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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 does Father James think Amir was going through when Marie confessed her affair to him?

2. What does Marie think before closing down the computer and deciding not to contact her friend?

3. What does Marie decide to do at the computer one day when she is filling in at the front desk for the owner?

4. Why do the motel guests typically not complain about dirty windows?

5. How old is Amir when he has an affair with Marie?

Short Essay Questions

1. How old is Marie when she retires? What "peculiar honor" (8) does her boss give to her on her last day?

2. How does the author describe the way Marie's work has damaged her hands and arms?

3. Why does Marie want to work a full shift on her last day? What does she want to do for herself?

4. How does Marie learn where Evie lives and works? What does she do when she finds out?

5. Describe how Marie cleans her final room.

6. How much money does Marie earn in her final paycheck? How is this money received? How many weeks of work does her final pay cover? What happens when she gets to her car?

7. How did Marie feel about her affair with Amir in the following years? How did Marie feel about the fact that she never cheated on her husband again?

8. What does Marie say to Father James about her job in the section following the description of how her body has been impacted by her job? What does he say in response?

9. How is Marie's body impacted by her work over the years?

10. Who is Amir? What is Marie's relationship with Amir?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay about why Marie stays at the motel for so long when so many others have come and gone over the years.

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 810 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample