How do you feel about Lemony Snicket’s narrative style? Did his asides throughout the book keep you invested in the story? Why or why not? If so, what about them made you feel more attached to the Baudelaires and their situation? If not, would you have felt more linked to the story without the narrator? Why do you think Snicket chose to write in this style? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

Examine the effect of trends on the plot and characters of The Ersatz Elevator. How do the different In and Out items move the story forward? Compare and contrast how the Baudelaires, Jerome, and Esmé respond to the rapidly switching trends. What do their responses say about how trends can help or harm individuals and society?

Rank Jerome, Mr. Poe, Olaf, and Esmé in terms of most to least villainous, and explain how each is a villain to the Baudelaires. Why did you choose this order? What actions from each character made them more or less villainous than the others? Did you find this task simple or difficult? Why, and what does this say about the care with which Snicket constructed his characters?