Despite this, Anna Quindlen’s “A Quilt of a Country” makes a compelling argument that America is still the best place to live.
The first reason she gives is that America is a country of reasoning and logic. People in other nations might say that they are logical, but the fact of the matter is, they’re not. Reasoning and logic are two very different things. Reasoning is the act of coming to a conclusion based on evidence and facts, while logic is the study of correct reasoning. The difference may seem small, but it’s actually quite significant. Reasoning without logic is just guessing, while logic without reasoning is pointless. In America, both are valued highly.
Second, Quindlen points out that America is a country of evidence. In other nations, it’s often enough to simply say something is true without providing any evidence to back it up. In America, however, people demand evidence. They want to see the data and the research that supports your claims. This may seem like a small thing, but it’s actually quite important. Without evidence, there can be no progress. Progress requires new ideas, and new ideas can only come from looking at the world in new ways.
Finally, Quindlen argues that America is a country of tolerance. People in other nations are often intolerant of those who believe differently than they do. In America, however, people are generally tolerant of different beliefs. This doesn’t mean that people in America don’t have strong beliefs, but it does mean that they’re willing to listen to and understand those who believe differently than they do.
All of these reasons make a compelling case for why America is the best place to live. Reasoning, logic, and evidence are all important keys to progress, and tolerance is essential for understanding. With these things in mind, it’s no wonder that America is still the best place to live.
Her first section, where she argues why America shouldn’t work, is heavily based on evidence. She starts by recounting an experience from when she was a child and her family moved from one house to another. They had to leave their “big” old house and move into a smaller one because her father had been laid off. This was shortly after the Vietnam War, which meant that there were not a lot of job opportunities for him. Even though they downsized their house, they still couldn’t make ends meet and ended up moving again, this time into an even smaller house.
Quindlen then goes on to say that this experience is not unique to her family, but rather is something that happens to “a great number of American families” (Quindlen). She provides more evidence to support this claim by giving statistics on how many Americans are living in poverty, or are only one step above it. She argues that America is a country where “if you don’t have much money, you don’t have much chance” (Quindlen).
In the second section, Quindlen argues why America does work, in spite of everything she listed in the first section. She starts this section by talking about how her family eventually moved out of the small house and into an apartment, and how they were finally able to make ends meet. She attributes this change to her mother getting a job.
This led to them being able to afford things like food and clothes, and eventually their own home. Quindlen goes on to say that her family’s story is not unique, and that there are many families in America who have similar stories. She argues that the reason America works is because “there has always been enough good will and enough determination in this country to get us through the bad times” (Quindlen).
She goes on to say that “the American idea” is something that constantly changes and is unspecific, which again works against the image of a country that was founded on certain principles. By the end of the first section, she has effectively built up her argument by introducing the ideas that America is made up of many different cultures and that it is constantly changing.
In the second section, she begins to talk about how America has always been a nation of immigrants, and how they have always brought their own culture with them. She talks about how this has led to American culture being a melting pot, which again supports her claim that America is made up of many different cultures. She also talks about how this has led to some conflict, but ultimately the idea of America as a melting pot has prevailed.
In the third section, she talks about how America is a land of opportunity, and how this has led to people from all over the world coming to America in search of a better life. She talks about how this has led to some tension between different groups of people, but ultimately the idea that America is a land of opportunity has prevailed.
In the fourth section, she talks about how America is a nation of laws, and how this has led to some conflict between different groups of people. She talks about how this has led to some tension between different groups of people, but ultimately the idea that America is a nation of laws has prevailed.
In the fifth section, she talks about how America is a nation of faith, and how this has led to some conflict between different groups of people. She talks about how this has led to some tension between different groups of people, but ultimately the idea that America is a nation of faith has prevailed.
In the sixth section, she talks about how America is a nation of freedom, and how this has led to some conflict between different groups of people. She talks about how this has led to some tension between different groups of people, but ultimately the idea that America is a nation of freedom has prevailed.
She concludes the article by talking about how all of these conflicting and interchanging parts are what make America a great country, and how it is these differences that make America a quilt of a country.
However, if we only unify in times of war, then that means we spend the rest of our time disagreeing and causing conflict. She says that ” division is the American way.” To back up her claim, Anna provides examples of different groups who continuously butt heads with each other, such as republicans and democrats.
While it seems like fighting is all we ever do, Anna argues that’s not entirely accurate. She states that “if you look more closely…you begin to see the quiet threads that weave us together as a nation,” which she goes on to list: shared values, common goals, and similar dreams. Just because we don’t always get along doesn’t mean there’s nothing binding us together.
In conclusion, Anna Quindlen’s “A Quilt of a Country” is an effective argument that proves why America shouldn’t work, yet does. She uses reasoning and evidence to support her claims, and she also effectively divides her article into two separate sections. This allows her to make a strong case for her argument, and ultimately proves that America is a country that shouldn’t work, but does.
