| Author |
Mencken, H. L. (Henry Louis), 1880-1956 |
| Title |
Prejudices, fifth series
|
| Original Publication |
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1926.
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| Note |
Reading ease score: 70.0 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
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| Contents |
Four moral causes: Birth control. Comstockery. Capital punishment. War -- Four makers of tales: Conrad. Hergesheimer. Lardner. Masters -- In memoriam: W.J.B. [William Jennings Bryan] -- The hills of Zion -- Beethoven -- Rondo on an ancient theme -- Protestantism in the Republic -- From the files of a book reviewer: Counter-offensive. Heretics. The grove of academe. The schoolma'm's goal. The heroic age. The woes of a 100% American. Yazoo's favorite. The father of service. A modern masterpiece. Sweet stuff -- The fringes of lovely letters: Authorship as a trade. Authors as persons. Birth pangs. Want ad. Literature and the schoolma'am. The critic and his job. Painting and its critics. Greenwich Village -- Essay in pedagogy -- On living in Baltimore -- The last New Englander -- The nation -- Officers and gentlemen -- Golden age -- Edgar Saltus -- Miscellaneous notes: Martyrs. The ancients. Jack Ketch as eugenist. Heroes. An historic blunder. On cynicism. Music and sin. The champion. Honor in America. Notes in the margin of a treatise on psychology. Definition -- Catechism.
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| Credits |
Emmanuel Ackerman, David E. Brown, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from images made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library.)
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| Summary |
"Prejudices, Fifth Series" by H. L. Mencken is a collection of essays written in the early 20th century. The text presents Mencken's bold and often controversial opinions on various social, political, and cultural issues of his time. He delves into topics such as birth control, moral legislation, and the nature of war, showcasing his critical perspective on American society and its hypocrisies. The opening of the text introduces Mencken's critique of the failed attempts to suppress birth control advocacy in the U.S., emphasizing the contrast between the behavior of the educated elite and the rural populace regarding government oversight and social mores. He illustrates how the birth controllers, despite legal challenges and societal disapproval, have gained unexpected support from those who value free thought and individual rights, suggesting a deeper cultural conflict. Additionally, Mencken uses humor and incisive observation to argue against moral legislation, which he perceives as ineffective and counterproductive, setting the stage for a broader discourse on the complexities of freedom, morality, and societal norms. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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| Language |
English |
| LoC Class |
PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature
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| Subject |
Literature -- History and criticism
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| Subject |
American literature -- History and criticism
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| Subject |
American essays -- 20th century
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| Category |
Text |
| EBook-No. |
72510 |
| Release Date |
Dec 26, 2023 |
| Copyright Status |
Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads |
91 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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