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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 is the name of the front desk clerk that Marie was friends with at work?

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

3. What object does Marie replace in the bathroom that is said to have "dementia" (3)?

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

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

Short Essay Questions

1. 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?

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

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 things that Marie's coworkers had done to her during her time working at the motel?

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

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

7. Who is the main character of "Clean, Cleaner, Cleanest"? Where is her occupation? How long has she been there?

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

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

10. Why did Evie and Marie lose touch? What was the last correspondence the two had?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay examining Evie's postcard as a symbol in "Clean, Cleaner, Cleanest." In what scenes does the postcard appear? What is the context? How does the postcard develop the narrative?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay exploring the significance of Marie's affair with Amir. How does she handle the affair? What are her feelings after the affair? How does the affair impact the plot?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay analyzing Alexie's commentary on the plight of the blue collar worker in "Clean, Cleaner, Cleanest." How is this theme important to the story? How does it affect the narrative? Use textual evidence to explain your analysis.

(see the answer keys)

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