Damocles Dock

Damocles Dock
Location Information
Location	Lake Lachrymose
Affiliation	Lake Lachrymose Fickle Ferry
Type	Dock
Behind the Scenes
Appearances	The Wide Window The Hostile Hospital (mentioned) The Carnivorous Carnival (mentioned) The Slippery Slope (mentioned)
Adaptation Appearances	2004 film Netflix Adaptation: The Wide Window: Part One, The Wide Window: Part Two, The Hostile Hospital: Part One (mentioned)

“	If you didn't know much about the Baudelaire orphans, and you saw them sitting on their suitcases at Damocles Dock, you might think that they were bound for an exciting adventure.	”
	— Lemony Snicket, The Wide Window

Damocles Dock is a dock located on the coast of Lake Lachrymose. It is typically where visitors are dropped off after traveling by the Fickle Ferry, in addition to being greeted by several signs, warning them to avoid the lake if they have food with them, or have eaten a short time ago.

Description

Damocles Dock is the resting place for the Fickle Ferry, a ferry that drives all across Lake Lachrymose. It is described as a "small square," with lights that shine out to sea in order to remain visible. It is directly across from the Curdled Cave.

Captain Sham’s Sailboat Rentals operated off of there for some time.

When the Baudelaire children were dropped off at the dock, Duchess R took a photo of them for a V.F.D. investigation that ended up in the possession of Madame Lulu.

Appearances

Books
A Series of Unfortunate Events (Books)
1. The Bad Beginning (1999):	Absent	7. The Vile Village (2001):	Absent
2. The Reptile Room (1999):	Absent	8. The Hostile Hospital (2001):	Absent
3. The Wide Window (2000):	Debut	9. The Carnivorous Carnival (2002):	Pictured
4. The Miserable Mill (2000):	Absent	10. The Slippery Slope (2003):	Absent
5. The Austere Academy (2000):	Absent	11. The Grim Grotto (2004):	Absent
6. The Ersatz Elevator (2001):	Absent	12. The Penultimate Peril (2005):	Absent
13. The End (2006):		Absent
All the Wrong Questions
Who Could That Be at This Hour? (2012):	Absent	Shouldn't You Be in School? (2014):	Absent
When Did You See Her Last? (2013):	Absent	Why Is This Night Different from All Other Nights? (2015):	Absent
File Under: 13 Suspicious Incidents (2014):		Absent
Snicketverse
Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography (2002):		Absent
The Dismal Dinner (2004):		Absent
The Beatrice Letters (2006):		Absent
29 Myths on the Swinster Pharmacy (2014):		Absent
The Hero of the Story (2017):		Absent
Poison for Breakfast (2021):		Absent
Other Snicket Books
The Baby in the Manger (2002):		Absent
The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming (2007):		Absent
The Lump of Coal (2008):		Absent
The Composer Is Dead (2009):		Absent
13 Words (2010):		Absent
The Dark (2013):		Absent
Goldfish Ghost (2017):		Absent

Trivia

• The dock is named after Damocles, an ancient greek mythological character whose story is "an allusion to the imminent and ever-present peril faced by those in positions of power."
  • The original story is referenced in the original Brett Helquist illustration of the dock, as the tale involves a sword hung by a horse's hair over a throne; the drawing of the dock features a hanging sword from the sign. The sword is included in the sign itself in the Netflix adaptation, while it is replaced by a wooden anchor in the 2004 film.
• Josephine Anwhistle hid a history book on the dock under her bed, entitled The History of Damocles Dock Region.

Gallery

The Wide Window

Film

The lakeside town.

Damocles Dock.

Baudelaire orphans at Damocles Dock in the film

Video game

Netflix