TMOH

DISCWORLD HEADCANON:

Carcer’s prisoner number, during his last (very brief) stay in the Tanty, was 10642.

ankhmorporkuniversity:

1. Drunken bar brawl, from this creepy guy with a massive grin and so many knives…

2. They are indeed. They share a flat in town with Tawnee.

3 (and 5 I guess). Susan’s grandad is actually one of the Deans of the university (you could say he’s in charge of part of their “universe”, geddit?). Susan has worked very very hard to make sure that no one knows that they’re related, but Teatime, that nosy little shit, has worked it out. 

4. A lot of real life universities have Assassins Guilds where you’re given “targets” within the Guild who you have to try and sneak up on and kill inhume using weapons like water pistols - everyone has a target and everyone is someone else’s target. (the rules and activities are probably different from uni to uni but that’s the general gist). AMU Guild members are known for taking it far too seriously. Notable members include Havelock Vetinari (the others find it hilarious but he refuses to be embarrassed by it because he’s the best fucking assassin in the guild dammit - anyone who gets him as a target just gives up because its pretty much impossible to sneak up on him), Downey and Jonathan Teatime.

idle fandom thoughts to calm my brain at 2 am

So what exactly is the state of gender equality in the Morporkian-speaking world? What I can remember off the top of my head: On the one hand, it seems to be perfectly socially acceptable for women to join the Watch, and they definitely serve on equal terms with the men…but on the other hand, it’s made very clear that those same Watchwomen have to deal with a lot of sexist crap, especially at first.  We’re told that it’s unseemly for ladies to wear trousers, but when they do it’s just kind of odd and not riot-inducing.  Based on what we’ve heard Magrat say and what Adora and Gladys read, there’s at least a small number of people writing about feminist issues…which also means the culture they’re living in has attitudes worth opposing.  Lots of talk about “getting a girl into trouble” in Guards! Guards! and I think other books?  The booklet that comes with the Mapp has an anecdote about art that can only be viewed by “respectable gentlemen and married ladies over thirty” so at least among wealthy folks ladies have stupid Victorian expectations re: “innocence”.  In Soul Music there’s only the one good school for girls and its purpose is described as “something to occupy them until they get married” and later on in Hogfather Susan thinks about how being aristocratic and educated means “governess” is the only job open to her.  The Gordon sisters in Snuff have been raised to think it’s horribly scandalous to work in any kind of trade (though Hermione being a lumberjack is especially bad) but apparently their mom doesn’t agree with that viewpoint, so where did they learn it?  Vimes tells them to train as nurses so they can marry a doctor—is that just his individual prejudice talking, or do most people think like that?  I could’ve sworn the same book mentioned that Lawn’s taking female medical students now…and that that’s a new and surprising thing.  Also there we have minimum of 2 female magistrates…not sure how exactly they got the position, but nobody seems to think it’s at all unusual and they appear to wield a lot of power.  Lots of female heads of state—Baroness Ella, Queen Keli, Lady Margolotta—but all from the nobility and mostly born to the position.  Barbarian heroines exist in early books (Conina, Herrena, Liessa, the retired one in Last Hero whose name I can’t recall right now) but they’re narratively obligated to be stereotypically attractive, though adventuring-sensible clothing is usually allowed.

basically I think we’re looking at a state of affairs that’s “1980s-2010s English-speaking world” or “pseudo-Medieval-thru-Renaissance fantasy novel” or “vaguely Victorian” as it suits the plot and the setting of the individual book

but it’s still pretty confusing from a fanfic perspective…like, what kinds of jobs do little girls growing up in different decades of the Fruitbat/Anchovy see themselves having vs. what’s never really presented as an option for them?  what kinds of things are the activists Adora reads fighting for, and what don’t people think is an issue (what sexist ideas are so engrained most people don’t question then and what, if anything, is so equitable it’s a non-issue?).  what would it be like to be a single mom at different points in the timeline? or an unmarried, independent, working woman? how would that change depending on class status? geography? species? how have people’s attitudes toward the Seamstresses changed over time, if they have at all?  do most religions advocate the Victorian “separate spheres” thing, or some other strict gender-role division, or none at all?

i just have so many questions

The Witch of Ankh Morpork; Drabble

friendlytroll:

It wasn’t so much that no one had wanted the privy; this was Ankh Morpork, and people would if not actually fight one another then at least trip another man for a chance to rent so much as a hall closet. It was rather more that no one had thought to ask. In the bustling, thrumming heart of the big Wahooni, a growing industry was Striking Out On Your Own, and being any good at it required nerve, boots that could be used to keep a door from slamming, and if at all possible, a complete lack of shame. 

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This is marvelous and all the Discworld people I know should read it.

marvelous

I like pretty much every character in the entire Discworld series in some fashion, and I surely do admire every one of the protagonists, but I actually identify with Malicia Grim, Ted Flutter, and Corporal Ping.  Especially Ping.

I doubt this says anything good about me.