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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. In "Gore in the Caribees," how was Jose Miguel captured?

2. Which historical figure did Mencken ridicule by stating he was known as a "plaster saint"?

3. What must modern religions do to "escape absurdity"?

4. What was Theodore Dreiser's national and ethnic background?

5. What did Mencken, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, feel about the tradition of giving medals in the military?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was accomplished by Walt Whitman's "Democratic Vistas," according to Mencken?

2. What questions did Mencken raise about the contemporary understanding of Abraham Lincoln?

3. What is the difference between men and women in regards to trust, according to "The Skeptic"?

4. How did Mencken answer the question of whether successful men should have mistresses?

5. What circumstances drove Mencken away from attending the Y. M. C. A.?

6. How must men react to a woman's allure?

7. What criticisms did Mencken have for Theodore Dreiser?

8. According to Mencken, Theodore Dreiser had what emotional effect on the reader?

9. Why did Mencken criticize Woodrow Wilson?

10. What was Mencken's opinion of Ralph Waldo Emerson's "The American Scholar"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Man-woman relationships were a frequent topic of study, as in "The Art Eternal" and "The Incomparable Buzz-Saw." How does Mencken view the dynamic between men and women? What are the differences between men and women? In what way do men and women engage in courtship?

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

Mencken's style and tone are widely celebrated. Using several examples from the text, discuss Mencken's approach to style and tone. How does Mencken present himself to the reader? Who does he posit as his reader? What rhetorical devices does he use to persuade the reader of his position?

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