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Susan's character is always angry whenever the magical world interferes in her attempts to have a normal life. In Hogfather especially, she opines about how proud she is that she is able to carve out a normal existence.

When Death comes to her, however, he clearly knows that by just implying that he's on a mission of some sort she'll pull herself in and eventually go to the place that he couldn't and save the day. But why doesn't Susan just ignore it? Perhaps a better way to ask this is:

Why was Death so certain that Susan would take up the quest in Hogfather?

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    Why does this need more explanation than Death knowing his own grand daughter well? Commented yesterday
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    @StephenG-HelpUkraine The question is less about what's going on in Death's mind, and more about what it is about Susan who makes her the type of person who will get involved, despite her desire for a normal existence.That is, what does Death know well about his grand daughter? Commented 14 hours ago

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A common theme amongst Pratchett's heroes is their sense of duty. Granny Weatherwax, Sam Vimes, Brutha, Crowley, Moist von Lipwig, Tiffany Aching, and even Rincewind (who once threatened a sourcerer with a half-brick in a sock), all - when push comes to shove (thank you for that mental image, Gytha Ogg) - step up and do the right thing.

In most cases, it's because there's nobody else who can. In some cases it's a sense of superiority, especially Susan and Granny (although it's a sense of superiority which is somewhat justified). Sometimes it's just their job (Moist and Sam).

Just because these heroes answer the call of destiny when it comes for them, it doesn't mean they like it or are happy about it. Susan just wants to live her life as an undercover member of the aristocracy teaching children to be slightly less credulous than their parents.

But, when potentially world-ending events transpire, she can't help but get involved because she can't trust anybody else to solve the problem. Death knows this, because he knew her parents (and the way genetics works on the Disc). She's not going to ignore the problem, but she's going to be furious about having to deal with it.

This is perhaps summed up best by Twyla in Hogfather. "Susan says, 'Don't get scared, get angry!'"

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    It's not just anger, it's indignation. This is not happening on my watch / turf / etc! Commented 23 hours ago
  • Dammit, I know I should be able to get the "thank you for that mental image, Gytha Ogg" reference, but I can't. And yes, I've read all the Discworld novels. Several times. Halp? Commented 12 hours ago
  • I think when he wrote characters written by anger, he was somewhat self-inserting, or at least, having them channel his own emotions about many things. Righteous fury, indignation at people doing wrong, or even just at those who are too ineffectual to do right. But leavened with a deep empathy for even the most blood-boilingly infuriating people. Commented 8 hours ago
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Death managed to entangle Susan in his scheme to rescue the Hogfather by using reverse headology. He explicitly forbade her to get involved, which someone as headstrong and defiant as Susan was bound to ignore.

“She’ll try to find out what this is all about, you know,” said Albert.

OH DEAR.

“Especially after you told her not to.”

YOU THINK SO?

“Yeah,” said Albert.

DEAR ME. I STILL HAVE A LOT TO LEARN ABOUT HUMANS, DON’T I?

He knew that Susan would step up to the mark and deal with Teatime because, frankly, his actions toward the children of the world are monstrous (subjecting them to magical mind control) and Death knows that Susan likes children, as evidenced by her career choices. She's the perfect weapon to aim at Teatime and his crew.

“So now we know where the teeth were,” she said. “They must’ve taken them out of everywhere and carried them downstairs.”

“What for?”

She sighed. “It’s such old magic it isn’t even magic any more,” she said. “If you’ve got a piece of someone’s hair, or a nail clipping, or a tooth—you can control them.”

The oh god tried to focus.

“That heap’s controlling millions of children?”

“Yes. Adults, too, by now.”

“And you…you could make them think things and do things?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

When she finds out what her adversary is actually doing, she's not even incandescent with rage, she's cold and emotionless which is, for Teatime, far worse*

* Fatally worse, as a matter of fact.

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  • But, at the time, Susan didn't know who Teh-ah-tim-eh was, let alone what he was doing. She still marched into the fray based solely on her grandfather's vague comments. Commented yesterday
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    @GeoffAtkins - Good point that man. See edit Commented yesterday
  • That edit significantly improves this answer. Commented 8 hours ago

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