Anaylsis of "Advice to Young Men"

What does Mencken use to poke at some of the moral and political hypocrisies of the time period?

Satire

What is Satire?

A literary genre in which an author uses irony or exaggeration to highlight the absurdities or inconsistencies within a particular belief or individual

Satire takes something that exists and does what with it?

Uses that as the source of humor and criticism. It tries to show how ridiculous something is by tactically highlighting, even amplifying its contradictory elements

What form does Mencken use to satirize examples of common sense

The form of an advice column

How does Mencken begin the satire?

By pointing out a fundamental contradiction: many people are advised to focus on cultivating virtue before cultivating wealth

In Mencken’s opinion which is more important in social situations, wealth or character?

Wealth

To Mencken what does wealth make up?

Ones character

Why is “virtuous behavior” a fluid concept?

Given how wealthy people are treated

What is Mencken’s point about the Jazz Ages morality?

Ethical concerns usually “crook the knee” to financial considerations

What does the second and third sections continue?

The satirical examination of common sense ideas

What does Mencken ask in The Venerable Explained

Does age equal wisdom?

How does Mencken respond to the question does age equal wisdom?

He’s not so sure. He feels that age has compromised his decision making. And if this is the case for him, it might also be the case for the justices of the United States Supreme Court

When Mencken was 42 what was the youngest Supreme court member

Harlan Fiske Stone at 50

Why does Mencken bring up the question of his own mental abilities?

As a way of criticizing the Supreme Court while also poking holes in the supposed obviousness of the claim that age brings wisdom

What does Mencken challenge in his third essay?

A supposedly inarguable moral principle, that all people have duties they they must follow

In typical Mencken fashion anything obvious is viewed how?

Suspiciously

What is duty in Mencken’s argument?

Another form of conformity. You do your duty because its the thing you’re supposed to do

How did Mencken feel about Duty?

It isnt necessarily a good thing. If duty is really just another word for “following the status quo” then the concept is actually harming society rather than informing it

What did Mencken say about human progress?

Human progress is furthered, not by conformity but by aberration”

Mencken’s illustrative style reflect what?

How some writers of the time period felt emboldened to question not only social norms, but also core philosophical principles like duty, virtue, and wisdom