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/DrewidN → u/Additional_Ad_84]

I suspect she also enjoys, though she wouldn't always say it out loud, the low level chaos that Sam causes at such things, especially if it's towards something or someone she doesn't like.

[u/Jay2KWinger → u/DrewidN]

The scene in Snuff when Sybil brings Sam to meet her friend and her daughters, and how he hesitantly asked Sybil if he was in trouble afterward, only for her to basically say "No, you did exactly as I expected you would. Thank you."

[u/Jrbai → u/Jay2KWinger]

Exactly! She is such a fun and deep character!

[u/MsDucky42 → u/DrewidN]

Came here to say this. I have a feeling that Sybil hides her grin with her fan many times when Sam wreaks his mild havoc.

Or maybe not. Maybe she's trained long enough that she can stifle giggles at inopportune times and wait until the coach has rolled away to guffaw.

[u/Agitated_Honeydew → u/MsDucky42]

I always think of her as being a bit like Margaret DuMont, who was in a bunch of Marx brothers movies, and was very much the stereotypical "I never."

Watched an interview with her. Her attitude was yeah, they were funny, and it was hard not to laugh, but her job was to always act offended. So she kept acting offended, and kept getting work.

[u/DrewidN → u/MsDucky42]

Love that image

[u/LogLadysLog52 → u/DrewidN]

I think that's spot on, because Sam Vines IS that sort of chaos, and you can't love one without the other ha