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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. Where did the Scopes monkey trial take place?

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

3. What did Mencken mean by the term "Ku Kluxry"?

4. In "The Wallace Paranoia," who was Mencken referring to with the phrase "raisins in the bread."

5. Which of the following describes an Anglo-Saxon soldier, according to Mencken?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "The Noble Experiment," what story did Mencken relate about acquiring alcohol at the Republican National Convention?

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

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

4. What was the content of "Sententiae"?

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

6. What examples did Mencken provide to support his judgment of Anglo-Saxons?

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

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

9. What opinion was rendered about William Jennings Bryan in "In Memoriam: W.J.B."?

10. How did Mencken distinguish between plutocracy and aristocracy in "A Glance Ahead"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In articles like "The Baltimore of the Eighties," Mencken looks back on his childhood. What attitude does Mencken have toward childhood? How did his childhood impact the man he became? Why is it valuable to take this look back?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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