Develop Thesis: Short Fiction Practice Test

Read the following excerpt from a short story: The protagonist returns a borrowed book with a coffee stain on the margin. She tries to erase it with a damp cloth, but the stain spreads into a pale halo. She writes a note: "Sorry—accident," then crosses out “accident” and replaces it with "history." Which thesis best develops an arguable claim about responsibility in the excerpt?

Read the following excerpt from a short story: The narrator’s roommate labels everything in the kitchen: “SUGAR,” “SALT,” “FLOUR,” even the "SPOONS." The narrator says the labels make her feel like "a guest in my own mouth." When she removes one label as a joke, the roommate becomes visibly distressed and reattaches it crookedly. Which thesis best develops an arguable claim about control and anxiety in the excerpt?