Warning!!! Spoilers May Abound! You have been warned!The following post is my research into The Beatrice Letters. Some may be stating what's already there and just me keeping track of things while some are musings on the questions brought up. So here goes. "I didn't realize this was a sad occasion..."
The Beatrice Letters Research:
The Letters: E E N S I K R A C T A (backwards) B
Backwards: BAT CAR K IS NEE
Anagrams (among other things):
SNICKET A BRAE *
A CAB REEKS TIN
A BRACKEN SITE
A BANKERS CITE
A BAR SCENE KIT
A TAKEN SCRIBE
CAB NEAR KITES
CAB NEAR TIKES
ABSENCE AT IRK
SNAKEBITE CAR
BETAKEN CAR IS
BEATRICE SANK *
The Beatrice Letters Anagrams:
A BETTERS CHEER TITLE
A BITTER LEECH TESTER
A BLEST ETCH TREE RITE
More on the Letters: As you’ve noticed certain photos and drawings correspond to the punchcard letters. E for LS’s map in his first note, N for the map of Mt Fraught with perhaps VFD eagles, S for the paperweight of the Leech (we can figure this out by knowing it was given to LS by I (Ike), I for the hairpin, C for the lock of Beatrice’s hair and T for the metal tool Beatrice used. If we add the K from L’s manuscript, the letters spell out: SNICKET.
Note that the second A in the punchcards is backwards which lead me to try a backwards spelling out of them.
There’s also much stressing on “one letter makes a difference” and initials having more than one meaning.
BB to LS # 1: The E was hinted to be for a villaness…perhaps Esme? So it’s brought to our attention that Beatrice is indeed related to the Baudelaires as family. It seems more in a sibling or cousin way then any parental means. So it seems that B contacted LS to help find the three Baudelaires whom it seems (especially later on) that they are her only family. It seems like a lot of the earlier letters (though some parts makes me wonder) are around the time when VFD is still together and no schism as occurred. First mention of “My Silence Knot” (untie).
LS to BB # 2: Mentioning of classmates in VFD school. B and R were classmates in Theatrics (somewhat hinted at in TUA yes? Or at least that they knew each other). And surprise! Olaf and LS were classmates in codes it seems. We know it’s Olaf cause of the mention of his one eyebrow. Another mention of “My Silence Knot” (hiding inside). Silence knot = tongue tied, not being able to speak, quiet place, the world is quiet here? Seems like they are climbing Mt. Fraught by the illustration (N) with the birds (eagles?). Anyone know Braile and want to dechiper what’s under LS’s name? I’m assuming it’s just his name again, but you never know. Anagrams for “A Wet Viper Perm” are yet to be worked out. ^^;;
BB to LS # 2: This letter is dated Feb 28th so I’m tempted to see if it corresponds to any of the book’s release dates. B can see a burnt out place from LS’s office, though I’m not sure if this has to do with the Baudelaire fire or something else. Any clue what the unusual plants are? (Green trees?) There is doubt to whether LS has received her first letter…and it seems that she is searching for the Baudelaires and LS. Again, though I think this part of the letters is before the VFD schism. Now that I think of it, were any of LS’s letters concerned with finding the Baudelaires? And I just liked this quote “Either I am a very good detective or you are very lousy at hiding things—or you want me to come where you are.” ^_^
LS to BB # 3: LS mentioned Elenora Poe and this leads me to believe that time-wise it’s right before the schism when LS is working at the Daily Punctilio. I’m assuming that Ike is who I is and therefore the paperweight is a leech. R’s now the new Duchess, so again still in pre-schism VFD time. J could be Jacques or Josephine (wondering if it’s Josephine given later Js) G would be our well-loved reporter soon to take over LS’s column. Interesting to note that she was in a fashion column perhaps one of the reasons her and Esme became close? The rootbeer floats make me think that the meeting place is that little shop that LS mentioned in his first note. B’s butterfly costume reminds me of the dragonfly costume she wore in R’s masquerade ball.
Thing to Note: I assume this is just the way the book was put together but it seems like on the back of a lot of the black pages, there’s a faint imprint of an O. Perhaps Olaf and other forms of villainy (like rings left from cups) are destined to haunt this text.
BB to LS # 3: We are told that brae is a hill and therefore brae-man is one who lives on a hill. (Recall one of the possible anagrams of the punchcard letters and some questions later on). Did anyone find any Sebald in the ringing/ring part? The ring with an initial I’m guessing is the R ring mentioned later on. Here’s comes the confusion B mentions hearing Sunny read her recipes on the radio, but as we know Sunny’s culinary skills came MUCH later on in the series. Is this a letter from a much future date? B seems to be one for fading memories so perhaps she could be just confused? LS does mention in his letter to the editor that the dates might mixed up still and that there could be more than one BB… The K I am assuming stands perhaps for Kit.
LS to BB # 4: This letter seems to have been mistaken delivered to R by bats (prelude to VFD eagles? Crows?) Note the mug ring on the letter….villainy afoot? It seems to suggest that B’s co-star is NOT LS like I had assumed (see “The Silence Knot” at the end). Any ideas who? Given LS to BB # 5 the first two letters seem to be Co- …my first instinct was (dare I say it?) Count Olaf, but it would seem weird that they go about calling him that. So this remains a bit of a mystery to me. Again, a warning to keep track of letters and anagrams.
BB to LS # 4: The A punchletter seems to correspond to the A on the assignment. I don’t recall where Doldrum Drive is…anyone have the map on hand? Another mentioning of “My Silence Knot” to which another interpretation that it could have something to do with memories.
LS to BB # 5: More time references for us, this is when Beatrice wrote her famed 200 page book to LS (Now if only THAT was released for us to peruse!). More Silence Knot allusions. Here we see that the (engagement?) ring has an R on it. Seems there marriage was stopped by O (see letter and the underlined Sebald Code). B’s questions seems to be on p. 189 of her book, so we are only given the answers but we can guess to some of them. I’m gonna take a gander that perhaps the poem included in the programme in Answer 4 was The Silence Knot. Answer 9 I think was the most intriguing (Poor LS…he sure can gush!). The thing about B betraying her father seemed interesting, perhaps we will learn more about this. The image with the shipwreck and whale was interesting too. Perhaps an illusion to an ill-fated VFD encounter with the reference to Melville (which was on the good VFD sea uniforms, yes?). It seems B also carries the Baudelaire trait of being allergic to peppermints. It seems there is also a female wandering around with a dagger proof vest…perhaps to be seen later on? It seems to suggest hear that J is Josephine (at least in this case). And I just loved this quote: “I will love you as misfortune loves orphans, as fire love innocence and as justice loves to sit and watch while everything goes wrong.”
BB to LS # 5: More confusion! (Though again Lemony warned us that there could be more than one BB) Mentioning of the destruction of Hotel Dénouement puts this in a very recent frame of events. Trying not to spoil things. ^^;
LS to BB # 6: More confusion, keep in mind that Baudelaire could be NOT Beatrice. Large letters…reference to punchcard letters?
BB to LS # 6: I’m not sure what to make of this one. The address seem to suggest that this is more present than the text suggest. Since it is NOT ripped here, does that mean that LS wanted to meet her? Did he? Questions questions, and a nice full circle to the first letter.
“My Silence Knot” – I want to say this is about LS and B but not sure. Sadness! ;_;
And did anyone else notice that “The End” was on page 13? ^_~
Poster: Seems like someone from the cave is perhaps expectant of this shipwreck? Note the spatula oar.
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