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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 was early Christianity superior to modern Christianity, per "Holy Writ"?

2. What was Mencken's current opinion of the American South, as revealed in "The Calamity of Appomattox"?

3. What problem did Mencken have with Justice Holmes' final court case?

4. What was "lamentable" about the North beating the South in the Civil War, according to Mencken?

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

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. What opinion did Mencken have about the English translation of the Bible?

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

5. According to Mencken in "The Calamity of Appomattox," what would have happened if the Civil War had never happened?

6. What was Mencken's opinion of stage acting?

7. In "Exeunt Omnes," Mencken described his second book on death, which has collected sayings and thoughts on death. What did Mencken maintain was the main idea of the book?

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

9. Contemporaries wrote that Calvin Coolidge bore several similarities to Abraham Lincoln. Why did Mencken disagree with this claim?

10. According to "The Author at Work," why do writers write?

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

Mencken often mentions the idea of an American aristocracy, as in "The National Letters." What could an American aristocracy accomplish, to Mencken's mind? How does Mencken's ideas for the aristocracy relate to his opinions about intellectuals versus common people? What kinds of government systems does he compare the aristocracy to?

Essay Topic 3

"Gore in the Caribees" had Mencken doing some foreign reporting in Cuba.

A) What is Mencken's opinion of the Cuban administration? What is his opinion of the rebellion?

B) What can the incident tell us about Mencken's general opinions about ideal government, and how to rule properly?

(see the answer keys)

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