Violet is fourteen as A Series of Unfortunate Events begins and turns fifteen in The Grim Grotto, the eleventh book in the series. She is due to inherit the Baudelaire family fortune at age eighteen, which puts pressure on Count Olaf to get ahold of the money as soon as possible.

Violet is the oldest of the Baudelaire orphans: her brother, Klaus, is twelve, and their sister, Sunny, is a baby who has two sharp front teeth and speaks a language only her siblings understand. Like her two siblings and unlike most of the adults in her life, Violet is highly talented, responsible, and capable. She has a special flair and ability for inventing things. Her ingenuity and resourcefulness with invention helps the Baudelaire children escape the clutches of Count Olaf and other evil-minded adults.

Like her two siblings, Violet also has a strong moral compass. She knows right from wrong and acts with integrity according to her solid moral principles. Part of that includes treating others with courtesy and respect. More deeply, it means regarding others with compassion and kindness, as well as acting responsibly towards others. This is a sharp contrast to adults, such as Mr. Poe, who simply wants to get the children off his hands, and Count Olaf and his cronies, who want to use the children for their own gain.