47 pages • 1 hour read
Nita ProseThe Mystery Guest: A Maid Novel
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2023A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
The majority of the novel is structured with chapters alternating between flashbacks and the primary plotline. What benefit does this rapidly alternating shift have on the story?
Choose at least two of Gran’s aphorisms and analyze their deeper meanings. What do these sayings indicate about her character?
The end of the novel reveals that Cheryl is staying on as a maid and improving her job performance. What bigger idea does this transformation illustrate, and how does it reflect on Molly’s character?
How does Mr. Preston’s life story fit the theme of The Value of Unnoticed Work? How does his revelation at the end characterize the nature of his unsung “work” throughout the novel?
The LAMBS are a group of fans who create their own dynamic, but their interactions are fraught with jealousy, backbiting, and squabbling. How do their interactions reflect negative aspects of The Struggle to Belong?
When Molly looks at Lily, she says, “It’s like seeing my old self in a mirror” (132). What function does Lily have in the story? What purpose might the author have for including a character who is so similar to the protagonist?
Detective Stark offers Molly a job as a detective at the end of the novel. How would working under the jurisdiction of the police department affect the development of Molly’s character? Would it hamper or help her inclination to enact justice? Use examples from the text to support your interpretation.
What role does Angela play in the novel? Is her character necessary to Molly’s happiness or her success in solving the crime? Why or why not?
Analyze two of Gran’s “darker” stories about the dangers of being a maid. How do these stories obliquely indicate negative experiences that she herself may have had? How do these stories relate to her employment at the Grimthorpe mansion?
Molly’s boyfriend Juan Manuel is out of the country for all but the final chapter. What function does his absence serve? How might the narrative have changed if he were present for the events of the novel?
