Violet's ribbon
One motif found across this series of books is Violet's ribbon. Whenever Violet is about to think about something deeply or invent something, she ties up her hair in a ribbon:
"Anyone who knew Violet well could tell she was thinking hard because her long hair was tied up in a ribbon to keep it out of her eyes."
The Fire
The fire that ravaged the Baudelaire mansion is a symbol of how the lives of the children have been destroyed. In the fire, the children lost their parents, homes, belongings, and lifestyle.
Eyes
In this book, eyes symbolize the formidable Count Olaf. He has a disturbing tattoo of an eye on his ankle, and also an eye on his front door. This represents the fact that he is always watching the children, and will seemingly always know where they are. This is something the children discover in the later books in the series, as Count Olaf always seems to catch up with them wherever they move.
Books
For the children, books represent comfort and home. This is a pastime they enjoyed together in the sprawling library of the Baudelaire mansion, but after moving in with Count Olaf they realize there isn't a single book in sight. However, when they visit Justice Strauss they feel at home in her library: "although it was not as big as their parents' library, it was as cozy and the Baudelaire children were thrilled."
The Baudelaire Fortune
For Count Olaf, the Baudelaire fortune symbolizes his ticket to a better life. His aim is to take the fortune from the children. For example, in this book he tries to marry Violet so the fortune would become his.
