Isaac Giles Ms. Lehmann English 1-1A 27 September 2018 A Changing Nation What are the values of our nation that have stood the test of time? Both “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 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 notion that a great nation can consist entirely of refugees from other nations, that people of different, even warring religious and cultures can live, if not side 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 hallow this ground” because “The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or 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 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 quality. Lincoln and Quindlen talk about equality in each of their speeches.In the essay “Quilt of a Country,” Quindlen explains that we should welcome other cultures and other religions. In Lincoln’s speech, he talks aboutunifying our country and freeing the slaves. Lincoln’s argument is about the equality of men and women regardless of race. During the war, Lincoln wanted to end slavery because we are all equal. He urges his audience to fight so that, “That government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth” (Lincoln 27). Quindlen wrote her essay as a response to 9/11. People of the United States felt terrified that day, and the reovet was a united nation. Quindlen urges readers not to let our differences destroy us. Quindlen argues that we all are equal.She writes, ”quote”. Lincoln and Quindlen wanted everyone to come together in the end to make our country better. “The Gettysburg Address” and “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 equality 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. Equality for Lincoln is that all men and women are equal and Quindlen expresses her pride that such a variety of cultures live in this country. they both are similar. Lincoln’s and Quindlen’s works prove that unity, patriotism, and equality are values of our nation that have stood the test of time. Works Cited Lincoln, Abraham. “The Gettysburg Address.” Collections. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017. Quindlen, Anna. “Quilt of a Country.” Collections. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017.
Compare and Contrast Essay 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?
Answer: I have learned that how to look more closer on this assignment and that i should pay close attention in class.
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?
Answer: I revised my paper by checking all the mistakes that i had made and i fixed them and i learned that every mistake i made it made me a little better in this assignment.
3. What are the conventions of a compare and contrast essay and how did you meet those in the assignment?
Answer: All i had to do was change the paper and i was done.
4. Given more time to work on this assignment, how would you improve it?
Answer: I don't have to improve it i think it is a good paper.
5. What is one thing you’re proud of in this paper?