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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 "Valentino," what did the press find in a men's bathroom that caused them to mock Valentino and his "Latin Lover" image?

2. Which of the following did NOT happen during "The Hills of Zion"?

3. What would best describe how Mencken felt about stage acting?

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

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

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. What was the content of "Sententiae"?

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

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

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

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

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

10. For what reasons did Mencken admire Grover Cleveland?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Articles such as "Theodore Dreiser" and "Masters of Tone" present Mencken the art critic.

A) What can Mencken's criticisms reveal about his theory of art? Cite specific examples.

B) What can Mencken's criticisms reveal about his own preferences? Can art be objectively excellent, or does it always depend upon the viewer/spectator?

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 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?

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