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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What did one of the patrons who had been staying in Room 144 do outside the motel earlier?

2. What does Marie repeat when entering a room after check-out time?

3. What had Marie convinced Naseem do to save she and other maids time?

4. Why does Marie dread cleaning Room 144 after Room 213?

5. Which of Marie's former coworkers married an American man and eventually moved to Oregon?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Olga? Why did she leave the motel?

2. Why did Marie run from a room laughing after seeing a guest when she though the room was vacant? How did Evie react when Marie told her?

3. What state is Room 213, the first room Marie cleans in the story? What is in it that she dislikes?

4. What are some of the tragic things that had happened in the motel during Marie's time working there?

5. What "self-defense behavior" (1) does Marie enact before entering a room and why?

6. Who is Christine? How does Marie feel about her life when they run into each other at a mall?

7. What are some things that Marie's coworkers had done to her during her time working at the motel?

8. Why did Marie convince the former motel owner to put wooden platforms under the motel room beds?

9. What is meant by "the illusion of clean" (3) in regards to Marie's work?

10. What are some of the things Marie has grown accustomed to seeing and having to clean in her line of work?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay about Marie discussing her goals and motives. Does she achieve her motive? Does she share similar goals and motives with other characters? Do her goals clash with other characters? How do the characters goals and motives affect their interaction with each other?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay about the author of "Clean, Cleaner, Cleanest." Who is he? What else has he written? How is "Clean, Cleaner, Cleanest." similar or different from his other works?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay analyzing Alexie's decision to tell the story using third person point-of-view from Marie's perspective. How does this impact the reader's understanding of the story's events? Is this effective? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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