Julian Castro once said, “In the end, the American dream is not a sprint, or even a marathon, but a relay. Our families don’t always cross the finish line in the span of one generation. But each generation passes on to the next the fruits of their labor.” Throughout American history, the struggles to attain an equal, united nation have been passed on. This essay will compare and contrast how Anna Quindlen’s “A Quilt of a Country” and Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” treat the issues of equality, unity, and patriotism in their visions of the American dream. Equality is the first ideal both authors discuss.
Quindlen and Lincoln both discuss equality in their works. Both authors agree that equality is an ideal worth striving for even though we have not yet achieved it in our nation. Quindlen explains that our nation has held onto the value of equality since its creation. She writes, “America...is held together by the notion that all men are created equal” (Quindlen 3). Here, Quindlen highlights the value of equality, not only as something we should fight for, but also as a value that has held our nation together. Quindlen also saw the difficulty in attaining equality, though. Quindlen points to cultural inequalities in our nation, but Lincoln faced much more severe issues surrounding slavery. Lincoln, like Quindlen, saw the inequalities in the way people in our country were treated, but he fought a civil war to free slaves. In his speech, he says “We here highly resolve that...this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom” (Lincoln 28). Lincoln wanted equality to keep our nation together, but he didn’t see the fruits of his labor. Both authors value unity as well as equality.
While unity is important to both authors, they also recognize that it is difficult to put into practice. Quindlen knows unity is important and that we often fail to achieve it. She writes, “This is a nation founded on a conundrum, what Mario Cuomo has characterized as ‘community added to individualism.’ These two are our defining ideals; they are also in constant conflict” (Quindlen 4). Quindlen is saying that the U.S. values unity, but we also value individualism, which doesn’t always align with unity. Quindlen urges readers to keep trying for unity anyway. While Quindlen wanted the country to be more united socially, Lincoln was trying to put the U.S. back together after the south seceded during the civil war. Quindlen noticed that the nation came together after 9-11, but Lincoln saw the country divide over the issue of slavery. Lincoln urges people to make sure the “Government of the people, by the people, for people, shall not perish from the earth” (Lincoln 28). Lincoln wanted to reunite the government, so we would remain one government. Both Quindlen and Lincoln wanted to unite the US, but they sought for different kinds of unity for both. Patriotism is being willing to fight for our country and care about our country.
For both Quindlen and Lincoln, patriotism requires pride in America. Quindlen says patriotism means being proud of our diversity and the fact we have stayed together through all the failures we have experience. She writes, “But patriotism is partly taking pride in this lability 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). Quindlen defines patriotism as pride in our struggle to stay together despite our differences. Quindlen’s definition of patriotism doesn’t require as much sacrifice as Lincoln’s. Lincoln needed more than pride. He needed devotion to the nation. At the dedication of the National Cemetery, Lincoln said, “We have come together dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live” (Lincoln 27). Lincoln’s definition of patriotism is being devoted enough to fight for, or even die for, your nation. Both authors agree that patriotism requires pride, though Lincoln also wanted devotion.
Equality, unity, and patriotism are all ideals that Quindlen and Lincoln share, though they value them in different ways. Quindlen and Lincoln agree that equality is an ideal worth striving for. Quindlen points to cultural inequalities while Lincoln face much more severe slavery issues of his time. Both agree unity is important but, it’s difficult to achieve. Finally, they define patriotism to various degrees of extremity. So, Julian Castro is proven right; the American dream is a relay, not a sprint.
Argumentative Essay Reflection
Please answer all questions in complete, grammatically correct sentences.
Quindlen and Lincoln both discuss equality in their works. Both authors agree that equality is an ideal worth striving for even though we have not yet achieved it in our nation. Quindlen explains that our nation has held onto the value of equality since its creation. She writes, “America...is held together by the notion that all men are created equal” (Quindlen 3). Here, Quindlen highlights the value of equality, not only as something we should fight for, but also as a value that has held our nation together. Quindlen also saw the difficulty in attaining equality, though. Quindlen points to cultural inequalities in our nation, but Lincoln faced much more severe issues surrounding slavery. Lincoln, like Quindlen, saw the inequalities in the way people in our country were treated, but he fought a civil war to free slaves. In his speech, he says “We here highly resolve that...this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom” (Lincoln 28). Lincoln wanted equality to keep our nation together, but he didn’t see the fruits of his labor. Both authors value unity as well as equality.
While unity is important to both authors, they also recognize that it is difficult to put into practice. Quindlen knows unity is important and that we often fail to achieve it. She writes, “This is a nation founded on a conundrum, what Mario Cuomo has characterized as ‘community added to individualism.’ These two are our defining ideals; they are also in constant conflict” (Quindlen 4). Quindlen is saying that the U.S. values unity, but we also value individualism, which doesn’t always align with unity. Quindlen urges readers to keep trying for unity anyway. While Quindlen wanted the country to be more united socially, Lincoln was trying to put the U.S. back together after the south seceded during the civil war. Quindlen noticed that the nation came together after 9-11, but Lincoln saw the country divide over the issue of slavery. Lincoln urges people to make sure the “Government of the people, by the people, for people, shall not perish from the earth” (Lincoln 28). Lincoln wanted to reunite the government, so we would remain one government. Both Quindlen and Lincoln wanted to unite the US, but they sought for different kinds of unity for both. Patriotism is being willing to fight for our country and care about our country.
For both Quindlen and Lincoln, patriotism requires pride in America. Quindlen says patriotism means being proud of our diversity and the fact we have stayed together through all the failures we have experience. She writes, “But patriotism is partly taking pride in this lability 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). Quindlen defines patriotism as pride in our struggle to stay together despite our differences. Quindlen’s definition of patriotism doesn’t require as much sacrifice as Lincoln’s. Lincoln needed more than pride. He needed devotion to the nation. At the dedication of the National Cemetery, Lincoln said, “We have come together dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live” (Lincoln 27). Lincoln’s definition of patriotism is being devoted enough to fight for, or even die for, your nation. Both authors agree that patriotism requires pride, though Lincoln also wanted devotion.
Equality, unity, and patriotism are all ideals that Quindlen and Lincoln share, though they value them in different ways. Quindlen and Lincoln agree that equality is an ideal worth striving for. Quindlen points to cultural inequalities while Lincoln face much more severe slavery issues of his time. Both agree unity is important but, it’s difficult to achieve. Finally, they define patriotism to various degrees of extremity. So, Julian Castro is proven right; the American dream is a relay, not a sprint.
Argumentative Essay Reflection
Please answer all questions in complete, grammatically correct sentences.
- Explain the process you went through to write this paper. Please be specific.
- What qualifies this paper as an argumentative essay? What are the requirements for this genre and how did you meet them?
- Explain how you found at least one of the quotations from the essay and tell me why you chose that particular quote. What did it do for your paper?