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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. Why might the Anglo-Saxon race have entered into the Spanish-American war, according to Mencken?

2. What was Roosevelt's strategy at the Democratic National Convention of 1932?

3. What was the art discussed in "The Comedian"?

4. What is wrong, in Mencken's opinion, with most artists' depictions of death?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. Why are artists "anti-patriotic," according to Mencken in "The Artist"?

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

3. What was Mencken's opinion of chiropractic?

4. What aspect of death interested Mencken the most?

5. What stance did Mencken take in "Mencken's Last Stand"?

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

7. Why did Mencken miss corporal punishment in schools in "Travail"?

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

9. According to "The Wallace Paranoia," what did candidate Henry Wallace do during the convention of the Progressive Party?

10. How was FDR able to win the Democratic National Convention of 1932?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Mencken often commented on political figures, such as in "Pater Patriae" and "Lodge."

A) Discuss two articles in which Mencken seems to have a positive opinion of the political figure. What does Mencken's admiration tell us about Mencken?

B) Discuss two articles in which Mencken displays a negative opinion of the political figure. Similar to A), what does Mencken's criticisms tell us about Mencken?

Essay Topic 2

Democracy was mentioned in "A Blind Spot" and "A Glance Ahead," among other articles. What is Mencken's attitude toward democracy? What are the consequences of a democratic form of government? How does democracy succeed (or fail) because of (or despite) the common people?

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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