler combined this with Lemony's statement in TMM about fair trade.
