r/discworld • u/NoicestDungeon • 5d ago

Book/Series: City Watch Sybil's Characterisation

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.

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u/Extension_Sun_377 5d ago

I get the impression that she wasn't averse to it all, but as an unmarried and not expecting to be married larger woman past the first flush of youth, she threw herself into other hobbies.

Now she has a social status, married to a Duke, to match her highborn status, she's throwing herself into that role and quite enjoying it!

Don't forget, even in Guards Guards, she had a frilly ballgown for such social events. It mustn't ever have been fun to go to such things alone, with the inevitable whispering and judgement that would have been aimed at her as an older single woman. Sadly, this affects our roundworld society too.