A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking

As a motif, Mona’s insistence that she works with bread, “just bread!” recurs often. She believes that her magical ability is minor, weak, and useless for anything more practical than making dough rise and keeping bread soft. Other characters tell her that her ability is more impressive than she believes and push her to do more with her magic than she initially believes she is capable of.

For instance, when Mona tells Master Gildaen that she works with “just bread,” he retorts that he likewise works with “just water” (166). Yet, he is a respected royal wizard. In their brief conversation, he tries to instill some confidence in her, saying: “You’re not that weak, youngster. Wizards have done more with less” (168). Likewise, when the Duchess tells Mona about the Carex invasion and asks for her help, she assures Mona of her strength, saying: “[W]ithout the use of magic, you have managed to bring down a powerful traitor and recall a negligent ruler to her senses. I shudder to think what you might accomplish with the use of magic” (210). Yet, once again, Mona retorts that she only works with bread.

After this conversation, however, Mona accepts the responsibility to do whatever she can with her abilities and discovers that her power is effective when she puts her mind to it.