# Discworld: who/what doesn't have a soul? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 14, 2004, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-who-what-doesnt-have-a-soul/269134 "2004-10-14T01:00:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-who-what-doesnt-have-a-soul/269134/21 "2004-10-15T23:13:08Z")
It pays the bills? Though I haven’t read **Going Postal** yet, it seems to me that the Igor situation isn’t that far removed from a professional engineer or writer or whoever who takes a well-paying but unchallening job because of some other prevaling need, like the bills. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-who-what-doesnt-have-a-soul/269134/22 "2004-10-16T00:08:56Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > It pays the bills? > > Though I haven’t read **Going Postal** yet, it seems to me that the Igor situation isn’t that far removed from a professional engineer or writer or whoever who takes a well-paying but unchallening job because of some other prevaling need, like the bills. Except, if Igors are in such high demand that employing one is a status symbol (as it seem to be in _Going Postal_) then they could pick and choose which employers to work with. Besides which, Igors have never seemed to be motivated by money before. ---
**Author:** ![mkl12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@mkl12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkl12)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-who-what-doesnt-have-a-soul/269134/23 "2004-10-16T00:51:18Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Except, if Igors are in such high demand that employing one is a status symbol (as it seem to be in _Going Postal_) then they could pick and choose which employers to work with. Besides which, Igors have never seemed to be motivated by money before. Gilt is all about the show. Looking like a pirate probably isn’t something other rich people in Ankh-Morpork do, either. He wants to be mysterious and scary. An Igor is just right for that. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-who-what-doesnt-have-a-soul/269134/24 "2004-10-16T01:08:50Z")
> [@mkl12](#): > > Gilt is all about the show. Looking like a pirate probably isn’t something other rich people in Ankh-Morpork do, either. He wants to be mysterious and scary. An Igor is just right for that. You’re missing my point: _why would the Igor go along with it?_ ---
**Author:** ![mkl12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@mkl12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkl12)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-who-what-doesnt-have-a-soul/269134/25 "2004-10-16T01:30:13Z")
Because the Igors aren’t picky about their employers. But only certain people _want_ to employ an Igor. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-who-what-doesnt-have-a-soul/269134/26 "2004-10-16T01:42:17Z")
> [@mkl12](#): > > Because the Igors aren’t picky about their employers. I don’t think that’s true. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-who-what-doesnt-have-a-soul/269134/27 "2004-10-16T02:51:27Z")
I think Pterry still hasn’t worked the kinks out of the Igors yet. They are new (since _Carpe Jugulam_) and he is still trying to integrate them into the cast. Trying a bit too hard, in my opinion. **Miller** is correct :eek: , the part should have been written for a regular butler-type, not an Igor. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-who-what-doesnt-have-a-soul/269134/28 "2004-10-16T12:14:00Z")
> [@](#): > > That’s exactly my problem: he has an Igor because it’s a form of conspicuous consumption. That just doesn’t jibe with how Pratchett has written the Igors previously. I haven’t got _Going Postal_ yet, but note that Discworld is not static – things change over time. Hence, it’s not surprising that once Igors came on the scene, they would gain in popularity. At least, among a certain class of folks. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-who-what-doesnt-have-a-soul/269134/29 "2004-10-16T22:05:32Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > And I kinda wish he’d cut it out. It seems like you can’t get a Discworld novel without a Death cameo somewhere nowadays. Cheapens the whole experience. HELLO. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND YOU HUMANS. WHAT IS THIS ‘CAMEO’ TO WHICH YOU REFER? (Death of Rats enters stage left + squeaks) OH. I SEE. WELL, IT’S REALLY VERY SIMPLE. THERE IS A LOT OF WHAT YOU CALL ‘DYING’ ON THE DISCWORLD. SINCE I LIKE TO KEEP AN EYE ON SUCH THINGS, YOU WILL FIND ME POPPING UP REGULARLY. LET ME ADD THAT YOU HAVEN’T HAD THE ‘WHOLE’ EXPERIENCE UNTIL YOU’VE MET ME. IF YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-who-what-doesnt-have-a-soul/269134.md?page=1)