Philosophy of Vimes...What a guy!

[shegallivants]

Imagine what Vimes would say at the thought of people discussing his philosophy

I don't feel like searching for the exact quote, but Vimes mentions that if a good reason would do to explain his absence, then he might accept a bad reason too. This idea, I feel, ties in firmly with Vimes' very stark self-awareness and his understanding of how close to his own personal darkness he walks. From this self-knowledge stems his fear and also his fierce self-control. This side-story with Young Sam serves as an interesting terrarium; we can see how afraid Vimes is of descending down that slippery path to damnation, to the point where missing a reading may indicate that he might start to take shortcuts and ease up on himself in everything else.

Ahh... Vimes

[WannabeAngua]

Also love the way he's created an inner watchman to watch the watchman.
Vimes rocks

[spideyGirl]

I Vimes too, I think he is one of the few who can stand up to Vetinari

[flammableben]

I think everybody loves Vimes. I think all the discworld protagonists share a certain self awareness which I guess is a sort of hallmark of pterry's (have I done that right, I'm new) writing style. Vimes does it with the most transparency and development through his books, so I guess that's why he's my favourite.

I guess Granny Weatherwax is the most similar in that, but her darkside (sorry, best word I could think of) of "going bad" is much more mysterious and somewhat of an indescribable terror than Vimes' beast. I can understand why people might like that too though.

They all share it though, from Rincewind's philosophy of running away, Agnes's understanding of her dual personality, to Susan's contemplation on her relationship to death and her parents.

Sorry. I hope I haven't gone too off topic on my first post. I'll leave it there.

It's one of the things I love about the discworld novels though.

[spideyGirl]

welcome flammableben!

These threads ALWAYS go off topic so don't worry about that!

[deldaisy]

WELCOME flammableben!

Don't say sorry ... not for going off topic... not here anyway.... Thats why you find tank pics in the wedding thread or .. or.. or.. nevermind.. too many to list.

[Deinocat]

Do we know much about Vimes's dad? I seem to remember mention of his childhood, whitewashed walls outside because even if you couldn't afford food, you still needed to keep up appearances. And that his dad died fairly early on. But how are his own childhood experiences shaping how he wants to be as a father? forgive me if this was already covered in thud!, been a while since i read it...

[Tonyblack]

There's very little if nothing in the books about Vimes's father, however there is something in the New Discworld Companion:

It is known that he was born in Cockbill Street in the Shades, that his father was Thomas Vimes and his grandfather was Gwillaim Vimes. Membership of the Watch was a family tradition and Samuel claims to have joined the Watch shortly after leaving school. However, since he was actually in his late teens when he became a watchman this means he was either a very slow learner or is delicately avoiding the subject of juvenile street gangs, where he is believed to have picked up some of his fighting techniques.

[dennykay]

re: vimes' father

IMO, in NW, there's a hint that sams father didn't exactly die, i think the quote says something along the lines that vimes asks young sam about his father, and sam says that his mother told him that his father was run over, and vimes thinks "that's what she wants you to think. what a champion liar his mother had been, too."

another thought, a quite critical one, at that. while i absolutely love vimes and he is my favourite character in all the books, one thing that always bothered me was the scene in the unmentionables' watchhouse where they find the people in the cells and vimes "...drew his dagger and without remorse gave...what help he could." how does one justify that?

[Tonyblack]

Vimes is a bit like Granny - he's not a 'nice' person, but he is a 'good' person. I'm trying to remember that exact passage and I think the suggestion is that some of the prisoners where so badly tortured as to be already almost dead. Certainly beyond medical help and probably in a lot of pain. Vimes may have helped them to die as a mercy, but as I say, I can't remember the exact bit.

Vimes would also kill one of the torturers without too much remorse. He knows that sometimes you have to make your own justice. These people might never be punished for their awful crimes, so Vimes might make sure they never commit such crimes again.

It's one of the reasons why Vimes is a much more interesting character than Carrot. Carrot would never do such things, he doesn't have a dark side like Vimes does.

[spideyGirl]

Carrot would never do such things, he doesn't have a dark side like Vimes does.

yet he's good for seeing in the dark

[Tonyblack]

[The Mad Collector]

re: vimes' father

IMO, in NW, there's a hint that sams father didn't exactly die, i think the quote says something along the lines that vimes asks young sam about his father, and sam says that his mother told him that his father was run over, and vimes thinks "that's what she wants you to think. what a champion liar his mother had been, too."

'What's your dad do?' he said, as if he didn't know.
'He passed away a long time ago, sarge,' said Sam. 'When I was little. Run down by a cart when he was crossing the street, our mum said.'
What a champion liar she was, too.
'Sorry to hear that,' said Vimes.

[Tonyblack]

re: vimes' father

IMO, in NW, there's a hint that sams father didn't exactly die, i think the quote says something along the lines that vimes asks young sam about his father, and sam says that his mother told him that his father was run over, and vimes thinks "that's what she wants you to think. what a champion liar his mother had been, too."

'What's your dad do?' he said, as if he didn't know.
'He passed away a long time ago, sarge,' said Sam. 'When I was little. Run down by a cart when he was crossing the street, our mum said.'
What a champion liar she was, too.
'Sorry to hear that,' said Vimes.

I suspect Vimes's dad actually did a runner.

[The Mad Collector]

so do I