Battle Hymn Of The Tiger Mom Literary Analysis

The connection between a mother and her daughter is special. A bond is created from birth that is unbreakable. Because this bond is so important, it is approached in many different ways. In the excerpt from Amy Chua’s memoir Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom, she talks about her daughter growing up playing the violin. In the excerpt from Amy Tan's novel The Joy Luck Club, she talks about herself as a young woman growing up with a very strict mother figure who wanted her to play the piano. While the tone in Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom is one of frustration and tension from the point of view of the mother, Amy Chua; the tone in The Joy Luck Club is bitter and resentful from the point of view of Amy Tan as a child. In Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom, the mother, Amy Chua, is constantly concerned about her daughter's violin playing and is trying to give her feedback on how she can do better. Her daughter, Lulu, responds to the feedback with annoyance and discontent. The irony in this passage is due to the fact Amy Chua is trying to create a calming environment for Lulu even though she irritatingly screams “RELAX!” (Chua 47-48). Although Lulu was very aggravated with her mother, she still had a very close relationship with Amy Chua and calls her “mommy” due to their compassionate relationship. The tone Amy Chua presents

During that time, Amy Tan’s mother was forcing her to play the piano. Being raised to a very high standard, Tan was expected to be obedient. This meant she was to do anything and everything her mother expected of her, which included playing the piano. Since she was very irritated with her mother, Tan would say things like, “I wish I weren't your daughter, I wish you weren't my mother,” (Tan 141-142). The tone of Amy Tan in the novel is bitter and resentful due to the fact her traditional mother was strict and held Tan to a standard that no one could ever