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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. How did Mencken describe the music of Bach?

2. According to Mencken, what if there had not been a Civil War in the United States?

3. What aspect of old-time education did Mencken miss most in modern education?

4. How do common folk read the Bible, according to Mencken in "Holy Writ"?

5. What was the subject of "The Noble Experiment"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What were the general features of Anglo-Saxons, according to Mencken in "The Anglo-Saxon"?

2. Describe the religious service Mencken witnessed in "The Hills of Zion."

3. According to "The Author at Work," why do writers write?

4. What aspect of death interested Mencken the most?

5. For what reasons did Mencken admire Grover Cleveland?

6. According to Mencken in "The Calamity of Appomattox," what would have happened if the Civil War had never happened?

7. What opinions did Mencken render in "Masters of Tone"?

8. What did Mencken conclude about his research into the court cases of Oliver Wendell Holmes?

9. Did Mencken's aesthetics conform to the ideals of the "new architecture"? Explain.

10. Why did Mencken take issue with Oliver Wendell Holmes' final court case?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Mencken discussed perfection in "The Good Man," and states that every good quality in a man is balanced by a flaw.

A) Does Mencken feel that perfection is possible? How can "The Good Man" be reconciled with something like "A Glance Ahead," in which Mencken imagines an ideal government?

B) Is there a danger in attempting perfection?

C) What might Mencken say about perfection and its relation to organized religion?

Essay Topic 2

Religion was the frequent target of Mencken's attacks, such as in "Quid Est Veritas?" and "Holy Writ."

A) Why is religion dangerous, according to Mencken? Cite specific examples in the texts.

B) Can religion be salvaged somehow, to Mencken's mind, or is religion universally bad?

C) Describe fundamentalism, and discuss how fundamentalism factors in to Mencken's religious views.

Essay Topic 3

"Gore in the Caribees" had Mencken doing some foreign reporting in Cuba.

A) What is Mencken's opinion of the Cuban administration? What is his opinion of the rebellion?

B) What can the incident tell us about Mencken's general opinions about ideal government, and how to rule properly?

(see the answer keys)

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