Compare And Contrast Immigration And Anna Quindlen

Immigration, a huge debate always ensues when that word comes up. There are multitudes of different opinions and many people feel strongly about their position. John F. Kennedy, for instance, wrote many of opinion essays about immigration while in a governmental position, such as senator and president. “The Immigrant Contribution” from his posthumous book A Nation of Immigrants, is an essay concerning the beneficial effect of immigrants on America and their direct effect on its evolution. Another author, Anna Quindlen, composed a short essay called “A Quilt of a Country” about two weeks after the tragedy of 9/11 about a nation of diversity and unity after horrifying events. In both essays, the use of diction and tone directly affect the author’s

Anna Quindlen’s essay was meant more to inspire and uplift Americans after a horrible event and to force them to realize that unity in America is nearly always joined by tragedy. In her words, “Terrorism has led to devastation-and unity.” (Quindlen 15) Her diction in this short yet powerful essay, is made up of sophisticated language with many emotional, thought-provoking words mixed in like individual threads of color in a painting. Each word like “vanilla-pudding”, “fractured coalescing”, “mongrel”, and “bemoan” build up an individual picture in the reader's mind and give a sense of powerful emotion of many kinds. These words develop the tone into many different kinds, at some points it’s hopeful and at others it’s sarcastic. The purpose of the essay is so clearly seen throughout this woven piece of diction and tone that one can’t help but understand the reason behind the essay, “...taking pride in this unlikely ability to throw all of us together in a country that … is as different as a dozen countries, and still … call it by one name.” (Quindlen 16) The understanding of the purpose to uplift, unite, and inspire the American population is distinct even through the complex diction. Kennedy’s essay, on the other hand, is more to show exactly how much immigrants have contributed to the evolution of America and that they

The citizens of America are the targets for this essay, to have an impact on them is the intention of both authors. There is no difference in audience but the way each essay is written, the diction and tone affects them differently. In Quindlen’s essay, her diction inspires more emotion in her audience and her tone provokes much more passion than it would without her specific tone and diction. “It is difficult to know how to convince them that this amounts to ‘crown thy good with brotherhood,’ that amid all the failures is something spectacularly successful.” (Quindlen 14) Her accusing statements are like knives threatening the safety of a comfortable existence. Many of her eye-opening declarations are directed towards the audience itself, not “them”. Kennedy, on the contrary, had a much more diplomatic tone towards his audience, the American citizens. His diction and tone each developed this sense of wisdom emanated by his piece of writing by having sophisticated language, which wasn’t inflammatory, and by having a slightly invested tone. “When poor, ill-educated and frightened people disembarked in a strange land, they often fell prey to native racketeers, unscrupulous businessmen and cynical politicians.” (Kennedy 26) This sort of language is what gave his tone such impact in making clear his target audience and what was intended for his audience through this piece. All the excellently placed wording had the