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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Mamet describes being criticized for being a misogynist by a female critic for what play in Chapter 26: Feminism?
(a) Oleanna.
(b) Sexual Perversity in Chicago.
(c) American Buffalo.
(d) Waiting for Godot.

2. In what year was Al Sharpton a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. presidential election?
(a) 2004.
(b) 1996.
(c) 2000.
(d) 1992.

3. In 1969, Al Sharpton was appointed by whom as youth director of Operation Breadbasket, a group that focused on the promotion of new and better jobs for African-Americans?
(a) Jesse Jackson.
(b) Richard Nixon.
(c) Franklin D. Roosevelt.
(d) John F. Kennedy.

4. What does Mamet define as when government vows to lead the people to the Promised Land in Chapter 33: Self-Evident Truth?
(a) Demagoguery.
(b) Nationalism.
(c) Misogyny.
(d) Propaganda.

5. Mamet's father only finished how many years of community college before he bluffed his way into law school?
(a) 0.
(b) 3.
(c) 1.
(d) 2.

Short Answer Questions

1. In Chapter 38: Who Does One Think He Is? Mamet claims that he wrote "The Secret Knowledge" not because he's an expert but because he is what?

2. According to Mamet, the United Nations destroyed the image of America by identifying the nation as what?

3. What location does Mamet describe as similar to the Catskills and was a playground for adult Jews who were restricted from other hotels and resorts?

4. U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam War ended in what year?

5. What is defined as an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as power, honor, fame, or wealth, and the willingness to strive for its attainment?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Mamet describe the internal sources of America's destruction in Chapter 22: My Father, Al Sharpton, and the Designated Criminal? What external sources does he describe?

2. What metaphor does Mamet cite for liberal perspectives in Chapter 35: The Small Refrigerator?

3. What importance does Mamet lay on the foundation of family in Chapter 29: The Family?

4. What does Mamet claim about the denigration of American culture in Chapter 22: My Father, Al Sharpton, and the Designated Criminal?

5. How did David Mamet's political beliefs evolve throughout his life?

6. How does Mamet define greed and ambition in Chapter 23: Greed?

7. How does Mamet relate the government to a sports referee in Chapter 30: Naturally Evolved Institutions?

8. How has opinion changed regarding the Jewish people, according to Mamet in Chapter 28: Some Personal History?

9. Why does Mamet criticize the words "hope" and "change" in the Obama campaign in Chapter 34: Hope and Change?

10. How is Saul Alinsky described in Chapter 37: Late Revelations? What criticism does Mamet have for community organization?

(see the answer keys)

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