- Lemony Snicket: Polly Partial.
- Polly Partial: Total Stranger.
Polly Partial is a grocer and the owner of Partial Foods who lives in Stain'd-by-the-Sea.
History
Early Life
At some point in Polly Partial's life, she attended the unveilling of the statue of Colonel Colophon.[1] The sea used to provide her store with fresh fish, until it was drained and became the Clusterous Forest.[2]
She owns two cats, one of which, Paperbag, has a narcissistic disorder.[3] She also has a living mother.[1] She isn't very good at lying.[2]
She shows a desire to retire and devote her life to raising minks.[1]
When Did You See Her Last?
| “ | Number B is the only one I recognize. I would swear on my mother's grave, if only she were dead. | ” |
— Polly Partial, When Did You See Her Last?
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Partial Foods.
Ellington Feint enters Partial Foods, pretending to be Cleo Knight. She buys some of Cleo's favorite cereal before talking about running away to join the circus. The next day, after finding Cleo's Dilemma outside Partial Foods, S. Theodora Markson and Lemony Snicket come inside and ask her if she'd seen Cleo. She shows them the Schoenberg Cereal, and answers their questions, before telling them to leave so she can stack canned smelt.
Suspecting that Polly is not a reliable witness, Snicket has Moxie Mallahan cut his hair to look like Stew Mitchum and then returns to her store, stealing two honeydew melons. Polly calls the police, who arrest Snicket and bring him to the police station, where they put him in a lineup with Stew and a file cabinet. Polly identifies Stew as the thief, which infuriates the Officers. They get into an argument about who will drive he home, and Polly says she'd rather walk.
File Under: 13 Suspicious Incidents
Oliver Sobol giving Polly's cat, Paperbag, a checkup.
| “ | Neither of us was fond of the woman who ran Partial Foods, but lots of people nobody is fond of have sick cats. | ” |
— Lemony Snicket, File Under: 13 Suspicious Incidents
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Pinched Creature/Dishonest Salesman
Polly brings Paperbag to the Sobol veterinary office for a checkup. Oliver Sobol writes her a perscription and escorts them out before discovering his Amaranthine Newt is missing. He suspects Polly of being the thief, but her name is cleared when Snicket finds the real criminal.
Three Suspects
Polly Partial receives a shipment of twenty blueberry pies one night, and in the morning, she finds them all missing. The night before, she saw a man in a road coat loading pies into a van marked with a french horn, so she suspects him. She contacts the police, who arrest three suspects.
Shouldn't You Be in School?
- Polly Partial: You're that Snicket kid.
- Lemony Snicket: And you're that Partial lady. Anyone else here?
Hangfire goes to Partial Foods just as Polly finishes locking the loading dock and organizing prunes, asking if she has any fire. He uses laudanum to drug Polly, who recognizes him from long ago, presumably the unveiling of the Colophon statue. Soon after, Snicket arrives and asks her about Hangfire. They hear the bell ring, and she asks for her mask, but he tells her that she doesn't need it.
Why Is This Night Different from All Other Nights?
- Lemony Snicket: Well, at least your new job gives you time to read. How are you enjoying that?
- Polly Partial: Not so well.
After the Inhumane Society stole Polly's honeydew melons, she lost interest in the store and got hired a Stain'd Station. While there, she gave Sally Murphy the thistle that was part of her uniform in order to help her disguise Lizzie Haines as a porter.
That same night, Snicket arrives and spots her reading a book he dislikes. She doesn't recognize him due to her poor eyesight, and he asks her if he can get onto The Thistle of the Valley. She accidentally informs him that the prison car is in the back of the train, and when he reveals he doesn't have any money, she tells him to leave. He asks where her thistle is, and she fails to lie to him, and then threatens to give away the ending to her book if she doesn't give him a ticket. She stands firm, and he tells her the ending and leaves.
Physical Appearance
Polly Partial is described as looking both very angry and very bored at the same time. She wears a stained smock with a peeled nametag while working at Partial Foods.[1]
Quotes
When Did You See Her Last?
- S. Theodora Markson: I was wondering if you had seen her recently.
- Polly Partial: Hard to say. She looks like any other runaway girl, even if she is from a wealthy family. Is there a reward? With enough money, I could retire and devote myself to raising minks.
- Polly Partial: You can see for yourself what she was wearing. The Knight family always wears black and white, to honor the family business and the paper it's scrawled on. I remember the hat surprised me. It wasn't black and it wasn't white. It looked French.
- S. Theodora Markson: You've been very helpful, Ms. Partial. I'm sure the Knights will thank you.
- Lemony Snicket: Hello. Nice to see you again.
- Polly Partial: I don't remember you.
| “ | Never mind. I'd rather walk back to my supermarket. Good day, Officers. | ” |
— Chapter Five
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Shouldn't You Be in School?
- Polly Partial: What happened?
- Lemony Snicket: That was my question.
- Polly Partial: My mask. It's over by the cash register.
- Lemony Snicket: You don't need it. Nobody does.
Why Is This Night Different from All Other Nights?
- Polly Partial: Don't tell me about the Clusterous Forest. That area used to provide my store with fresh fish, before it became empty and lawless.
- Lemony Snicket: I'm sorry about your business.
- Polly Partial: No one gets aboard that train without a ticket identifying them as a passenger, or a thistle identifying them as an employee.
- Lemony Snicket: Where's your thistle?
| “ | They won't believe a child, a pest and a nuisance. | ” |
— Chapter Two
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Appearances
