Tracing the Central Idea in "A Quilt of a Country"
Question 10 • Twilight Session 1 (Fall 26): Literature and Composition I_CThompson
Read the excerpt from "A Quilt of a Country."Once these disparate parts were held together by a common enemy, by the fault lines of world wars and the electrified fence of communism. With the end of the cold war there was the creeping concern that without a focus for hatred and distrust, a sense of national identity would evaporate, that the left side of the hyphen—African-American, Mexican-American, Irish-American—would overwhelm the right.
Answer
A
Analyze the connotation of “fault lines” within the excerpt.
B
Define “fault lines” from the overall feeling in the neighboring sentences.
C
Research the meaning of “fault lines” in an earth science textbook.
D
Consider the metaphorical context of “fault lines” in the excerpt.
Explanation
“Fault lines” is used figuratively to describe divisions or tensions that helped hold the country together through shared conflict. Considering the phrase’s metaphorical context shows how it relates to the surrounding ideas of common enemies, hatred, and distrust. A literal earth-science definition would not explain its meaning here.
AI-written and checked against the verified answer.