Maid Uniform

Molly’s maid uniform symbolizes her inability to define a sense of self. At the beginning of the novel, she describes the dress as a source comfort that informs how she acts and speaks. By donning the pre-prescribed garb of the maid, Molly does not have to make decisions about clothing that would inform her individual personality. The uniform mirrors the character’s donning of language and behavior that is defined in hotel training seminars.

Dirt

The author uses dirt to symbolize immorality. Molly’s is constantly cleaning in an attempt to abet her own feelings of guilt and inferiority. She believes that if she can remove the physical dirt from her life she will be a morally upstanding person. Later in the novel, the physical dirt that the drug traffickers leave in the hotel rooms is a visual mirror to their immoral activities.

The Hourglass