1. 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?

2. How are some of the women Marie worked with over the years described? How did Marie feel about these women?

3. Describe how Marie cleans her final room.

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

5. How does Marie feel about Evie's move? What does she keep as a memory of her friend?

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

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

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

9. How will Marie and her husband support themselves financially in retirement?

10. 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?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write a detailed analysis of tone in Alexie's "Clean, Cleaner, Cleanest." Include whether the tone changes or remains the same. If it changes, include details on when, why and whether this change is effective.

Essay Topic 2

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 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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