Walker Dunaway Ms. Lehmann English 1-1A 27 September 2018 The Changing Values of Our Nation
What are the values of our nation that have stood the test of time? “The Gettysburg Address” and “Quilt of a Country” explore this very question. This essay will compare and contrast “The Gettysburg Address,” by Abraham Lincoln, and “Quilt of a Country,” by Anna Quindlen. The first value the two authors explore is unity.
Both Lincoln and Quindlen see the value of unity in our nation. By unifying our people, the United States will be stronger and go further in the future. Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address,” delivered after one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War, stresses the importance of uniting the North and South. Lincoln tells his audience to make sure that “this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom – and that the government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth” (Lincoln 28). Lincoln recognized that the only way to keep this country’s government alive was to unify the two parts of the nation. Like Lincoln, Quindlen wants the people of the United States to get along so we can function as one nation. Quindlen, though, is concerned with uniting the various cultures that make up our country today. Quindlen writes, “One of the things that [America] stands for is this vexing nation that a great nation can consist entirely of refugees from other nations, that people of different, even warring religions and cultures can live, if not by side, then on either side of the country’s Chester Avenues” (Quindlen 5). Quindlen makes the observation that unity is one of the values that have stood the test of time in our nation. Although it looks different today than it did for Lincoln, unity still matters to our nation. Unity often leads to patriotism, another value the authors share.
Lincoln and Quindlen both demonstrate a large amount of patriotism and urge their audiences to share in that as well. “The Gettysburg Address,” delivered at the dedication of the Gettysburg Cemetery, honored the fallen soldiers who fought for the North. Lincoln tells his audience that “we cannot dedicate – we cannot consecrate – we cannot hollow this ground” because “The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add a detract” (Lincoln 27). He even says that the world “can never forget what they did here” (Lincoln 27). Lincoln praises the soldiers for their patriotism and urges the audience to show the same dedication to the US. For Quindlen, patriotism means being proud of our nation’s diversity. Quindlen writes that “patriotism is partly taking pride in this unlikely ability to throw all of us together in a country that across its length and breadth is as different as a dozen countries, and still be able to call it by one name” (Quindlen 6). While Lincoln was proud of the soldiers who fought to unify the country politically, Quindlen’s patriotism lies in unifying our modern, diverse population. Although it takes different forms, both authors agree that the United States is unlike any other country, and that is something its citizens should be proud of. Along with patriotism, both authors value peace.
Lincoln and Quindlen would both agree that they want peace for all. Lincoln says in the “Gettysburg Address” that he wants the North and South to stop fighting in the civil war so that the two parts of the nation canhave peace. Lincoln says, “It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us – that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion” (Lincoln 28).Lincoln wants to end slavery and the civil war to bring back unity and peace to the nation. Quindlen wants the many different cultures to work and help one another. Quindlen says, “These are the representatives of a mongrel nation that somehow, at times like this, has one spirit. Like many improbable ideas, when it actually works, it’s a wonder” (Quindlen 6). Quindlen is happy when we can get along in time of hurt to bring peace to a nation with different cultures.
“The Gettysburg Address” and “A Quilt of a Country” both examine the values of our nation, though they do so in different ways. Abraham Lincoln and Anna Quindlen both talk about unity, patriotism, and peace in ways that are similar and different. For both authors, unity is important, politically for Lincoln and culturally for Quindlen. Patriotism for Lincoln centers on the government of the US while Quindlen values our diversity, but both authors agree that patriotism matters. Both authors seek to bring peace to the entire nation.Lincoln’s and Quindlen’s works prove that unity, patriotism and peace are values of our nation that have that stood the test of time. Works Cited Lincoln, Abraham. “The Gettysburg Address.” Collection. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017. Quindlen, Anna. “A Quilt of a Country.” Collections. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017.
Compare and Contrast Reflection 1. List one thing you've learned from writing this paper that you can apply to other writing assignments. What will that look like?
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2. Identify a specific revision you were asked to make and explain why (this can be at any stage of the writing process). How did you revise? What did you learn?
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3. What are the conventions of a compare and contrast essay and how did you meet those in this assignment?
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4. Given more time to work on this assignment, how would you improve it?
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5. What is one thing you're proud of in this paper?