Geoffrey Swivel: Difference between revisions

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{{Character Data
{{Character Data
|title= Geoffrey
|title= Geoffrey
|photo=  
|photo=Blank.jpg|
|name= Geoffrey Swivel
|name= Geoffrey Swivel
|age= not given; about 16  
|age= not given; about 16  
Line 11: Line 11:
|parents= Lord Harold and Lady Swivel
|parents= Lord Harold and Lady Swivel
|relatives= b. Harry, b. Hugh
|relatives= b. Harry, b. Hugh
|children=  
|children=
|marital status= single
|marital status= single
|books= {{TSC}}
|books= {{TSC}}
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He arrives just in time to face a massive attack by the [[Elves]] on two fronts and he and Mephistopheles acquit themselves well. He has shown himself capable in the practical elements of Witchcraft and is able to relieve [[Tiffany Aching]] of the second steading in [[Bad Ass]] which has been imposed on her. He impresses King [[Verence II|Verence]] and Queen Magrat enough that they appoint him Royal Ambassador to the [[Sto Plains]] and he is empowered to return home and kick a little sand in his father's face. (Mephistopheles takes the opportunity to plant a kick in the other end.)
He arrives just in time to face a massive attack by the [[Elves]] on two fronts and he and Mephistopheles acquit themselves well. He has shown himself capable in the practical elements of Witchcraft and is able to relieve [[Tiffany Aching]] of the second steading in [[Bad Ass]] which has been imposed on her. He impresses King [[Verence II|Verence]] and Queen Magrat enough that they appoint him Royal Ambassador to the [[Sto Plains]] and he is empowered to return home and kick a little sand in his father's face. (Mephistopheles takes the opportunity to plant a kick in the other end.)
==Character==
Geoffrey's talent for "getting along" and cajoling people into sociability or out of violent behavior recalls [[Tomjon]]'s gift from Magrat and [[Carrot Ironfoundersson]]'s uncanny ability in peacekeeping.
Geoffrey's character exposes a rather significant double standard, not just as held by [[Tiffany Aching]], but in the Discworld series as a whole, namely that despite it being treated as a given that Eskarina can be a wizard despite being a woman, Tiffany outright refuses to acknowledge that Geoffrey is a witch despite being a man, going so far as to scoff at the idea that being "good with goats" is a valid example of witchery despite [[Petulia Gristle]] having become a witch on the sole qualification of being "good with pigs". Given that she herself wasn't meant to be a witch before she took her destiny into her own hands, one would think that Tiffany would be more willing to accommodate Geoffrey's aspirations, especially as he displays numerous qualifications for the job throughout '''{{TSC}}'''. And even though Tiffany eventually relents and allows Geoffrey to take a steading, she still chooses to make up a new title for him to use, rather than allow him to call himself a witch, despite it being a very important aspect of witchery in itself.


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[[Category:Discworld characters]]
[[Category:Discworld characters|Swivel,Geoffrey]]
[[Category:Witches]]
[[Category:Witches|Swivel,Geoffrey]]
[[Category:Tiffany Series characters]]
[[Category:Tiffany Series characters|Swivel,Geoffrey]]
[[de:Gottfried Schwenk]]

Latest revision as of 09:13, 3 August 2018

Geoffrey
Name Geoffrey Swivel
Race Human
Age not given; about 16
Occupation Witch, sort of...and Lancrastian Ambassador
Physical appearance
Residence originally The Shires, then Lancre
Death
Parents Lord Harold and Lady Swivel
Relatives b. Harry, b. Hugh
Children
Marital Status single
Appearances
Books The Shepherd's Crown
Cameos


Given a little more time, there might have been more connection established between Eskarina Smith, the Wizard born into the wrong sex, and Geoffrey Swivel, a Witch born in the wrong sex and place.

Geoffrey becomes not-quite-a-Witch, capable of most of the same functions but relying on a sort of headology based on persuasion rather than Boffo and fear. He has a rather eldritch goat as a companion and protector rather than Esk's staff. (The concept of a familiar hasn't been featured previously in the Discworld chronicles, unless you count Greebo's occasional assistance.)

Origin

Geoffrey's father, Lord Harold Swivel, has managed to revive a family fortune almost dissipated by his father and establish himself in a large country estate in The Shires. He has no respect for education but employs a tutor for his three sons at his wife's behest. Geoffrey, the youngest, is the only one to take an interest and reads prodigiously. When his father dismisses the tutor, he turns to McTavish, an old family retainer in the stables, for education in practical and natural areas.

Career

Geoffrey's fondness for animals, starting with Mephistopheles and nurtured by McTavish, finally clashes with his father's values in a fox-hunting episode and he decides to leave home. He has read about Witches and seen them on broomsticks in the sky and decides that this is his calling. Narrative Causality draws him to Lancre and Granny Weatherwax's cottage. Tiffany passes on Granny Weatherwax's broom to him, after the Dwarfs completely replace everything. He shows quite a facility for broomstick riding, even being able to break the sound barrier, which, on the Discworld, crowds lightspeed as well.

He arrives just in time to face a massive attack by the Elves on two fronts and he and Mephistopheles acquit themselves well. He has shown himself capable in the practical elements of Witchcraft and is able to relieve Tiffany Aching of the second steading in Bad Ass which has been imposed on her. He impresses King Verence and Queen Magrat enough that they appoint him Royal Ambassador to the Sto Plains and he is empowered to return home and kick a little sand in his father's face. (Mephistopheles takes the opportunity to plant a kick in the other end.)

There is no mention of a relationship to Tuppence Swivel. If the very literary Tuppence were part of the family he would be considered a black sheep by Harold.

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