As a story progresses, parts of it change, like the character or setting. But what about the parts that don't change? If you look closely, you can spot familiar parts in the story. The Series of Unfortunate Events have clear and subtle hints of repeats as well, especially the fourth book, The Miserable Mill. When the three Baudelaire's parents die in a house fire, they have to move to different family members picked by Mr. Poe, a workaholic with a constant cough (which is either incurable or Mr. Poe refuses to go get it checked out.) The first caretaker was named Count Olaf, a man around middle aged who is, basically, is evil ( though most should call him mentally ill.) The Baudelaire's oldest sibling is a girl named Violet. After they became orphans, Violet got their parents money, who were quite rich. Count Olaf, being the greedy man he is, tries to steal the money away from them using crazy elaborate plans. With the help of Violet, Claus (the middle child and only male) and Sunny ( a toddler who only speaks gibberish) they catch him in the act, but alt the last second he runs away. From then on, they have been running ever since. In the fourth book, they're sent to a lumber mill. The owner, who is there new guardian, broke child labor laws and put them to work, insulting the toddler Sunny. They aren't even fed well. They have the tiniest breakfast, and gum for "lunch". They were only payed with coupons. This job is breaking quite a bit of rules. This book, technically for kids, has the same structure for children stories. That includes over exaggerated repetition.
One that stood out to me was that, in the beginning of the books, it always starts with the children in a car to their new house. The writer, Lemony Snicket, usually writes how they feel about their new surroundings, which are mostly strange. In this book, the fourth, the kids are moved in an isolated place except for two houses, an eye doctor, and a lumber mill. The rest of the area is filled with pine trees, and no people were walking about. From the looks of it, they were the only people there. In the car the wonder how long do they have to run to finally hide from Count Olaf. They also felt discouraged about their new home. Violet couldn't be inspired by anything, Claus couldn't see any libraries, and the only thing Sunny can bite are trees.
Another one I found is that either the new guardian is mean, or killed. In the fourth book, their new guardian puts them to work at a lumber mill, even though it's dangerous to use humongous machinery art such a young age. He was big boned and always smoking a cigar, so you never saw his face. It is said by his companion at work in the book that "he had a tough life" but to the Baudelaires, it seems his actions can't overrule what he has treated them. It happened with other people, Count Olaf, Uncle Monty (nice but dies) and Aunt Josephine (annoying and dies.) All the murder is the doings of Count Olaf as well.
Wherever they go, Count Olaf follows, and after the first book, he comes in a disguise. The second time, as a assistant, the third time, a pirate, the fourth time (which is one of the best disguise so far in my terms) a woman. It also seems to get more ridiculous as well. He was supposed to be a receptionist at a eye hospital, who wanted to have a family of (*snicker) "her" own. That almost got them in Count Olaf's hands until the kids revealed his true nature. After that, he runs away and never gets caught.
The Baudelaire kids gone through so much, in a circle as well. They move to a shady place, meet their either horrible or soon killed guardians, find Count Olaf manipulating their fellow means of protection, showing his true nature to the unhelpful and infamous Mr. Poe, and Count Olaf running away so the Baudelaire children have to start all over. Even so, I have a feeling something is coming up later in the series. Something... unexpected.
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