Conflict In Sherman Alexie's 'Clean, Cleaner, Cleanest'

Sherman Alexie’s “Clean, Cleaner, Cleanest,” is a story about a woman named Marie and the pain she experienced throughout the time she worked as a maid at a motel. Marie chooses to use medical terms rather than cruder when exemplifying her various encounters. Marie says that by doing so helps her to, “think that she was helping other people.” (Alexie) Throughout the story, Marie recounts her difficulties experienced while working as a maid at a motel; she’s been stuck by needles, cleaned feces and urine from places other than the bathroom, and walked in on a naked guest. Marie also chronicles the time she spent with the owner of the motels’ son Amir, and the six-day affair they had. When she learns of Amir moving back to Pakistan she is …show more content…
When Marie thinks about all the people she has worked with, Evie is the one that is missed most. An example of a secondary external conflict that Marie experiences is character vs society. In the beginning of the story we are told that Marie is flexibly catholic. She doesn’t agree with the people she works with and their choices in life, and other difficulties she encounters but if she seeks forgiveness she eventually feels better. With Evie working there she had someone she could confide in, share her stories with, and then laugh about them. And when Evie moves away, it appears Marie begins to feel alone in the world. The central primary conflict in the story is an internal one. Over the years Marie has worked with a lot of different women, most of which didn’t last very long, but not of them compare to losing Evie. Marie also mentions how her best friend Evie just “vanished over the horizon.” (Alexie) The last contact Marie had was when Evie sends her a postcard that she now carries in her purse as a reminder. She doesn’t understand how a friend that close could just leave and not stay in contact. This seems to suggest that Marie feels abandoned by Evie. When Marie discovers that Evie is alive now working in Flagstaff. Marie has the option of calling or emailing Evie with the information …show more content…
Marie’s character is a maid who works at a motel for more than forty years. The way Marie says the towels were so “old and threadbare,” that “they’d forgotten how to be towels,” and had “dementia,” seem to be a way Marie is describing her own life, how she’d forgotten how to be social and felt withdrawn from reality. (Alexie) The “thin metal rod” that “barely supported the weight of the towels,” and “she still draped the towels with and eye pleasing symmetry,” suggests that Marie views herself as overweight and yet still has the desire to make do with what life has given her. (Alexie) Lastly, Marie’s idea of “The illusion of clean” seems to reflect her religious beliefs. (Alexie) Alexie’s choice with the physical setting is deliberately vague. This enables the reader to understand that this type of story can take place anywhere and at any time and would not change the conflict or central