The Reptile Room

There are 13 novels total in A Series of Unfortunate Events, and each one has 13 chapters in it. This is significant because of the general cultural symbolism behind the number 13, which young readers are likely to recognize because of superstitions like “Friday the 13th” being considered an unlucky or cursed day. Placing the Baudelaires’ adventures within this structure enhances the sense of doom and gloom throughout the series as well as the comic relief, because the “unluckiness” of the children is somewhat silly and absurd.

Although the novel overall highlights the distinction between perception and reality, Mr. Poe insists on a connection between the two and is absolutely unwilling to believe that Stephano is Count Olaf until he sees the tattoo with his own eyes. Even though there are several other clues to Count Olaf’s identity, without this most obvious proof, Mr. Poe remains unconvinced. This is part of Mr. Poe’s version of adult language and communication: He needs to see things in order to believe them. He requires “proof” and “evidence.” Fortunately, Violet intuits this need, prompting her to go find some and present it to him. Violet gives a speech and uses visual aids, presenting the findings of her and Klaus’s research to the adults as if they are scientific colleagues of hers.

The children feel triumphant after they expose Count Olaf’s identity and escape his clutches, not having to go to Peru with him after all. However, as in the previous installment of the series, the children never truly get a happy ending, and Count Olaf again escapes, promising to find them again. The villain is gone for now, but he has not been defeated or imprisoned and is thus still a danger that the children will surely encounter again. Nonetheless, the children still feel better having brought their uncle some sort of justice by proving who really killed him, even if this justice has not yet been addressed by the legal system.

These chapters round out the themes of The Importance of Teamwork and The Vulnerability of Children. The children’s circumstances will continue to be precarious. Yet as the children say goodbye to the snakes and their most recent home, they have a renewed sense of faith in their ability to protect each other, if not a renewed sense of faith in adults. They share a moment of hope and thankfulness for each other’s brilliance, which is what helps get all three of them through the series. Others might not always understand the children, similar to how Bruce does not understand Uncle Monty. However, that doesn’t mean they’re not brilliant. The children have learned to provide their own “light” when others, such as Uncle Monty’s, go out, with light symbolizing joy, knowledge, and a reason to keep trying. The fact that the children disobey Mr. Poe’s order to go to bed is also significant, because it illustrates that they no longer view him as at all capable of keeping them safe or knowing what’s best for them.