Shelbi Provence
Ms. Lehmann
English1-1A
27 September 2018
The Ever Changing Values of Our 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 the only way to keep this country’s government alive was to unify both 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 religions 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 the 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 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. Both authors showed patriotism in their own context.
Quindlen and Lincoln gave their speech after a great change. Lincoln’s speech emphasizes the importance of ending the civil war and reuniting the country. “Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure” (Lincoln 27). Lincoln explains that the U.S. was going to find out if the nation could survive the war. Quindlen emphasizes how America works as a country.She says. The reality is often different, a great national striving consisting frequently of failure (Quindlen 5). Quindlen states “Enormous tragedy, as it so often does, demands a time of reflection on enormous blessings” (Quindlen 4). What Quindlen means by this is that when tragedies happen, people reflect on what blessings they have. Lincoln and Quindlen both view context as when tragedies happen, people reflect upon all the blessings that they have.
“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 in their own context, and in ways that are similar and different. For both authors, unity is important, politically for Lincoln and culturally for Quindlen. Patriotism for Lincoln centers the government of the US while Quindlen values our diversity, but both authors agree that patriotism matters. Context for Lincoln was preserving the nation and fighting to free slaves with Quindlen’s view of context was to not let our differences destroy us. For both authors context is preserving our nation as a whole. Lincoln’s and Quindlen’s works prove that unity, patriotism 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 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?
Putting more information and details.
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?
"The Ever Changing Values Of Our Nation." I revised my paper in steps.
3. What are the conventions of a summary and how did you meet those in this assignment?
It has to be short and to the point.
4. Given more time to work on an assignment, how would you improve it?
I would also make it longer.
5. What is one thing you’re proud of in this paper?
I am proud that I took the time on my paper and I was two away from 100%.
Ms. Lehmann
English1-1A
27 September 2018
The Ever Changing Values of Our 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 the only way to keep this country’s government alive was to unify both 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 religions 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 the 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 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. Both authors showed patriotism in their own context.
Quindlen and Lincoln gave their speech after a great change. Lincoln’s speech emphasizes the importance of ending the civil war and reuniting the country. “Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure” (Lincoln 27). Lincoln explains that the U.S. was going to find out if the nation could survive the war. Quindlen emphasizes how America works as a country.She says. The reality is often different, a great national striving consisting frequently of failure (Quindlen 5). Quindlen states “Enormous tragedy, as it so often does, demands a time of reflection on enormous blessings” (Quindlen 4). What Quindlen means by this is that when tragedies happen, people reflect on what blessings they have. Lincoln and Quindlen both view context as when tragedies happen, people reflect upon all the blessings that they have.
“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 in their own context, and in ways that are similar and different. For both authors, unity is important, politically for Lincoln and culturally for Quindlen. Patriotism for Lincoln centers the government of the US while Quindlen values our diversity, but both authors agree that patriotism matters. Context for Lincoln was preserving the nation and fighting to free slaves with Quindlen’s view of context was to not let our differences destroy us. For both authors context is preserving our nation as a whole. Lincoln’s and Quindlen’s works prove that unity, patriotism 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 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?
Putting more information and details.
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?
"The Ever Changing Values Of Our Nation." I revised my paper in steps.
3. What are the conventions of a summary and how did you meet those in this assignment?
It has to be short and to the point.
4. Given more time to work on an assignment, how would you improve it?
I would also make it longer.
5. What is one thing you’re proud of in this paper?
I am proud that I took the time on my paper and I was two away from 100%.