Tracing the Central Idea in "A Quilt of a Country"
Question 14 • Twilight Session 1 (Fall 26): Literature and Composition I_CThompson
Read the excerpt from "A Quilt of a Country."America is an improbable idea. A mongrel nation built of ever-changing disparate parts, it is held together by a notion, the notion that all men are created equal, though everyone knows that most men consider themselves better than someone. "Of all the nations in the world, the United States was built in nobody's image," the historian Daniel Boorstin wrote. That's because it was built of bits and pieces that seem discordant, like the crazy quilts that have been one of its great folk-art forms, velvet and calico and checks and brocades. Out of many, one. That is the ideal.
Answer
A
Quindlen uses the context of American diversity to help readers rethink the concept of American identity and understand that she supports the idea of unity among Americans of all cultures.
B
Understanding that Quindlen is the descendant of immigrants helps the reader realize that she supports the idea that some cultures are naturally better than others.
C
Quindlen uses the context of living in the United States during the 9/11 attacks to help the reader realize that she feels that unity among all Americans is impossible to achieve.
D
Understanding that Quindlen is an immigrant from another country helps readers realize that she understands societies like the United States more than most people.
Explanation
Quindlen describes America as a nation made from many different cultures and backgrounds, comparing it to a quilt of varied pieces. She presents “Out of many, one” as an ideal: people can remain different while sharing a national identity. This supports choice A, which says she encourages readers to rethink American identity and value unity across cultures.
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