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{{LocationInfobox
 
{{LocationInfobox
  +
|image = <gallery>
|name= Prufrock Prepatory School
 
|image=[[File:Prufrock.png|250px]]
+
File:Prufrock.png|Netflix
 
File:Carmelita Spats (TAA).jpg|Books
|location= Middle of nowhere (possibly the Hinterlands)
 
  +
</gallery>
|residents=
 
 
|name = Prufrock Prepatory School
* [[Vice Principal Nero]]
 
  +
|location = Prufrock (According to [[The Incomplete History of Secret Organizations]])
 
|residents = * [[Vice Principal Nero]]
 
* [[Mrs. Bass]]
 
* [[Mrs. Bass]]
 
* [[Mr. Remora]]
 
* [[Mr. Remora]]
* [[Ms. Tench]]
+
* [[Ms. Tench]]
* [[Carmelita Spats]]
+
* [[Carmelita Spats]] and other students
  +
|owned by = *[[Ishmael]] (formerly, TV series only)
* Students
 
  +
|affiliation = [[Volunteer Fire Department|VFD]] (implied in books, TV series)
|owned by= [[Vice Principal Nero]]
 
 
|type = Boarding School
|affiliation=
 
  +
|fate = Remains closed for many years{{r|The Austere Academy}}
|type= Boarding school
 
|fate= Remains closed for many years {{r|The Austere Academy}}
+
|book appearances = * [[The Austere Academy]]
 
* [[Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography]]
  +
|adaptation appearances = [[A Series of Unfortunate Events (TV series)|Netflix Adaptation]]: [[The Miserable Mill: Part Two]], [[The Austere Academy: Part One]], [[The Austere Academy: Part Two]], [[The Slippery Slope: Part Two]] (cameo), [[The End (episode)|The End]] (mentioned)
 
}}
 
}}
{{Quote|''Memento Mori'' ("remember you will die")|The school motto}}
+
{{Quote|Memento Mori ("remember you will die")|The school motto}}
'''Prufrock Preparatory School''', also known simply as '''Prufrock Prep''', is a gloomy boarding school that serves as the setting for ''[[The Austere Academy]]''.
+
'''Prufrock Preparatory School''', also known simply as '''Prufrock Prep''', is a gloomy and awful boarding school that serves as the setting for ''[[The Austere Academy]]''.
   
  +
Prufrock exemplifies all the very real, horrible and negative aspects about school:
Prufrock exemplifies all the very real, horrible and negative aspects about school: pedantic, biased and strict teachers who play favorites, bullying, awful cafeteria food, tons of stressful homework and exams, boring lessons with material that most students will never actually use in real life (such as constantly measuring objects and memorizing details of stories), etc. The school is likely meant to symbolize a school that is preparing students to die, "killing" their free will and independent thought, and teaching them to become mindless obedient workers who respect and submit to authority.
 
  +
*Pedantic, biased and strict teachers who play favorites
  +
*Bullying
  +
*Awful cafeteria food
  +
*Tons of stressful homework and exams
  +
*Boring lessons with material that most students will never actually use in real life (Klaus had to constantly measure objects. Violet had to memorize the insignificant and unimportant parts of Mr. Remora's boring self-stories such as how many miles a donkey ran)
   
  +
The school also has poor treatment of students with unfortunate backgrounds (i.e. orphans), forcing them to live in a small uncomfortable shack known as the [[Orphans Shack]].
The school is most definitely a [[V.F.D.]]-related place. It is likely that after [[The Schism]], it became controlled by the fire-starting side of the organization.
 
   
  +
The school is likely meant to symbolize a school that is preparing students to die, "killing" their free will and independent thought, and teaching them to become mindless obedient workers who respect and submit to authority.
[[File:FullSchool.png|thumb|250px|The school.]]
 
   
  +
== Description ==
In the TV series, the school is depicted as being located in the middle of nowhere, possibly in [[The Hinterlands|the Hinterlands]]. A fence around the perimeter makes the school reminiscent of a prison.
 
 
{{Quote|Here's a fun bit of trivia. The architect who built this school was severely depressed.|Mr. Poe on the architecture}}The outside entrance is made up of several buildings (32 in the TV series) that resemble tombstones and sits on a brown lawn. A stone archway at the school's entrance is inscribed with the motto "Memento Mori", which is Latin for "Remember You Will Die."
   
  +
Nero's office is in the Administrative building, and the school holds at least two classrooms for the different studies. There is an auditorium where Nero's violin recitals are held, and nearby is a large sports field where pep rallies are held, and where the Baudelaires are forced to do [[S.O.R.E.]]
In the TV series, it mentioned that that the school suffers from budget cuts, which is why [[Vice Principal Nero]] can not afford an administrative assistant without resorting to [[Sunny Baudelaire|child labor]], and why the [[Prufrock Library|library]] is out-of-date.
 
   
  +
The cafeteria is known to serve such meals as a giant lasagna and pasta, with the cafeteria workers masked.{{r|TAA}}
It eventually closes down and goes defunct, after one teacher [[Mrs. Bass]] is arrested for bank robbery.
 
   
  +
The library is described as a pleasant place with comfortable chairs and huge wooden bookshelves. There are brass lamps shaped like different fish, and bright blue curtains to give it an ocean feeling.{{r|LSTUA}}
In the TV series, their mascot is a dead horse as a result of the expression, "You can't beat a dead horse."
 
   
 
The dormitory is a gray building, entirely made of stone and shaped like a big toe. Inside is a huge living room with a brick fireplace, a game room, and a large lending library. Every student has his or her own room, with a bowl of fresh fruit placed there every Wednesday. However, in order to live in the dormitory, a student must have a permission slip with the signature of a parent or guardian. Since the Baudelaires' parents are dead, and their previous guardians are dead or [[Sir|fired them]], they are forced to live in a tin shack.
== Locations ==
 
{{Quote|Here's a fun bit of trivia. The architect who built this school was severely depressed.|Mr. Poe on the architecture}}
 
   
 
In the [[Orphans Shack]], bales of hay serve as beds, tiny crabs scurry around, the wallpaper is horrible, with hearts arranged in an unappealing pattern, and orange fungus oozes from the ceiling.{{r|TAA}}
* Outside entrance: It is made up of several buildings (32 in the TV series) that resemble tombstones and sits on a brown lawn. A stone archway at the school's entrance is inscribed with the motto "Memento Mori", which is Latin for "Remember You Will Die."
 
* Sports field: Where pep rallies are held, and where the Baudelaires are forced to do [[S.O.R.E.]]
 
* Cafeteria: Self-explanatory. The food seen in the series is dismal-looking, and some is even rotten. Something rather disturbing is that a rabbit corpse can be found in the freezer, making one wonder if the school is secretly serving such things in their lunch meat.
 
* Administrative building: Where Nero's office is.
 
* Classrooms: Self-explanatory.
 
* Student dormitory: The dormitory is a gray building, entirely made of stone and shaped like a big toe. Inside is a huge living room with a brick fireplace, a game room, and a large lending library. Every student has his or her own room, with a bowl of fresh fruit placed there every Wednesday. However, in order to live in the dormitory, a student must have a permission slip with the signature of a parent or guardian. Since the Baudelaires' parents are dead, and their previous guardians are dead or [[Sir|fired them]], they are forced to live in a tin shack.
 
* [[Prufrock Library|Library]]: Where Olivia Caliban works.
 
* Auditorium: This is where Nero's violin recitals are held.
 
[[File:OrphanShack.png|thumb|250px|The Orphans Shack.]]
 
* Orphans Shack: A tin shack for orphans. The [[Quagmire Family|Quagmires]] lived there. Bales of hay serve as beds, tiny crabs scurry around, the wallpaper is horrible, with hearts arranged in an unappealing pattern, and orange fungus (green in the TV series) oozes from the ceiling. When the Baudelaires arrive, the Quagmires were "upgraded" to a broom closet.
 
   
  +
===TV Series Divergent Canon===
== Rules and punishments ==
 
  +
It is stated that the designer of the school was severely depressed.{{r|TMM1}}
[[File:SchoolPunishment.png|thumb|250px|Students being punished for tardiness.]]
 
   
  +
When the Baudelaires arrive, the Quagmires were "upgraded" from the Orphans Shack to a broom closet instead of transferred to the dorms. The Orphans Shack was knocked down by Count Olaf during his escape.
  +
 
The cafeteria food is shown to be dismal and disgusting, though it includes horseradish/apple hybrids.{{r|TAA1}} Something rather disturbing is that a rabbit corpse can be found in the freezer, making one wonder if the school is secretly serving such things in their lunch meat.{{r|TAA2}}
  +
  +
The library is not ocean-themed, but rather small and containing outdated books. Nero only allows it to be open for ten minutes per day.{{r|TAA1}} Later, Coach Genghis orders it closed.{{r|TAA2}}
  +
  +
== History ==
  +
[[Vice Principal Nero]] runs the school and forces the students to attend his six-hour violin recitals every night. The classes seem to be split between [[Mrs. Bass]], the math teacher, and [[Mr. Remora]], the language arts teacher, though [[Ms. Tench]] was also listed as a gym teacher.
  +
  +
After Tench's death, Nero hired [[Count Olaf]] in disguise as [[Coach Genghis]], but he fled the school after being revealed by the Baudelaires.{{r|TAA}}
  +
  +
[[Mr. Remora]] (temporarily?) retired after choking on a banana, and [[Kit Snicket|Ms. K]] was hired as his replacement. After [[Mr. Spats|Mr.]] and [[Mrs. Spats]] complained about the books she was assigning to the students, she was fired and promptly kidnapped two orphans. Due to the lack of a Language Arts or Gym teacher, and Mrs. Bass constantly leaving to inspect the bank, Nero usually busied students by having them stare glumly at a camera.{{r|LSTUA}}
  +
 
The school eventually closed down, sometime after Mrs. Bass was arrested for bank robbery.{{r|TAA}}
  +
  +
===VFD Involvement===
  +
One could theorize that the school is probably a [[Volunteer Fire Department|VFD]]-related place. The school notably trains students to be good memorizers and notetakers- two things necessary for volunteers- and the principal is never seen, possibly as they are a Volunteer.{{r|TAA}}
  +
  +
During [[Kit Snicket]]'s temporary teaching position at the school, she also released VFD propaganda to the students in the form of books that would teach them codes and secret information, and abducted ("recruited") at least two children.
  +
  +
It is also revealed that the librarian is a VFD member who delivers messages to potential recruits as well as other volunteers; as [[Lemony Snicket]] was aware enough of this to go to the school for a message, this could imply that the school is known as a VFD-occupied space.{{r|LSTUA}}
  +
  +
[[Duncan Quagmire|Duncan]] and [[Isadora Quagmire]], while doing research into Count Olaf, also came across enough evidence about VFD in the school archives that they had a general grasp on the organization.{{r|TAA|TVV}}
  +
  +
== Classes ==
  +
[[File:Bannedbooks.PNG|thumb|271px|Kit's book list.]]Mrs. Bass's metric system class involved the children measuring random objects and then being tested on their memorization skills.
  +
  +
Mr. Remora's language arts class involved him describing stories of his life and testing the students on the notes they took. After he retired, [[Kit Snicket|Ms. K]] taught VFD books until she was fired. The books she taught included:
  +
  +
* {{w|Beverly Cleary|Cleary, Beverly}}, ''{{w|Ramona Quimby, Age 8}}''
  +
* {{w|Roald Dahl|Dahl, Roald}}, ''{{w|Matilda (novel)|Matilda}}''
  +
* [[Vincent Francis Doyle|Doyle, Vincent Francis]], ''[[Ivan Lachrymose: Lake Explorer]]''
  +
* {{w|Brothers Grimm|Grimm, the Brothers}}, ''Grimm's Fairy Tales''
  +
* {{w|William Henry Hudson|Hudson, W.H.}}, ''{{w|Green Mansions}}''
  +
* {{w|Edgar Allan Poe|Poe, Edgar Allan}}, ''The Coded Poetry of Edgar Allan Poe''
  +
* [[Lena Pukalie|Pukalie, Lena]], ''[[I Lost Something at the Movies]]''
  +
* {{w|J.D. Salinger|Salinger, J.D.}}, ''{{w|Nine Stories (Salinger)|Nine Stories}}''
  +
* [[Sir|Sir (?)]], ''[[The History of Lucky Smells Lumbermill]]''
  +
* [[Lemony Snicket|Snicket, Lemony]], ''[[A Series of Unfortunate Events]]''
  +
* {{w|E.B. White|White, E.B.}}, ''{{w|Charlotte's Web}}''
  +
* {{w|Laura Ingalls Wilder|Wilder, Laura Ingalls}}, ''{{w|Little House in the Big Woods}}''
  +
  +
Ms. Tench was the gym teacher until Coach Genghis took over, in which he ran an exercise program for the orphans.
  +
 
== Rules and Punishments ==
 
[[File:SchoolPunishment.png|thumb|250px|Students being punished for tardiness.]]
 
The school enforces strict discipline and punishments:
 
The school enforces strict discipline and punishments:
   
* If a student is late to the cafeteria, their cups and glasses are taken away and the beverage is served in large puddles.
 
* If a student misses one of Nero's 6-hour violin recitals, they are forced to buy him a large bag of candy and watch him eat it.
 
 
* If anyone is late for class, their hands are tied behind their back during meals. The student must lean down and eat their food like a dog.
 
* If anyone is late for class, their hands are tied behind their back during meals. The student must lean down and eat their food like a dog.
 
* If a student is late to the cafeteria, their cups and glasses are taken away and the beverage is served in large puddles.
 
* If a student goes to the administrative building without an appointment, they are forced to eat their meals without silverware.
 
* If a student goes to the administrative building without an appointment, they are forced to eat their meals without silverware.
 
* If a student misses one of Nero's 6-hour violin recitals, they are forced to buy him a large bag of candy and watch him eat it.
   
  +
===TV Series===
Gym teacher evaluations are worth 51% of a student's grade, meaning if a student isn't very good at doing physical activities and sports, their overall grades can dramatically worsen to the point they may be expelled, which occurred to [[Count Olaf]].
+
Gym teacher evaluations are worth 51% of a student's grade, meaning if a student isn't very good at doing physical activities and sports, their overall grades can dramatically worsen to the point they may be expelled, which occurred to [[Count Olaf]]. For example, if a student is a regular straight-A student in all classes, but has a D in gym, their overall grade can sink to a C.
   
  +
==TV Series Divergent Canon==
== ''The Austere Academy'' ==
 
 
[[File:FullSchool.png|thumb|250px|The school.]]
Prufrock Preparatory School is a school that the [[Baudelaire family|Baudelaires]] attend in ''[[The Austere Academy]]''. [[Klaus Baudelaire|Klaus]] and [[Violet Baudelaire|Violet]] enroll as students while [[Sunny Baudelaire|Sunny]] becomes an administrative assistant to [[Vice Principal Nero]]. Klaus's teacher is [[Mrs. Bass]] and Violet's is [[Mr. Remora]]. There, they meet [[Duncan Quagmire|Duncan]] and [[Isadora Quagmire]], who become their friends, and [[Carmelita Spats]] who bullies them for being orphans.
 
 
In the TV series, the school is depicted as being located in the middle of nowhere, possibly in [[The Hinterlands|the Hinterlands]]. A fence around the perimeter makes the school reminiscent of a prison. It is mentioned that that the school suffers from budget cuts, which is why [[Vice Principal Nero]] can not afford an administrative assistant without resorting to [[Sunny Baudelaire|child labor]], and why the [[Prufrock Library|library]] is out-of-date. Their mascot is a dead horse as a result of the expression, "You can't beat a dead horse."
   
  +
The episode "[[The End (episode)|The End]]" revealed that [[Ishmael]] used to be the principal of Prufrock Preparatory. When he noticed children with a "gleam" in their eye, he would recruit them into V.F.D in order to stand up against the ignorance and injustice in the world, making it a quieter, safer place. (This contradicts book canon, which describes VFD as being several generations old.)
During their stay [[Count Olaf]] disguises himself as a gym teacher named "[[Coach Genghis]]" and hatches a plot to steal their fortune. Although his plan is foiled, the Baudelaires are expelled.
 
 
== After ''The Austere Academy'' ==
 
According to [[Lemony Snicket]]'s autobiography, after the Baudelaires were expelled, [[Kit Snicket]] went to Prufrock Preparatory School disguised as a teacher (Ms. K), replacing [[Mr. Remora]] after he choked on a banana and retired. She had her students read books relating to [[V.F.D.]] [[Vice Principal Nero]] fired her when he read an article in [[The Daily Punctilio]] supposedly given to him by [[Mr. Spats|Mr.]] and [[Mrs. Spats]], that forbade that particular list of books. When Nero informed her of his decision, Kit grabbed two orphaned students by the ankles and ran off, recruiting them into V.F.D. It is unknown who the students were or if they are featured in the books at any point.
 
 
The school shuts down much later after [[Mrs. Bass]] is arrested for bank robbery at [[Mulctuary Money Management]].
 
   
 
== Staff ==
 
== Staff ==
* [[Ishmael]] - Former principal (TV series)
 
* [[Vice Principal Nero]] - Vice principal
 
* [[Mr. Remora]] - Language arts teacher
 
 
* [[Mrs. Bass]] - Metric system teacher
 
* [[Mrs. Bass]] - Metric system teacher
* Miss K ([[Kit Snicket]] disguised, as revealed in [[Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography]]) - Teacher
 
* [[Ms. Tench]] - Previous gym teacher who "fell" out of a third story window
 
* [[Coach Genghis]] ([[Count Olaf]] in disguise) - New gym teacher, briefly
 
* [[White-Faced Women]] - Two cafeteria workers in disguise, briefly
 
* [[Larry the Waiter]] - Cafeteria worker (TV series)
 
 
* [[Sunny Baudelaire]] - Nero's administrative worker and secretary, briefly
 
* [[Sunny Baudelaire]] - Nero's administrative worker and secretary, briefly
 
* [[Coach Genghis]] ([[Count Olaf]] in disguise) - New gym teacher (briefly)
* Librarian (mentioned in ''[[Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography]]'', confirmed [[V.F.D.]] member)
 
  +
* [[Kit Snicket|Ms. K]] - Teacher{{r|LSTUA}}
** In the TV series, the librarian is [[Olivia Caliban]]
 
 
* [[Ishmael]] - Former Chemistry teacher{{r|TE}}
 
* [[Vice Principal Nero]] - Vice principal
 
* [[Mr. Remora]] - Language arts teacher
 
* [[Ms. Tench]] - Gym teacher who "fell" out of a third story window
 
* [[White-Faced Women]] - Two cafeteria workers in disguise (briefly)
  +
* Male Librarian (mentioned in ''[[Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography]]'', confirmed [[Volunteer Fire Department|VFD]] member){{r|LSTUA}}
   
== Students ==
+
===TV Series===
  +
* [[Bald Man with the Long Nose]] - Mascot Performer
[[File:DramaClub.png|thumb|250px|Lemony Snicket and Count Olaf in Prufrock's Drama Club.]]
 
  +
* [[Olivia Caliban]] † - Librarian, Cafeteria Worker
  +
* [[Ishmael]] - Principal
  +
* [[Fernald]] - Mascot Performer
  +
* [[Henchperson of Indeterminate Gender]] - Teacher for indeterminate studies
 
* [[Larry Your-Waiter]] - Cafeteria worker
  +
* [[White-Faced Women]] - Cheerleaders
   
 
== Students ==
* [[Carmelita Spats]]
 
  +
[[File:Stareglumly.PNG|thumb|271px|Prufrock students staring glumly at the camera.]]
* [[Duncan Quagmire]]
 
  +
* [[Klaus Baudelaire]] (Mrs. Bass's student)
* [[Isadora Quagmire]]
 
* [[Violet Baudelaire]] (briefly)
+
* [[Violet Baudelaire]] (Mr. Remora's student)
* [[Klaus Baudelaire]] (briefly)
+
* [[Duncan Quagmire]] (Mr. Remora's student)
 
* [[Isadora Quagmire]] (Mrs. Bass's student)
* Unnamed students
 
* [[Count Olaf]] (former student, revealed in TV series)
+
* [[Carmelita Spats]] (Mr. Remora's student)
  +
* Two orphans who are kidnapped and recruited into VFD{{r|LSTUA}}
* [[Lemony Snicket]] (former student, revealed in TV series)
 
  +
* Several other unnamed students
 
* [[Jacques Snicket]] (former student, revealed in TV series)<ref>Ishmael mentions in The End that he taught all the Snicket children.</ref>
 
* [[Kit Snicket]] (former student, revealed in TV series)
 
   
  +
===TV Series===
* [[Larry the Waiter]] (former student, revealed in TV series)
 
  +
formerly:
  +
* [[Count Olaf]] †{{r|TMM2}}
  +
* [[Jacques Snicket]] †{{r|TETV}}
  +
* [[Lemony Snicket]]{{r|TMM2}}
  +
* [[Kit Snicket]] †{{r|TETV}}
  +
* [[Larry Your-Waiter]] †{{r|TAA1}}
   
 
== Trivia ==
 
== Trivia ==
 
* The school is named after "J. Alfred Prufrock" of {{w|T. S. Eliot}}'s ''{{w|The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock}}''.
 
* The school is named after "J. Alfred Prufrock" of {{w|T. S. Eliot}}'s ''{{w|The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock}}''.
 
* In the TV series, it is mentioned the school was founded by [[Sir Barrymore Feint]]. "Barrymore" may be a nod to producer [[Barry Sonnenfeld]]. "Feint" may be an allusion to [[Ellington Feint]] and [[Armstrong Feint]].
 
* In the TV series, it is mentioned the school was founded by [[Sir Barrymore Feint]]. "Barrymore" may be a nod to producer [[Barry Sonnenfeld]]. "Feint" may be an allusion to [[Ellington Feint]] and [[Armstrong Feint]].
* There is a contradiction introduced in ''[[Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography]]'', where we see a letter written by [[Vice Principal Nero]] that was written after ''Series of Unfortunate Events'' was published in-universe, and in ''The Austere Academy'', Lemony Snicket claims that Prufrock Preparatory has closed down, meaning that Nero could not have sent the letter with the picture of the students, who shouldn't have been there due to the school being closed.
 
** Also, the existence and content of the letter proves that Nero, Remora, Bass, and Carmelita survived the [[Hotel Denouement]] Fire, although it does not mention it directly.
 
   
== Appearances ==
+
== Appearances  ==
  +
{{AppearanceBooks|TWW = m|TMM = m|TSS = m|TAA = debut|TEE = m|LSTUA = yes}}
  +
{{AppearanceAdaptations|TMM2 = debut|TAA1 = yes|TAA2 = yes|TSS2 = cam|TPP1 = cam|TE2019 = m}}
  +
*[[The Wide Window]] (indirectly mentioned)
 
* ''[[The Austere Academy]]''
 
* ''[[The Austere Academy]]''
 
* ''[[Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography]]'' (mentioned)
 
* ''[[Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography]]'' (mentioned)
Line 112: Line 164:
 
** ''[[The Austere Academy: Part One]]''
 
** ''[[The Austere Academy: Part One]]''
 
** ''[[The Austere Academy: Part Two]]''
 
** ''[[The Austere Academy: Part Two]]''
 
== References ==
 
<references />{{reflist}}
 
   
 
== Gallery ==
 
== Gallery ==
Line 124: Line 173:
 
Violin-player.jpg|Nero playing violin.
 
Violin-player.jpg|Nero playing violin.
 
Tumblr lnvknwqx9f1qzkk37o1 500.jpg|The Quagmires being abducted.
 
Tumblr lnvknwqx9f1qzkk37o1 500.jpg|The Quagmires being abducted.
  +
Stareglumly.PNG|Prufrock Students staring glumly at a camera.
  +
Bannedbooks.PNG|Ms. K's (banned) reading list.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
   
=== TV series ===
+
=== TV Series ===
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
 
PrufrockEmblem.png|Emblem.
 
PrufrockEmblem.png|Emblem.
Line 136: Line 187:
 
FiveOrphans.png|The Baudelaires and Quagmires in the library.
 
FiveOrphans.png|The Baudelaires and Quagmires in the library.
 
NeroFaster.gif|Nero's office.
 
NeroFaster.gif|Nero's office.
  +
Prufrocksportsteam.png|Sports Team.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
   
==== Brochures ====
+
==== '''Brochures''' ====
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
 
Brochure1.png
 
Brochure1.png
Line 144: Line 196:
 
Brochure3.png
 
Brochure3.png
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  +
[[Category:Schools]]
 
  +
== Sources ==
[[Category:Prufrock Preparatory School|*]]
 
 
{{reflist}}
  +
[[Category:ASOUE]]
 
[[Category:TAA]]
 
[[Category:TAA]]
 
[[Category:Buildings]]
 
[[Category:Buildings]]
 
[[Category:Businesses and institutions]]
 
[[Category:Businesses and institutions]]
  +
[[Category:TIHOSO]]
  +
[[Category:LSTUA]]
 
[[Category:Locations]]
 
[[Category:Locations]]
 
[[Category:Locations visited by the Baudelaire children]]
 
[[Category:Locations visited by the Baudelaire children]]
 
[[Category:Locations visited by Lemony Snicket]]
 
[[Category:Locations visited by Lemony Snicket]]
[[Category:ASOUE]]
+
[[Category:Prufrock Preparatory School|*]]
 
[[Category:Schools]]
  +
[[Category:VFD]]
  +
[[Category:VFD places]]

Revision as of 20:30, 9 December 2019

Memento Mori ("remember you will die")
 
— The school motto

Prufrock Preparatory School, also known simply as Prufrock Prep, is a gloomy and awful boarding school that serves as the setting for The Austere Academy.

Prufrock exemplifies all the very real, horrible and negative aspects about school:

  • Pedantic, biased and strict teachers who play favorites
  • Bullying
  • Awful cafeteria food
  • Tons of stressful homework and exams
  • Boring lessons with material that most students will never actually use in real life (Klaus had to constantly measure objects. Violet had to memorize the insignificant and unimportant parts of Mr. Remora's boring self-stories such as how many miles a donkey ran)

The school also has poor treatment of students with unfortunate backgrounds (i.e. orphans), forcing them to live in a small uncomfortable shack known as the Orphans Shack.

The school is likely meant to symbolize a school that is preparing students to die, "killing" their free will and independent thought, and teaching them to become mindless obedient workers who respect and submit to authority.

Description

Here's a fun bit of trivia. The architect who built this school was severely depressed.
 
— Mr. Poe on the architecture

The outside entrance is made up of several buildings (32 in the TV series) that resemble tombstones and sits on a brown lawn. A stone archway at the school's entrance is inscribed with the motto "Memento Mori", which is Latin for "Remember You Will Die."

Nero's office is in the Administrative building, and the school holds at least two classrooms for the different studies. There is an auditorium where Nero's violin recitals are held, and nearby is a large sports field where pep rallies are held, and where the Baudelaires are forced to do S.O.R.E.

The cafeteria is known to serve such meals as a giant lasagna and pasta, with the cafeteria workers masked.[1]

The library is described as a pleasant place with comfortable chairs and huge wooden bookshelves. There are brass lamps shaped like different fish, and bright blue curtains to give it an ocean feeling.[2]

The dormitory is a gray building, entirely made of stone and shaped like a big toe. Inside is a huge living room with a brick fireplace, a game room, and a large lending library. Every student has his or her own room, with a bowl of fresh fruit placed there every Wednesday. However, in order to live in the dormitory, a student must have a permission slip with the signature of a parent or guardian. Since the Baudelaires' parents are dead, and their previous guardians are dead or fired them, they are forced to live in a tin shack.

In the Orphans Shack, bales of hay serve as beds, tiny crabs scurry around, the wallpaper is horrible, with hearts arranged in an unappealing pattern, and orange fungus oozes from the ceiling.[1]

TV Series Divergent Canon

It is stated that the designer of the school was severely depressed.[3]

When the Baudelaires arrive, the Quagmires were "upgraded" from the Orphans Shack to a broom closet instead of transferred to the dorms. The Orphans Shack was knocked down by Count Olaf during his escape.

The cafeteria food is shown to be dismal and disgusting, though it includes horseradish/apple hybrids.[4] Something rather disturbing is that a rabbit corpse can be found in the freezer, making one wonder if the school is secretly serving such things in their lunch meat.[5]

The library is not ocean-themed, but rather small and containing outdated books. Nero only allows it to be open for ten minutes per day.[4] Later, Coach Genghis orders it closed.[5]

History

Vice Principal Nero runs the school and forces the students to attend his six-hour violin recitals every night. The classes seem to be split between Mrs. Bass, the math teacher, and Mr. Remora, the language arts teacher, though Ms. Tench was also listed as a gym teacher.

After Tench's death, Nero hired Count Olaf in disguise as Coach Genghis, but he fled the school after being revealed by the Baudelaires.[1]

Mr. Remora (temporarily?) retired after choking on a banana, and Ms. K was hired as his replacement. After Mr. and Mrs. Spats complained about the books she was assigning to the students, she was fired and promptly kidnapped two orphans. Due to the lack of a Language Arts or Gym teacher, and Mrs. Bass constantly leaving to inspect the bank, Nero usually busied students by having them stare glumly at a camera.[2]

The school eventually closed down, sometime after Mrs. Bass was arrested for bank robbery.[1]

VFD Involvement

One could theorize that the school is probably a VFD-related place. The school notably trains students to be good memorizers and notetakers- two things necessary for volunteers- and the principal is never seen, possibly as they are a Volunteer.[1]

During Kit Snicket's temporary teaching position at the school, she also released VFD propaganda to the students in the form of books that would teach them codes and secret information, and abducted ("recruited") at least two children.

It is also revealed that the librarian is a VFD member who delivers messages to potential recruits as well as other volunteers; as Lemony Snicket was aware enough of this to go to the school for a message, this could imply that the school is known as a VFD-occupied space.[2]

Duncan and Isadora Quagmire, while doing research into Count Olaf, also came across enough evidence about VFD in the school archives that they had a general grasp on the organization.[1][6]

Classes

Bannedbooks

Kit's book list.

Mrs. Bass's metric system class involved the children measuring random objects and then being tested on their memorization skills.

Mr. Remora's language arts class involved him describing stories of his life and testing the students on the notes they took. After he retired, Ms. K taught VFD books until she was fired. The books she taught included:

Ms. Tench was the gym teacher until Coach Genghis took over, in which he ran an exercise program for the orphans.

Rules and Punishments

SchoolPunishment

Students being punished for tardiness.

The school enforces strict discipline and punishments:

  • If anyone is late for class, their hands are tied behind their back during meals. The student must lean down and eat their food like a dog.
  • If a student is late to the cafeteria, their cups and glasses are taken away and the beverage is served in large puddles.
  • If a student goes to the administrative building without an appointment, they are forced to eat their meals without silverware.
  • If a student misses one of Nero's 6-hour violin recitals, they are forced to buy him a large bag of candy and watch him eat it.

TV Series

Gym teacher evaluations are worth 51% of a student's grade, meaning if a student isn't very good at doing physical activities and sports, their overall grades can dramatically worsen to the point they may be expelled, which occurred to Count Olaf. For example, if a student is a regular straight-A student in all classes, but has a D in gym, their overall grade can sink to a C.

TV Series Divergent Canon

FullSchool

The school.

In the TV series, the school is depicted as being located in the middle of nowhere, possibly in the Hinterlands. A fence around the perimeter makes the school reminiscent of a prison. It is mentioned that that the school suffers from budget cuts, which is why Vice Principal Nero can not afford an administrative assistant without resorting to child labor, and why the library is out-of-date. Their mascot is a dead horse as a result of the expression, "You can't beat a dead horse."

The episode "The End" revealed that Ishmael used to be the principal of Prufrock Preparatory. When he noticed children with a "gleam" in their eye, he would recruit them into V.F.D in order to stand up against the ignorance and injustice in the world, making it a quieter, safer place. (This contradicts book canon, which describes VFD as being several generations old.)

Staff

TV Series

Students

Stareglumly

Prufrock students staring glumly at the camera.

TV Series

formerly:

Trivia

Appearances 



Gallery

Books

TV Series

Brochures

Sources