mental attitude which is shown in the negative characteristics. Below, the writer will explain Count Olaf’s failures which are assisted by the theory of Kassarjian
in his report ‘Success, Failure, and Personality’ and Napoleon Hill and Clement Stone in their book Success Trough A Positive Mental Attitude.
1. Count Olaf’s Failure in Approaching Baudelaire Children
Count Olaf has no good relation with the children. To get the Baudelaire’s
fortune, Count Olaf should be kind to the children. He must be patient, kind, and nice or he cannot approach the children to take over their fortune. These
quotations below will show that Count Olaf has bad approach to the children. Most of the day he spent out of the house, or up in the high tower, where
the children were forbidden to go p. 30.
The preceding quotation shows that Count Olaf almost never meets the children. Count Olaf spends his days in the tower or out of the house. Count Olaf
fails in approaching the children because he has no good social relation. He forbids the children to go to his room in the tower. If the children try to go to the
tower, Count Olaf will be angry. This condition makes Count Olaf does not know the children very well. According to Kasarjian, Count Olaf is unfriendly.
I hate it here, Violet I hate this house I hate our room I hate having to do all these chores, and I hate Count Olaf “I hate it too,” Violet said, and
Klaus looked at his older sister with relief p. 32.
The above quotation shows another example Count Olaf has no good relation with Baudelaire children. Violet and Klaus hate to be with Count Olaf.
Count Olaf does not make them comfortable in his house. The children hate Count Olaf because he gives them a lot of difficult chores. Count Olaf only thinks
on how to steal Baudelaire’s fortune without thinking about how to approach the children first. Count Olaf does not make a good relationship to Baudelaire
children. According to Kassarjian, Count Olaf is unfriendly. “Goodness,” Justice Strauss said. “Cooking dinner for an entire theater
troupe seems like a lot to ask of children.” “Count Olaf gives us a lot of responsibility,” Violet said. What she wanted
to say was, “Count Olaf is an evil man,” but she was well mannered p. 37.
From the preceding quotation, Count Olaf fails to approach the children. The impact from the preceding quotation is that Count Olaf will be harder to
persuade the children to use their fortune to fix his house because Count Olaf does not make the children happy instead he gives them burdens. The Baudelaire
children must do all of the chores left by Count Olaf. Count Olaf has poor self concept. He is uncooperative. He does not try to prepare the dinner together
beside he orders the children to do. He has bad characteristics which make him like evil man.
“Then we could buy a castle and live in it, with armed guards patrolling the outside to keep out Count Olaf and his
troupe” p. 59. The children think to have a castle because they hate Count Olaf. Violet
and Klaus think that they can have a castle with armed guards to protect them from Count Olaf. Count Olaf always gives them a lot of burdens. From the
preceding quotation, this proofs that Count Olaf fails to approach the children because Count Olaf is not adjustment and unfriendly. It makes the children do not
know well about Count Olaf. “Count Olaf is a madman,” Klaus said, getting right to the point. “We
cannot st ay with him.” He struck Klaus across the face. See his bruise?”
Violet said, but as she said it one of the telephones rang, in a loud, unpleasant wail p. 63.
In the preceding quotation, Klaus and Violet go to Mr. Poe to complain about their condition
in Count Olaf’s house. Count Olaf has bad treatment. Count Olaf slaps Klaus on his face. His bad treatment makes the children feel
uncomfortable in Count Olaf’s house. It is a big mistake for Count Olaf. The impact is Baudelaire children hate Count Olaf. This preceding quotation explains
that Count Olaf is unfriendly according to Kassarjian’s theory. Actually, Count Olaf needs to adjust his personality to the children. So, the children will feel
comfort with Count Olaf. If the children feel comfort to Count Olaf, It will be easy to Count Olaf to take over Baudelaire’s fortune.
Nervously, she gave the rope a good yank, and it stayed put. The grappling hook had worked p. 121.
When Sunny is kidnapped by Count Olaf, Violet is trying to rescue Sunny from the forbidden tower by her invention. Count Olaf thinks that Baudelaire
children are stupid, but actually they are smart. Violet can get in to the tower by herself shows that Count Olaf fails to approach Violet. Count Olaf fails in making
a trust to the children. In the preceding quotation shows that Violet opposes Count Olaf. This condition happens because Count Olaf has no good relation to Violet.
Count Olaf never approaches Violet and the children patiently instead he is angry to the children. This explains that Count Olaf fails to approach the children
because according to Kassarjian, he is unfriendly. “If we had any kerosene,” Violet said, around noon, “I could make
Molotov cocktails with these bottles” p. 130.
The preceding quotation shows that Violet is a smart girl. This is what Count Olaf does not know. Count Olaf does not approach the Baudelaire children
very well. Count Olaf fails in approaching the Baudelaire children. The Baudelaire children have some skills that Count Olaf does not know. From the
preceding quotation, according to Kasarjian, Count Olaf fails to approach the children because he is unfriendly toward the Baudelaire children. It is Count
Olaf’s mistake that he does not know that Baudelaire children are smart. Count Olaf always uses bad treatment to the children. So, it makes the children are
distrust to Count Olaf. Violet’s eyes were wide as she looked down at the document, and her face
was pale, and her left hand was trembling as she signed her name p. 143.
Count Olaf fails in approaching the children because he is unfriendly. If Count Olaf can approach the children well, he will know that Violet is right-
handed. So, when Violet is trying to sign the document with her left hand, Count Olaf can stop it. Count Olaf does not know that Violet is right-handed. What
Count Olaf thinks about the play is that he can get Baudelaire’s fortune. Count Olaf big mistake is he does not approach the children at first.
2. Count Olaf’s Failure to be Patient
