Amy F.
09/14/2014
ENGL 111

In “Plight of the Little Emperors” by Taylor Clark the article talks about the difficulties of young children growing up in China.
The article talks about how some mothers who gave up their employment to monitor their children’s studies and also go to school with them, just to make sure their children succeed. Parents even monitor their children’s five plus hours of nightly homework. Children aren’t allowed to watch television until the homework is done. The children’s whole future hinged on just one test. It is China’s version of the SAT’s, but in China it is called “GAO KAO” or “tall test”. The children prepare their whole life for this one test. If they do pass they get a pick at top universities and an easy route to a middle class lifestyle. If they do not succeed on the test they will likely end up having a blue collar lifestyle like most of their parents did. China has the one child policy, the country wanted to produce young elites which they are called “little emperors”. China wanted to have a generation of high quality children. But, the children are achieving at a high rate and are becoming more modern too quickly. There is limited opportunity in the still developing nation, so that leaves millions of little emperors out. There is just not enough college level jobs for everyone when they graduate. Many go into depression from the unemployment and are unwilling to accept jobs that are beneath them. In China it is tradition that the children support their parents in old age, so the parents put everything into that one child succeeding. The parents spoil their children to protect them, that way they know nothing will happen to that child. The Chinese are now worried that the extreme discipline and indulgence have resulted in the children becoming self-centered brats. Children in China are like