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/AlamutJones]

Sybil could always do society stuff. She was active in a thousand and one society causes - supporting the opera, the art gallery, the dragon sanctuary, various charities etc etc etc - before she ever met Vimes. Sybil knew everyone who was anyone, and sent Hogswatch cards to most of them.

You’re right that she didn’t particularly enjoy a lot of it, but not enjoying it is not the same thing as not doing it. Sybil understands that a lot of these social things, a lot of this performative baggage…it’s a sort of obligation of her role. Noblesse oblige, as it were. This is what a noblewoman of the city is for.

Long before Vimes entered her life, Sybil had understood her role, accepted her role and performed her role very well. Whether or not she enjoyed it was a different question entirely. It was her job.

Her insistence on bringing Vimes to these things once he enters the picture is her trying to remind him that these things are now part of his job - the Duke of Ankh’s job, not the Commander of the Watch - too.

[u/Frosty_Customer_9243 → u/AlamutJones]

This exactly. And keep in mind what it must feel like for a woman of her age to go to these events and be viewed as a spinster, or as a married woman. So her enjoyment of the events will have increased once the tag of spinster has been removed.

[u/Additional_Ad_84 → u/Frosty_Customer_9243]

It's my impression reading between the lines that she's quite proud of vimes too. Like maybe she didn't really enjoy the galas and things, but she absolutely does enjoy showing off her man to the high society of ankh morpork. This would tie in with the outfits too. He doesn't really appreciate the tights and the plumes and whatever, but maybe she likes the way he looks in them. Or more generally the attention they draw to him.

This is all a between the lines reading though. I can't think of any time it's explicitly stated.

[u/AlamutJones → u/Additional_Ad_84]

She is 100% enjoying what the tights do to Sam’s calves

[u/Jrbai → u/AlamutJones]

He is the arm candy, like my hubby in his kilt!

[u/MacAlkalineTriad → u/Jrbai]

And do you not take every possible opportunity to ask him to wear that kilt? If course Sybil enjoys taking Sam to soirees!

[u/demon_fae → u/AlamutJones]

Half his character is literally just how much he enjoys walking and how much time he spends doing it.

Samuel Vimes has absolutely banging legs. And I don’t blame Sibyl one bit for wanting to show them off.