Why Violet as a name?

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Klaus and Sunny are the von Bülows, so where does Violet come in? I decided to look into the rumor that Violet was a lawyer in the von Bülow case.

In the first trial, the defense attorneys were John Sheehan and Herald Fahringer, the prosecution was handled by Steve Famiglietti (another attorney named Richard Kuh was involved), and the judge was Thomas H. Needham.

Attorney and Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz was involved in the appeal.

In the second trial, the defense attorneys were John Sheehan and Thomas Puccio, the prosecution was handled by Henry Gemma Jr. and Marc DeSisto, and the judge was Corrine Grande.

Another interesting tidbit: Sunny was a nickname. She was born Martha Crawford. She married first Prince Alfie von Auersperg; they had two children named Alexander and Annie Laurie (also known as Ala). She divorced Alfie and married Claus von Bülow; they had a daughter named Cosima.

No Violets anywhere, sorry to say. Not among the lawyers, no family members, nor servants named Violet.

So why did Daniel pick Violet?

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Thanks for answering me so quickly Swans. The following is not, of course, aimed at you but questions that identification of the appropriate Violet.

My immediate reaction is that the connection is way too tenuous. It just doesn't feel right to me. Sure, we lack other possibilities, but is lack of competition enough to identify Miss Sharpe?

With most other names being recognizable references, it seems odd that there is isn't an obvious someone that pops to mind when you say "Violet", especially in connection with Klaus (Claus) and Sunny. I mean, how many people know the name "Violet Sharpe"? Even if you threw in "Morrow family maid", I could not have told you what made her name renowned enough to even be offered for consideration.

Even accepting that Daniel would pick someone fairly obscure to force us to do research, Miss Sharpe is a huge leap. I prefer to think that Daniel just likes the name Violet ... and I don't like that option at all.

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Violet could be a flower and Baudelaire wrote Les Fleurs du Mal. Any connection there? I've not yet purchased a copy of the book.

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I haven't made it through all the links yet, but I am trying. Great stuff swans. I'm going on a diving trip for a week and a half, so I'll post to this again when I'm back.

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How is the von Bulow case realted to Klaus and Sunny? I know it's the name but it doesn't make sense.

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That is the only association: the names. Sure the originals are Claus and Sunny, but the names Klaus and Sunny together just seem a natural link to such an unfortunate event. I wish the name Violet so easily brought to mind what Daniel meant. With research we can find a Violet associated with an unfortunate event; I had just hoped to have one that seemed more obvious such as Mr. Poe (and his sons) to Edgar Allan Poe.

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Well I found time before my trip to read through the links. I think the Freudian stuff is , ya know?

Les Fleurs du Mal seems to use violet only as a color reference: the violet sea, my violet feet. Neither of those really appeals. Maybe the study guide has something I missed.

So many of the traits expressed for Violets (other than the Freudian violate one) seem appropriate for our heroine.

So now in order of preferred Daniel reasoning, I like:
1. The name just sounds right.
2. The symbolism of the flower fits.
3. The symbolism of the color fits.
4. Violet Sharpe.

(Not that I desire to cast aspersions on a suicide who consumed cyanide to avoid questions about her activities at a roadhouse with a gentleman who was not her fiancé, a phrase which here means "toss dirt on the reputation of someone I never had the opportunity to meet and whose situation in life is far different than mine.")

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swans said:

...isn't it like a universal rule to always roll one's eyes whenever someone uses Freud in an argument or research?

It may be trite, but it felt so right.

Thanks for the good wishes.