Amy Chuan Analysis

Amy Chua also believes that children owe their parents. She explains "...the understanding is that Chinese children must spend their lives repaying their parents by obeying them and making them proud" (263). I will admit, that this took me off guard. There are many things that my children do that give me pride, but very little of it has to do with them being indebted to me.

For example, I work in an Alzheimer's facility. One day I was in a position where I had to bring my children with me so I could go through the yearly, mandatory, fire-safety training. Given their lack of socialization outside of the home, I can imagine that Amy Chua's children would have been horrified to be in a room with multiple geriatric residents, many of which

She self proclaims "The truth is, I'm not good at enjoying life," (266) and we are also given quotes supporting this thinking from being raised with Chinese style parenting within Hanna Rosin's piece from Olympic tennis player Andre Agassi admitting that although he excels in tennis, he secretely hates "...it with a dark and secret passion, and always have" (267). Although I do not agree with all of Rosin's points, I do agree with her when she encourages "...wait for your children to show some small spark of talent or interest in an activity before you force them to work at it for hours a day" (267) My son is a prime example of that. Unlike his sister, his interests fluctuate. When asked what he wanted for his fifth birthday he exclaimed, "a compound microscope!" Upon receiving his children's microscope he spent an extended period of time peering through the lens and adjusting the knobs to see the striations in the pre-made slide of house fly wings. Now, at seven-years-old, he is still his own individual with his own interests. He is bright, loves animals and science, is very interested in healthcare and would rather sweat through the intensity of boxing than the structure of taekwondo. He is not his sister, he is not me, nor is he his father. He is an

From the greeter at Wal-mart, the trash-collector, the heart surgeon, and the politician, the world needs us all to function adequately. We can all be successful, knowledgeable, and dare I say, happy, with what our talents lend us in life. I would personally rather my children work in fast-food the rest of their lives and experience happiness than have a Harvard degree and live life in depression and isolation. Intelligence can mean many different things, so can pride. But empathy and individuality are exclusive. As I explain to my own children, the heart surgeon may make more money than the car mechanic, but, the surgeon will not be able to make it to surgery unless the mechanic fixes his car. The world needs us all, and no one is more important than the