Max Bringhurst
Explanatory Synthesis Essay # 2
Everybody in America is outraged about the book by Amy Chua called “The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother”. This book talks about Amy Chua’s parenting techniques that comes from the Chinese people and how she thinks that American parents are lazy and raise unsuccessful children. Amy Chua’s book talks about how she raised her children and some stories of her techniques that she used on her own children. There was a lot of controversy about her methods American people found her ways very disturbing, but for the Chinese people this is normal and they see nothing wrong with it. The Chinese people see American parenting techniques disturbing and lazy. Amy Chua believes that mothers need to prepare their children for adulthood and everything is all about business when it comes to learning. She believes that drilling your kid for hours and hours or even all day is the most effective way for a child to learn. Chinese mothers also believe in calling the kids bad names like garbage is ok and self-esteem only comes from success. Amy Chua also would not let her kids go to the bathroom or even eat until they did whatever she wanted them to do perfect. Amy Chua says “children on their own will never want to work” (149) and need to be pushed. If a Chinese kid gets a B the mothers will get very upset and drill their child until the kid gets it perfect. Amy Chua says that Chinese parents believe that their children owe them everything (144). For all the hard work and hours they have put in raising their kids and the kids must repay them by obeying them and making them proud (Chua 145). Chinese kids are not allowed to make their own choices in life. Amy Chua says that Chinese parents understand that nothing fun until you’re good at it and to get good at anything you have to work, and children on their own never want to work, which why it is crucial to override their preferences (143) .
Western mothers and Chinese mothers are completely different. Western mothers give praise, admiration, and satisfaction to their children when they do things to help build their kids confidence. A Chinese mother will say that is not good enough and say do it again and again until it is perfect. Chinese mothers believe it is ok to call their kids names such as “Garbage” as a Westerner mother would never ever think of calling their kids names, Western parents let their kids play sports as Chinese parents make their kids play instruments like the piano or violin. Chinese parents get their kids to do things by drilling them, threats, and insulting them. American parents get their kids to do things with learning toys, treats, and playrooms. One example is in an article by Amy Chua she says “that the fact that a Chinese parent can do things that would seem unimaginable-even legally actionable-to Westerners. Chinese mothers can say to their daughters, “Hey fatty-lose some weight.” By contrast, Western parents have to tiptoe around the issue, talking in terms of “health.” And never ever mentioning the F-word, and their kids still end up in therapy for eating disorders and negative self-image”(143). An article by David Brooks says” I believe she’s coddling her children. She’s protecting them from protecting them from the most intellectually demanding activities because she doesn’t understand what’s cognitively difficult and what isn’t” (151).
The different approaches to preparing children to be competitive in the future marketplace. The Chinese mothers approach to preparing their children is drilling and studying all day everyday they do not let them do kids things like attend a sleepover, have a playdate, be in a school play, watch TV, play computer games, or choose their extracurricular activities. Chinese mothers feel that letting their kids do things like this is letting the kid have all control. Westerner parents do not drill their children and everything is fun and games of learning. Also western parents accept B and C grades that Chinese parents would get very upset about and drill with studies. Western parents let their kids attend sleepover, have a play date, be in a school play, watch TV, or play computer games. Elizabeth Kolbert said in her article that “an international student assessment, or PISA, tests were announced. It was the first time that Chinese students had participated, and children from Shanghai ranked first in every single area. Students from the United States, meanwhile, came in seventeenth in reading, twenty-third in science, and an especially demoralizing thirty first in math”(158).