By: Lemony Snicket
“Just because something is traditional is no reason to do it, of course. Piracy, for example, is a tradition that has been carried on for hundreds of years, but that doesn’t mean we should all attack ships and steal their gold.”
Lemony Snicket, A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Austere Academy
*This post contains spoilers for The Austere Academy and A Series of Unfortunate Events
For a discussion on the first four books in the series, see the linked posts bellow:
Overview:
Prufrock Preparatory School is not the place for a young mind to flourish. Classes consist of pointless measuring and recalling facts from a nonsensical teacher.
After school activities consist only of listening to Vice Principal Nero play his dreadful violin.
Still, it’s not the worst situation that the Baudelaire orphans have found themselves in. All the silly rules and pointless classes are manageable and easy to maneuver especially after making friends with the Quagmire triplets.
However…
Yet again a villain from their past rears his ugly head with his dastardly plans.
Can the siblings expose their enemy and keep themselves from being expelled?
My thoughts:
I will admit that I had to look up what Prufrock was referencing. Even after looking it up, the explaination still seems a little complicated but from what I gathered it is a reference to a poem by T.S. Elliot. According to sparknotes.com:
It is an examination of the tortured psyche of the prototypical modern man—overeducated, eloquent, neurotic, and emotionally stilted.
This is mirroring the learning style of the school. None of the educators are interested in fostering any type of curiosity or engagement with the students. Everyone is just supposed to memorize facts without any explanation of why they are learning them. At the end of the day, the students have memorized a large amount of data and have technically learned quite a bit. However, there is no practical way of applying it in real life.
The school’s motto is “Memento Mori”and the buildings are shaped like tombstones. “Memento Mori” is Latin for “remember you will die”. This doesn’t promote a positive environment or a hopeful future. It is as if they are telling the students that none of this learning matters anyway because you are all going to perish eventually.
The classic novel Oliver Twist By Charles Dickens is the main reference used to create the narrative.
The cafeteria is a direct correlation to the workhouse Oliver lives in when he utters probably the most quoted line in Dickens’ entire works: “Please, sir, I want some more”. The food limitations and rules are obvious in Oliver Twist and Vice Principal Nero lays down his own rules to the Baudelaire’s.
“Now, if either of you are late for class, or Sunny is late for work, your hands will be tied behind your back during meals. You’ll have to lean down and eat your food like a dog.”
Lemony Snicket, A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Austere Academy
“Now this building you’re in is the administrative building. It is completely off-limits to students… Today is your first day, so I’ll forgive you, but if I see you here again, you will not be allowed to use silverware at any of your meals”
Lemony Snicket, A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Austere Academy
“Meals are served promptly at breakfast time, lunchtime, and dinnertime. If you’re late we take away your cups and glasses, and your beverages will be served to you in large puddles”
Lemony Snicket, A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Austere Academy
Another tragic correlation between the two stories is the overall theme of The Series of Unfortunate Events. Orphans with an inheritance that someone wants to steal. Monks, in Oliver Twist is secretly working to take Oliver’s inheritance for himself. Being the 5th book in the series, we know that Count Olaf is going to show up in some ridiculous costume with an elaborate but obvious plan to re-take the control of their fortune.
In this installment, Count Olaf disguises himself as the new gym teacher, coach Genghis. He hides his distinguishing characteristics with a turban and a pair of high top sneakers. Odd outfit aside, this is a reference to Genghis Khan, one of the most notorious rulers in history.
Other than the name, there aren’t any other references to the ruler. The only thing I can connect is that he makes the children run laps all night. It is a stretch but it could be because of the extensive campaigns and vast traveling that the Mongol Empire did during his reign.
Another notorious ruler’s name is borrowed for the wicked Vice Principal Nero. Nero is the infamous Emperor of Rome known for his cruelty. He allegedly fiddled while Rome burned. The Vice Principal demands that all the students watch his monotonous violin performances every night or be forced to buy him a bag of candy and watch him eat it. He ignores and even creates all the problems of the school but blissfully plays the violin as everything falls apart. He’s not unaware that this is problematic, he thrives on it.
There are a couple of important character introductions that will continue to play there parts later in the series.
The Quagmire Triplets:
Duncan and Isadora are two thirds of the triplets. Their brother Quigley, died in a mysterious fire along with their parents. The Baudelaire’s do find it odd that their stories are too similar but don’t think about it too much as they are more worried about Count Olaf and not getting expelled.
The triplets are the first people they meet that believe them and actively try to help foil Count Olaf. They also act as a support system to Violet, Klaus and Sunny. They haven’t had anyone to commiserate with that is there own age and understands what they are going through.
Carmelita Spats:
Miss Carmelita is the exact opposite of the Quagmire triplets. She demands attention and rewards for doing the most basic of tasks and mocks those she believes to be inferior. She doesn’t directly sabotage the siblings but she does make their life that much more miserable.
Overall,
The book is a bit slower than the other books. It takes a bit of time for Count Olaf to show up and cause conflict. This is most likely because of the introduction of the Quagmire triplets who will play an important part in moving forward and act as a motivation in addition to V.F.D.
I also had high hopes for the school setting and I don’t believe that expectation was matched with what Snicket decided to focus on.
Leaving off on a random quote but the best one of the book:
“Klaus had known for all twelve of his years that his older sister found a hand on her shoulder comforting-as long as the hand was attached to an arm, of course”
Lemony Snicket, A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Austere Academy
Rating: 3/5 stars
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