Sugar bowl (A Series of Unfortunate Events)
Encyclopedia
The sugar bowl is a fictional object from A Series of Unfortunate Events
by Lemony Snicket
. It was first mentioned by name in The Hostile Hospital
, in which Snicket (as the narrator) ponders whether it was necessary to have stolen it from Esmé Squalor
. It is (probably) indirectly mentioned in The Ersatz Elevator
by Esmé. Lemony Snicket and Beatrice Baudelaire seem to have been in part to steal it. In Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography
, it becomes apparent that it contains an object of great power or danger. There are many mentions of the sugar bowl and both sides of V.F.D. seem to be pursuing it; the Baudelaire orphans are eventually caught up in the search, although they have no idea why the bowl is so important.
's narration has been pivotal in exploring the sugar bowl's relevance to the overall plot. Where the sugar bowl came from and when an item of importance was hidden in it are unclear; however, it is generally agreed that the earliest point in its significant history is referred to in The Grim Grotto
and The Slippery Slope
. In the former, Esmé Squalor
claims that Beatrice stole the sugar bowl from her, but in the latter, Lemony Snicket
claims that he stole the sugar bowl from Esmé. Clues in these books indicate that Beatrice was at a tea party held by Esmé when the sugar bowl was taken from her, and Esmé may have then mistakenly deduced that Beatrice was the thief. Esme's house on 667 Dark Avenue had a secret passageway connected to the Baudelaire Mansion, so it is plausible that Esme used it to burn down the property as a vendetta against Beatrice. It is also possible that Beatrice and Lemony worked together to steal the bowl. This may be the crime that Lemony Snicket and Beatrice committed together before her death, as mentioned in 13 Shocking Secrets You'll Wish You Never Knew About Lemony Snicket. However, this crime is more likely to be the murder of Count Olaf's parents.
In The Slippery Slope
, Lemony Snicket mentions in a letter to his sister that her "suggestion...that a tea set would be a handy place to hide anything important and small...has turned out to be correct." A sugar bowl is one of the parts of a tea set. Later in the book, Violet Baudelaire
notes that a tea set used by Count Olaf and Esmé Squalor is missing an item, implied to be a sugar bowl when Violet later fibs that she and her siblings know the sugar bowl's whereabouts.
It is also mentioned in The Dismal Dinner that a sugar bowl was passed around at the Baudelaire parents
' fourth-to-last dinner party, but it is unclear whether this is the same sugar bowl that was stolen from Esmé.
At some point, the sugar bowl was taken to the V.F.D. headquarters in the Mortmain Mountains. At a point prior to The Slippery Slope, the man with a beard but no hair and the woman with hair but no beard burnt down the headquarters but were unable to recover the sugar bowl; Lemony Snicket states in the narration that a brave volunteer threw the bowl out the window into the Stricken Stream, knowing it would be swept away and be saved from the villains.
In The Grim Grotto
, Klaus Baudelaire
and Captain Widdershins believed it to have washed into the Gorgonian Grotto
, but when the grotto was explored, the bowl was not there; the narration implies that the bowl had been removed quite some time before. It is here that the Baudelaires are told that the sugar bowl itself is not important; it's the contents of the bowl that matter.
In The Penultimate Peril
, the sugar bowl was brought to the Hotel Denouement by V.F.D. crows. The plan, on the villains' part, was to capture it by harpoon
ing the crows, but due to the actions of Dewey Denouement, a plan was put in place to prevent the villains from securing it. The volunteers and villains originally thought it had fallen into the laundry room, but the Baudelaires later conclude that the sugar bowl had fallen into the pond. However, in a twist, Snicket implies that the bowl was retrieved from the pond and carried away by taxi
shortly before the destruction of the hotel, and that this taxi driver was possibly himself, implying that Lemony currently has the sugar bowl.
In The End
, there is a possible mention of the sugar bowl. When reading an extract from A Series of Unfortunate Events (the history of the island at which the Baudelaires arrive), Klaus reads, "Beatrice is hiding a small amount [of horseradish (or other substance capable of diluting the medusoid mycelium)] in a vess-". It could be assumed that the sentence would continue as "a vessel for disaccharides
." Whether this is a reference to the same sugar bowl that was stolen from Esmé Squalor, or simply that sugar bowls became common in V.F.D. as they proved useful for storage of sensitive items, is not known.
Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography
s index entry for the sugar bowl redirects the reader to the entries for 'hiding places' and Lena Pukalie's book I Lost Something at the Movies, a reference to real-life film critic Pauline Kael
's I Lost It at the Movies
; the link between the latter and the sugar bowl is not explained.
The Slippery Slope indicates that the sugar bowl contains something that proves Lemony Snicket innocent of arsons committed by Count Olaf; The Penultimate Peril implies that Lemony Snicket has gained possession of the bowl. If this is the case, Snicket may have gone on to use the sugar bowl to clear his name; The Beatrice Letters
reinforces this, as by the time its later segments take place, Snicket is apparently able to publicly rent an office and have mail delivered there, something he would be unable to do as a wanted fugitive.
Esmé Squalor
, when confronting the Baudelaires, Dewey Denouement and their associates in The Penultimate Peril, emphasized the difficulty of finding a container that could hold the sugar bowl's contents safely, securely, and attractively, and stated many lives were lost in the quest to find it; she also states that it means very much to the Baudelaires and the Snickets. However, it is unclear where she is referring to the sugar bowl and where to its contents. There is also another possible use for the sugar bowl: it could contain the figurine mentioned in The Carnivorous Carnival, since it was said to contain "vital evidence" and was relatively small. If this theory is true, then the figurine was probably placed inside the sugar bowl as it winded down the Stricken Stream and possibly taken away, which would be the reason that the Baudelaires didn't find it in the Gorgonian Grotto.
The sugar bowl could also contain something of great power, perhaps even greater than the Medusoid Mycelium. This is because Dewey says that Count Olaf wouldn't dare use the Mycelium if he has the sugar bowl. This might imply that Dewey could use the contents to retaliate, either because it contains some sort of weapon or if it contains evidence that could be used to convict Olaf of a crime, prove Lemony Snicket's innocence or both.
Finally, it is altogether possible that the sugar bowl is merely a MacGuffin
plot device, meaning that the contents of it are actually completely irrelevant, and that its function is simply to be a much sought-after object that motivates characters and drives the story along.
A Series of Unfortunate Events
A Series of Unfortunate Events is a series of children's novels by Lemony Snicket which follows the turbulent lives of Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire after their parents' death in an arsonous house fire...
by Lemony Snicket
Lemony Snicket
Lemony Snicket is the pen name of American novelist Daniel Handler . Snicket is the author of several children's books, serving as the narrator of A Series of Unfortunate Events and appearing as a character within the series. Because of this, the name Lemony Snicket may refer to both a fictional...
. It was first mentioned by name in The Hostile Hospital
The Hostile Hospital
The Hostile Hospital is the eighth novel in the book series A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket.-Plot and summary:The book begins where the previous one left off, with the three Baudelaire children escaping the Village of Fowl Devotees...
, in which Snicket (as the narrator) ponders whether it was necessary to have stolen it from Esmé Squalor
Esmé Squalor
Esmé Gigi Geniveve Squalor is the secondary antagonist of the children's novel series A Series of Unfortunate Events by American author Lemony Snicket. She is Count Olaf's girlfriend. Prior to the events of the series she was a professional stage actress and member of V.F.D. Esmé is distinguished...
. It is (probably) indirectly mentioned in The Ersatz Elevator
The Ersatz Elevator
The Ersatz Elevator is the sixth novel in the book series A Series of Unfortunate Events by Daniel Handler under the pseudonym of Lemony Snicket. The Baudelaires are sent to live with the wealthy Esmé and Jerome Squalor.-Plot summary:...
by Esmé. Lemony Snicket and Beatrice Baudelaire seem to have been in part to steal it. In Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography
Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography
Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography was first released on May 1, 2002. The book's content relates to the author Lemony Snicket and his series of books, A Series of Unfortunate Events...
, it becomes apparent that it contains an object of great power or danger. There are many mentions of the sugar bowl and both sides of V.F.D. seem to be pursuing it; the Baudelaire orphans are eventually caught up in the search, although they have no idea why the bowl is so important.
History
Lemony SnicketLemony Snicket
Lemony Snicket is the pen name of American novelist Daniel Handler . Snicket is the author of several children's books, serving as the narrator of A Series of Unfortunate Events and appearing as a character within the series. Because of this, the name Lemony Snicket may refer to both a fictional...
's narration has been pivotal in exploring the sugar bowl's relevance to the overall plot. Where the sugar bowl came from and when an item of importance was hidden in it are unclear; however, it is generally agreed that the earliest point in its significant history is referred to in The Grim Grotto
The Grim Grotto
The Grim Grotto is the eleventh novel in the book series A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket.-Plot:The book begins where The Slippery Slope left off, with the Baudelaires traveling on a collapsing toboggan down the Stricken Stream of the Mortmain Mountains, leaving Quigley Quagmire...
and The Slippery Slope
The Slippery Slope
The Slippery Slope is the tenth installment in the book series A Series of Unfortunate Events by Daniel Handler under the pseudonym of Lemony Snicket.-Plot Summary:...
. In the former, Esmé Squalor
Esmé Squalor
Esmé Gigi Geniveve Squalor is the secondary antagonist of the children's novel series A Series of Unfortunate Events by American author Lemony Snicket. She is Count Olaf's girlfriend. Prior to the events of the series she was a professional stage actress and member of V.F.D. Esmé is distinguished...
claims that Beatrice stole the sugar bowl from her, but in the latter, Lemony Snicket
Lemony Snicket
Lemony Snicket is the pen name of American novelist Daniel Handler . Snicket is the author of several children's books, serving as the narrator of A Series of Unfortunate Events and appearing as a character within the series. Because of this, the name Lemony Snicket may refer to both a fictional...
claims that he stole the sugar bowl from Esmé. Clues in these books indicate that Beatrice was at a tea party held by Esmé when the sugar bowl was taken from her, and Esmé may have then mistakenly deduced that Beatrice was the thief. Esme's house on 667 Dark Avenue had a secret passageway connected to the Baudelaire Mansion, so it is plausible that Esme used it to burn down the property as a vendetta against Beatrice. It is also possible that Beatrice and Lemony worked together to steal the bowl. This may be the crime that Lemony Snicket and Beatrice committed together before her death, as mentioned in 13 Shocking Secrets You'll Wish You Never Knew About Lemony Snicket. However, this crime is more likely to be the murder of Count Olaf's parents.
In The Slippery Slope
The Slippery Slope
The Slippery Slope is the tenth installment in the book series A Series of Unfortunate Events by Daniel Handler under the pseudonym of Lemony Snicket.-Plot Summary:...
, Lemony Snicket mentions in a letter to his sister that her "suggestion...that a tea set would be a handy place to hide anything important and small...has turned out to be correct." A sugar bowl is one of the parts of a tea set. Later in the book, Violet Baudelaire
Violet Baudelaire
Violet Baudelaire is one of the main characters in the children's book series A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket and appears in all thirteen books. She is the oldest of the Baudelaire orphans at 14 years old, and often helps her 12-year-old brother Klaus and her baby sister Sunny...
notes that a tea set used by Count Olaf and Esmé Squalor is missing an item, implied to be a sugar bowl when Violet later fibs that she and her siblings know the sugar bowl's whereabouts.
It is also mentioned in The Dismal Dinner that a sugar bowl was passed around at the Baudelaire parents
Mr. and Mrs. Baudelaire
The Baudelaire family is one of several prominent fictional families created by American author Lemony Snicket for his novel series A Series of Unfortunate Events...
' fourth-to-last dinner party, but it is unclear whether this is the same sugar bowl that was stolen from Esmé.
At some point, the sugar bowl was taken to the V.F.D. headquarters in the Mortmain Mountains. At a point prior to The Slippery Slope, the man with a beard but no hair and the woman with hair but no beard burnt down the headquarters but were unable to recover the sugar bowl; Lemony Snicket states in the narration that a brave volunteer threw the bowl out the window into the Stricken Stream, knowing it would be swept away and be saved from the villains.
In The Grim Grotto
The Grim Grotto
The Grim Grotto is the eleventh novel in the book series A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket.-Plot:The book begins where The Slippery Slope left off, with the Baudelaires traveling on a collapsing toboggan down the Stricken Stream of the Mortmain Mountains, leaving Quigley Quagmire...
, Klaus Baudelaire
Klaus Baudelaire
Klaus Baudelaire is one of the main characters in the children's book series, A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket who appears in all thirteen novels. Klaus is the middle child of the Baudelaire orphans; he has an older sister named Violet and a younger sister named Sunny...
and Captain Widdershins believed it to have washed into the Gorgonian Grotto
The Grim Grotto
The Grim Grotto is the eleventh novel in the book series A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket.-Plot:The book begins where The Slippery Slope left off, with the Baudelaires traveling on a collapsing toboggan down the Stricken Stream of the Mortmain Mountains, leaving Quigley Quagmire...
, but when the grotto was explored, the bowl was not there; the narration implies that the bowl had been removed quite some time before. It is here that the Baudelaires are told that the sugar bowl itself is not important; it's the contents of the bowl that matter.
In The Penultimate Peril
The Penultimate Peril
The Penultimate Peril is the twelfth novel in the book series A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket.-Plot:The book starts off where The Grim Grotto left off...
, the sugar bowl was brought to the Hotel Denouement by V.F.D. crows. The plan, on the villains' part, was to capture it by harpoon
Harpoon
A harpoon is a long spear-like instrument used in fishing to catch fish or large marine mammals such as whales. It accomplishes this task by impaling the target animal, allowing the fishermen to use a rope or chain attached to the butt of the projectile to catch the animal...
ing the crows, but due to the actions of Dewey Denouement, a plan was put in place to prevent the villains from securing it. The volunteers and villains originally thought it had fallen into the laundry room, but the Baudelaires later conclude that the sugar bowl had fallen into the pond. However, in a twist, Snicket implies that the bowl was retrieved from the pond and carried away by taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
shortly before the destruction of the hotel, and that this taxi driver was possibly himself, implying that Lemony currently has the sugar bowl.
In The End
The End (A Series of Unfortunate Events)
The End is the thirteenth and final novel in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. It was published on October 13, 2006.- Plot description :...
, there is a possible mention of the sugar bowl. When reading an extract from A Series of Unfortunate Events (the history of the island at which the Baudelaires arrive), Klaus reads, "Beatrice is hiding a small amount [of horseradish (or other substance capable of diluting the medusoid mycelium)] in a vess-". It could be assumed that the sentence would continue as "a vessel for disaccharides
V.F.D.
V.F.D. is a secret organization within the book series A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. The purposes of the organization are never made clear, although the name of the organization is connected to various interpretations of the word "fire." V.F.D...
." Whether this is a reference to the same sugar bowl that was stolen from Esmé Squalor, or simply that sugar bowls became common in V.F.D. as they proved useful for storage of sensitive items, is not known.
Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography
Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography
Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography was first released on May 1, 2002. The book's content relates to the author Lemony Snicket and his series of books, A Series of Unfortunate Events...
s index entry for the sugar bowl redirects the reader to the entries for 'hiding places' and Lena Pukalie's book I Lost Something at the Movies, a reference to real-life film critic Pauline Kael
Pauline Kael
Pauline Kael was an American film critic who wrote for The New Yorker magazine from 1968 to 1991. Earlier in her career, her work appeared in City Lights, McCall's and The New Republic....
's I Lost It at the Movies
I Lost It at the Movies
I Lost It at the Movies is Pauline Kael's first collection of reviews, covering the years 1954-1965, which was published prior to her long stint at The New Yorker...
; the link between the latter and the sugar bowl is not explained.
Contents
There are many clues and hints about the sugar bowl and what it is, but Lemony Snicket does not reveal its secret at all in the series, leaving an element of suspense for the readers.The Slippery Slope indicates that the sugar bowl contains something that proves Lemony Snicket innocent of arsons committed by Count Olaf; The Penultimate Peril implies that Lemony Snicket has gained possession of the bowl. If this is the case, Snicket may have gone on to use the sugar bowl to clear his name; The Beatrice Letters
The Beatrice Letters
The Beatrice Letters is a book by Lemony Snicket. It is tangential to the children's book series A Series of Unfortunate Events, and was published shortly before the thirteenth and final installment...
reinforces this, as by the time its later segments take place, Snicket is apparently able to publicly rent an office and have mail delivered there, something he would be unable to do as a wanted fugitive.
Esmé Squalor
Esmé Squalor
Esmé Gigi Geniveve Squalor is the secondary antagonist of the children's novel series A Series of Unfortunate Events by American author Lemony Snicket. She is Count Olaf's girlfriend. Prior to the events of the series she was a professional stage actress and member of V.F.D. Esmé is distinguished...
, when confronting the Baudelaires, Dewey Denouement and their associates in The Penultimate Peril, emphasized the difficulty of finding a container that could hold the sugar bowl's contents safely, securely, and attractively, and stated many lives were lost in the quest to find it; she also states that it means very much to the Baudelaires and the Snickets. However, it is unclear where she is referring to the sugar bowl and where to its contents. There is also another possible use for the sugar bowl: it could contain the figurine mentioned in The Carnivorous Carnival, since it was said to contain "vital evidence" and was relatively small. If this theory is true, then the figurine was probably placed inside the sugar bowl as it winded down the Stricken Stream and possibly taken away, which would be the reason that the Baudelaires didn't find it in the Gorgonian Grotto.
The sugar bowl could also contain something of great power, perhaps even greater than the Medusoid Mycelium. This is because Dewey says that Count Olaf wouldn't dare use the Mycelium if he has the sugar bowl. This might imply that Dewey could use the contents to retaliate, either because it contains some sort of weapon or if it contains evidence that could be used to convict Olaf of a crime, prove Lemony Snicket's innocence or both.
Finally, it is altogether possible that the sugar bowl is merely a MacGuffin
MacGuffin
A MacGuffin is "a plot element that catches the viewers' attention or drives the plot of a work of fiction". The defining aspect of a MacGuffin is that the major players in the story are willing to do and sacrifice almost anything to obtain it, regardless of what the MacGuffin actually is...
plot device, meaning that the contents of it are actually completely irrelevant, and that its function is simply to be a much sought-after object that motivates characters and drives the story along.