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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 did Mencken curse those who translated the Bible into English?

2. What was the point of the section, "Sententiae"?

3. Who was Mencken with at a Bach concert in Pennsylvania when he decided to get some liquor?

4. According to "Exeunt Omnes," Mencken was disappointed with the amount of books dedicated to which subject?

5. Which of the following was NOT an attribute of an artist, as Mencken describes in "The Artist"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What caused Mencken to question the American psyche in "The Libido for the Ugly"?

2. For what reasons did Mencken admire Grover Cleveland?

3. What was the nature of film actor Valentino's problem, as related in "Valentino"?

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

5. How did Mencken--with tongue firmly in cheek--try to justify a man's murdering of his wife in "A Good Man Gone Wrong"?

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

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

8. What was Mencken's opinion of chiropractic?

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

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

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

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 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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