In the recent adaptation of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, the character Arthur Poe is portrayed with a consistent cough. This is never touched on in the Netflix series, but is it explained why he has this cough in the books at all? If so, why?
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7It is my sad duty to inform you that asking for in-universe explanations for ASoUE elements will end in nothing but misery and despair. I'm sorry to have to tell you this. But that is how the story goes.– StandbackMar 6, 2017 at 14:28
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2The character's name Poe evokes comparison with Edgar Allen Poe whose wife died of tuberculosis. Does this suggest a diagnosis of TB for Arthur Poe?– DJohnsonApr 17, 2018 at 11:29
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4 theories: popsugar.co.uk/celebrity/…– A EJul 9, 2018 at 21:50
1 Answer
The children remembered Mr. Poe because he always had a cold and was constantly excusing himself fromthe table to have a fit of coughing in the next room.
The top quote is from Book 1 (The Bad Beginning) and the next is from Book 2 (The Reptile Room).
The driver of the car was Mr. Poe, a family friend who worked at a bank and always had a cough.
It seems he is just sickly, and is constantly at a state of having a cold--which seems like a rather unfortunate event to me. Or he has constant year-round mild allergies and hasn't found a fix for them yet.