It is often argued that the American dream is dead, but America is still thriving, despite the negativity surrounding it. Time and time again, America has accomplished feats that should be impossible. America succeeds as an “improbable idea” as demonstrated through captivating ethos in A Quilt of a Country and inspiring pathos in George Washington Crossing the Delaware which depict America’s hope. In the article A Quilt of a Country by Anna Quindlen, ethos is used to portray how Americans have hope even when it seems useless. Despite all the abominable events occurring in the world, the “American psyche” (Quindlen, paragraph 7) and “patriotism” (paragraph 8) are still thriving. The author begins the article by providing examples of particularly