As Miss Tiffany Aching matures, she faces more adult challenges. She has realized that she is a social worker as well as a healthcare worker and that both are demanding roles. As she says at one point in the book, sometimes there are no good choices, just choices.
She must also learn to take care of herself first. Like they say in airline safety talks, put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others. She's going to need more than naps and snacks if she's to be the Chalk's witch. I don't know about you, but my mother had a similar philosophy about sleep. “Go to bed,” she would say, “and things will look better in the morning.” I most often found this to be true, as we need sleep as a mood stabilizer and refresher. And I know many people who get hangry if not fed and watered regularly, myself among them.
Additionally, Pratchett shows us the ease with which people can be convinced of totally false ideas when the zeitgeist is right. There are always gullible people out there or people who want to do harm or those who are looking for someone to blame for their troubles. It's difficult to combat, but we must give it our best effort.
One of Tiffany's best characteristics is her ability to see the good qualities in the people around her and she makes those folks into friends and allies. It's good to see this positive side of a very young woman who has allowed herself to get worn down and bossy. Thankfully she recognizes that she has been condescending to those around her and that she must adjust her attitude and fix her own mess. I wish I had been so sensible at sixteen!
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