by Anna Quindlen Prof. Vanhorne A quilt of a country by Anna Quindlen Prof. Vanhorne

Ann Quindlen Quindlen is a graduate of Barnard College and was elected Chair of Barnard's Board of Trustees in 2003 Over the last 30 years, Anna Quindlen's work has appeared in some of America's most influential newspapers, many of its best-known magazines, and on both fiction and non-fiction bestseller lists. She is a novelist and also writes the prestigious "Last Word" column in Newsweek magazine. Her latest novel, Blessings, is a New York Times bestseller and was recently made into a television movie starring Mary Tyler Moore.

Background Written Sep 26, 2001 Written to show us why all the different people and cultures our needed to make our country Happened while 9/11 happened

Summary In a "Quilt of a Country” Anna Quindlen explains how most people view our country today, using a quilt as a metaphor. All the different backgrounds, races, and cultures make up the patches of the whole quilt, being America. She tells us how immigrants today are no different than our immigrant ancestors. They both came to America in search of a better life.

Relevance It is important because it shows us that we weren't always Americans ourselves and why we came to America in the first place. That we should allow other to come, too. Its stood the test of time because its how the country was born.

Literary devices Simile- “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.” Metaphor- “Tolerance is a vanilla- pudding word.” Alliteration- “That amid all the failures is something spectacularly successful.”

Discordant Conflicting or not harmonious

Pluralist Consisting of many ethnic and cultural groups.

Mongrel any other animal resulting from the crossing of different breeds or types.

Disparate essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison.

Ostracism exclusion from a society or group.

Conundrum a confusing and difficult problem or question. A riddle or a puzzle.

Apartheid (in South Africa) a policy or system of segregation or discrimination on grounds of race.

Interwoven Blended or laced together.

Diversity Having varied social and/or ethnic background.