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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 does Marie keep her postcard from Evie?

2. What phrase does Marie use to describe her work, which Father James says can describe people also?

3. What had Marie convinced Naseem do to save she and other maids time?

4. Why did one of Marie's former coworkers go to prison for four years?

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

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. What are some of the things Marie has grown accustomed to seeing and having to clean in her line of work?

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

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

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

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

9. 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?

10. What state is Room 213, the first room Marie cleans in the story? What is in it that she dislikes?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss elements of the narrative structure: Exposition, conflict, complication, climax, resolution and conclusion. Do all the elements make for a logical and linear story? How does the story's structure express its themes?

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

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.

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