Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket the Bad

¶ … Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

The Bad Beginning is a children's novel written by Lemony Snicket, a pen name used by Daniel Handler. Published in 1999, the book is the first of series called A Series of Unfortunate Events, and is 162 pages. The novel tells the story Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire, three children who are orphaned when their parents are killed in a house fire and are forced to live with their wicked Uncle Olaf. All through the book these children have extremely bad luck.

The book starts with the children playing on the beach where they meet a banker named Mr. Poe, who is the manager of their parent's estate. Mr. Poe tells them what has happened to their parents. Since there house has burned down and their parents will states that they must be live with a relative they are moved in with Olaf. The will also says that when violet, who is fourteen, becomes of age she will inherit their parents fortune. The plot of the novel centers on Olaf's plan to gain control of their money.

Olaf lives in a beat up run down house next door to Justice Strauss, a judge of the high court who is kind to the children and allows them to use her library. Olaf is described as a dirty drunkard who is mean with an eye tattooed on his leg and a single eyebrow across his forehead. He forces the child to work for him cleaning, cooking and splitting wood. In one scene Olaf hits Klaus in the face. When the children go to Mr. Poe to complain of their mistreatment his does not believe them and they are left to fend on their own.

Violet discovers that Olaf and his accomplices, a wart faced man, a man with hooks for hands, a bald man with a long nose, and a fat person who looks neither like a man or a woman, and two white faced woman plan on having her marry their uncle during what is supposed to be a play so Olaf can gain control of her fortune. They are going to trick Justice Strauss into performing the ceremony. They can do this because the law says a minor may be married with the permission of her guardian, who is Olaf, the marriage is performed by the proper authorities, and the bride says "I do" and signs the marriage certificate in her own hand.

Unfortunately, Olaf discovers that Violet has found out about the plan and take Sonny, the youngest, tie him up and hang him in a bird cage outside a tower thirty feet up in the air. Olaf tells them he will have the child dropped if Violet and Klaus spoil the plan. The children are unable to tell Justice Strauss of the plot during the play because Olaf has a walkie-talkie and the hook handed man is standing by in the tower waiting to drop Sonny if they do. In the third act of the play the marriage takes place and at that point Olaf stops the action and announces to the audience that he and Violet are legally married. He contacts the hook handed man and tells him to bring Sonny.

Justice Strauss confirms that since she is a real judge, and Violet said "I do" and signed the papers in her own hand then the marriage is legal. When Violet realizes that Sonny is safe she tells them she signed the document with her left hand and she id right handed. Justice Strauss says in that case the marriage is not legal and orders the arrest of Olaf.