The Miserable Mill | Themes

The Miserable Mill Themes

Optimism

Several examples of optimism are given throughout the book, but one character in particular is an accomplished optimist. Phil, one of the employees at Lucky Smells can find the good in everything, no matter how small it is. Even when he is in great pain, he can find something good in the situation.

The Baudelaires try to be optimistic about their new guardian even though it is very difficult. They try to put their situation into perspective by rationalizing that even though they are miserable, they don't immediately see Count Olaf. By comparing the bad to the really bad, they are able to find some good. This optimistic outlook does not pay off, as the children are lulled into complacency. They find Count Olaf where they least expected to because they ignored the signs that were all around them.

Putting things into perspective is a healthy thing to do, but...
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