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

2. How old is Marie when she has an affair with Amir?

3. What does Naseem do after selling the motel?

4. Why did Marie shake her head when Amir tried to push her onto the motel room bed?

5. What does Marie get from the fridge for her and her husband at the end of the story?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. Describe how Marie cleans her final room.

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

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

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

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

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

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

10. 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?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

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 3

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

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 761 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample