Bridget Johnston Writing 101S Writing Assignment 1: Comparison and Contrast Essay March 22, 2015
Parenting: Amy Chua vs. Hanna Rosin Is there a right way to raise your child? There are really no set rules on how to raise your child, as we can see throughout the articles written by Amy Chua, a self-described “Chinese Tiger Mom” and Hanna Rosin, a “Western Mother,” in The Wall Street Journal in January 2011. These articles show that the two authors have completely different parenting styles. On one hand, Amy Chua believes kids should not go to sleepovers, be in school plays, and get anything less than A's in school except for gym. Meanwhile, Hannah Rosin believes that children need some freedom to express themselves. There are many Rosen states she would be thrilled if her daughter made it to Carnegie Hall but would not threaten to burn all her stuffed animals or donate all her toys to the Salvation Army if her daughter did not master the piano piece. Rosen also brings up horror stories she has read of child prodigies gone bad due to too much pressure to be perfect. Rosen’s article went on to describe one of her friends whose German mother pushed her to practice the violin for eight hours a day and she did not get to see or be with other kids her own age. Now that she is an adult, she does not hate or resent, her mother but she does hate music and has never picked up her violin because she associates it with loneliness and torture. Finally, Hanna Rosin made several very good points regarding Amy Chua’s Chinese parenting style. First, “Success will not make you happy.” The most successful tend to be also the most depressed or anxiety filled. Second, “Happiness is the greatest human quest.” Children must find happiness themselves. If you force a sport or other activity down the throat of kids, they will begin to resent you and the activity. They need to figure out who they are by themselves. Finally, “It is better to have a happy, moderately successful child than a miserable high achiever.” (Rosin) Amy Chua concludes her article by stating, “Western parents try to respect their children's individuality, encouraging them to pursue
