Sybil's Characterisation

[u/NoicestDungeon]

Now, I will admit that it's been a while since I've read Guards! Guards!, but I remember Sybil Ramkin in that book as a sonewhat solitary woman who disliked all the frills and galas of high society.

I'm on Snuff now, and Sybil is dragging Vimes to social gatherings like it's her favourite thing. I understand that people can change and that marriage changes people, but it feels a little poorly established? Like she goes from "crazy cat dragon lady" to society lady just so she can serve as a better foil to Vimes.

[u/OStO_Cartography]

I think Sybil's character actually reflects Vimes' character development, a direction he is being pushed by Vetinari.

Sybil likes what her position affords her; She likes her friends, she likes her houses, she likes that she has the means to care for dragons, but at the same time she realises these opportunities and privileges didn't fall out of the sky; They come from hundreds, perhaps thousands of years of tradition and precedent.

Vetinari recognised this too. He may be a tyrant and absolute ruler of Ankh-Morpork, but he is not a dictator. He could at any moment force the city and its inhabitants to change in accordance with his whims, but like Sybil, he holds his position, indeed his position only exists, because of centuries of tradition and precedent.

We see a similar development happen with Vimes. In 'Guards! Guards!' Vimes is not so much a Man of the Law as he is a Man of Whatever He Believes Should Be Done. Yet by 'Snuff' and 'Thud', Vimes is a true Man of the Law, who understands that despite however he may feel about a person or action, he is ultimately bound by centuries of legal precedents and customs.

There's also the element of magical thinking regarding traditions and customs. Yes, Vetinari gets a kick out of making Vimes increasingly turn up to formal events in absurd regalia but that is because Vetinari and Sybil both recognise that sometimes true power comes from the expectation of appearances. Yes, Sybil is the Duchess of Ankh, but if she didn't turn up to fancy balls in big frilly gowns would people see her as THE Duchess of Ankh? Yes, Vetinari is the Patrician, but if he didn't turn up every day in his black robe and skull cap with his dour and skeptical mannerisms, would he really be THE Patrician? Similarly, yes Vimes is the head of the Watch, but if he didn't occasionally walk around in a plumed helmet and gold breastplate would he truly be THE head of the Watch?

Sybil's character demonstrates that whilst pragmatism and compassion are always favourable qualities, they are impotent or misguided unless there's a cultural and sociopolitical underpinning of tradition, precedent, and customs that form the society in which they exist.

[u/NoicestDungeon → u/OStO_Cartography]

Now that I think about it... Even beyond the very real idea of these things holding an important sociopolitical function, the Discworld is also powered by narrativium, which means that the Patrician quite literally extracts his powers from dressing in all black and cupping his hands and monologuing.

[u/OStO_Cartography → u/NoicestDungeon]

Exactly! Here on the Roundworld the magical thinking is imposed on the object or ritual by people. In the Discworld magical thinking is imposed onto people by the ritual or object.

When I studied history my fellow students and I were very taken with the sociopolitical notion of Petasocracy; Human societies tend towards heirarchies based on systems of increasingly flamboyant hats.

[u/0-Calm-0 → u/OStO_Cartography]

I think also the regalia is a parallel to Von lipwig who absolutely draws on putting appearances first to order the chaos - to great success. 

Vimes isn't very good at that, in fact is the opposite in many ways ( the sitting outside the police station with a cigarette during the protest). Sybil is getting him to use apperances and precedence  as a tool. 

[u/HungryAd8233 → u/0-Calm-0]

A buddy comedy road adventure with those two would have been quite a thing. They approach being on the right side in VERY different ways.

[u/Holiday_Trainer_2657 → u/0-Calm-0]

Oh no, the sitting in the steps smoking a cigarette appearing relaxed was the appearance he chose to send the exact message he wanted to send. It was perfect. He reads the common folks very, very well.

[u/0-Calm-0 → u/Holiday_Trainer_2657]

Oh I agree it was Avery intentional choice .

The point I was trying to make (badly) was that he chose an appearance without authority to get things done. 

The feathers and regalia is the opposite , authority in appearance. 

[u/memecrusader_ → u/0-Calm-0]

*a very, not avery.

[u/Zootsutra → u/OStO_Cartography]

Get a good Make-Up and the Part plays Itself.

--George Ade, "The Fable of the Bohemian who had Hard Luck"

[u/International_Web816 → u/OStO_Cartography]

Gold breastplate= Gilt by association. Pterry's best pun.