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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 "peculiar honor" (8) is Marie given on her last day of work?

2. How many affairs does Marie have after the first one with Amir?

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. Who is Amir?

5. Where did Marie's husband work before his recent retirement?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What does Father James tell Marie about Amir and her relationship with him?

3. Describe how Marie cleans her final room.

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

5. When describing Marie's body aches and pains from her work, what are some indications of her social status?

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

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

8. 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?

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

10. What is Marie's husband doing when she gets home? What work did he do and when did he retire?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay analyzing the symbolic significance Marie's religion and relationship with Father James has on the story. Why is this important and how does it develop the themes of the story? Use examples from the text to support your viewpoint.

Essay Topic 2

Why do you think Sherman Alexie wrote "Clean, Cleaner, Cleanest"? Write an essay explaining what you think the author wanted his readers to understand and feel after reading the story.

Essay Topic 3

Genre is a category assigned to a literary work, like a novel. What are some genres that could be used to classify this story? What is the main genre of the story? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

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