The Ersatz Elevator

Violet Baudelaire is the eldest of the Baudelaire siblings and “most likely to speak up to adults” (6). Violet has a gift for inventing things, which links her character arc to the book’s major theme of Bravery Inspired by Trustworthiness. Violet is also bound by the expectations placed upon her by the adults in her life. As the eldest, she is given the most responsibility, which she translates into a need to protect Klaus and Sunny as much as she can. Violet is not afraid to speak her mind, especially when she believes doing so will help keep her siblings safe. From the moment she discovers Olaf’s disguise, she tries to convince the adults of his trickery, and though none of them listen, Violet doesn’t give up. Violet’s ideas are grand yet implausible, but within the absurdity of the story, they work and show how she contributes to finding solutions to her and her siblings’ problems.

Klaus Baudelaire is the middle Baudelaire child. His talents lean toward research, and “he had read so many books that he frequently used words like ‘compatriots’” (7), meaning he has an advanced vocabulary for his young age. Like Violet, Klaus’s character arc relates to how