Tiger Mother

Zijian Liu

110424163

I have heard about Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother far before I came to the United States. Not only the American society had a huge response to such a book when it came out, but also the Chinese society did. Ｉ ｄｉｄ ｎｏｔ ｈａｖｅ ｍｕｃｈ ｉｎｔｅｒｅｓｔｅｄ ｉｎ ｔｈｉｓ ｂｏｏｋ ａｔ ｔｈａｔ ｔｉｍｅ， ｓｉｎｃｅ Ｉ lived with my Ｃｈｉｎｅｓｅ “tiger mother” every day. Now, I have already left my mom for more than half a year． Ｔｈｅｒｅｆｏｒｅ， ｓｏｍｅ ｓｔｏｒｉｅｓ ｉｎ ｔｈｅ ｂｏｏｋ ｒｅｍｉｎｄｓ ｍｅ ａ ｌｏｔ ｏｆ ｍｅｍｏｒｙ ｏｆ ｍｙ ｍｏｔｈｅｒ． Ｔｈｅｒｅ ａｒｅ ｍａｎｙ ｓｉｍｉｌａｒ ｉｄｅａｓ ｂｅｔｗｅｅｎ ｍｙ ｍｏｍ＇ｓ ｐａｒｅｎｔｉｎｇ ａｎｄ Ａｍｙ Ｃｈｕａ＇ｓ， ｂｕｔ ｔｈｅｒｅ ａｒｅ ａｌｓｏ ｓｏｍｅ ｉｄｅａｓ ｗｉｈｃｈ ａｒｅ ｏｐｐｏｓｉｔｅ． Iｎ ｍｙ ｏｐｉｎｉｏｎ， Ｃｈｕａ＇ｓ ｐａｒｅｎｔｉｎｇ ａｃｃｏｒｄｉｎｇ ｔｏ ｈｅｒ ｂｏｏｋ ｉｓ ｍｏｒｅ ｌｉｋｅ ｔｈｅ ｗａｙ ｉｎ Ｃｈｉｎｅｓｅ ｔｒａｄｉｔｉｏｎａｌ ｈｉｇｈ ｃｌａｓｓ ｆａｍｉｌｉｅｓ， ｗｈｉｃｈ ｅｎｃｏｕｒａｇｅｓ ｇｉｒｌｓ ｓｈｏｕｌｄ

Louisa had a problem in playing a piano piece “The Little White Donkey”. She repeated many times but could not play it right, so she wanted to give up. However, Chua forced her to keep practice until she could play it right. Chua motivated her by threatening her that dinner would come after she got it right, which Chua’s husband Jed did not consider would work. Finally, such a motivation worked. In the end of the chapter, Chua concluded that the best way to improve confidence is not worrying about self-esteem but accomplishment. Ｉｎ ｍｙ ｖｉｅｗ， ｔｈｉｓ ｗａｙ ｏｆ ＂ｅｎｃｏｕｒａｇｅ＂ ｉｓ ｓｏｍｅｈｏｗ ｅｆｆｉｃｅｎｔ． Ｔｈｅ ｐｏｉｎｔ Ｃｈｕａ＇ｓ ｈｕｓｂａｎｄ ｗｏｒｒｉｅｄ ａｂｏｕｔ ｉｓ ｔｈａｔ Ｃｈｕａ＇ｓ ｔｈｒｅａｔ ｗｏｕｌｄ ｈｕｒｔ Ｌｏｕｉｓａ＇ｓ ｓｅｌｆ－ｅｓｔｅｅｍ． Ｆｒｏｍ ｂｏｏｋｓ ａｎｄ ｍｅｄｉａ， Ｉ learn that in American society self-esteem is very important in parenting. Beating children is illegal in the United States. Moreover, according Chua’s book, western parents would avoid using insulting words. In comparison， ｉｎ Ｃａｎｔｏｎ ｐａｒｅｎｔｓ ｌｉｋｅ ｓａｙｉｎｇ ａｎ ｏｌｄ ｓａｙｉｎｇ ＂Ｉｔ ｉｓ ｂｅｔｔｅｒ ｔｏ ｒａｉｓｅｄ ａ ｐｏｒｋ ｃｈｏｐ ｔｈａｎ ｙｏｕ＂ ｔｏ ｔｈｅｉｒ ｋｉｄｓ ｗｈｅｎ ｔｈｅｙ ａｒｅ ａｎｇｒｙ， ａｎｄ ｅｖｅｒｙ Ｃｈｉｎｅｓｅ ｂｏｙ ａｒｏｕｎｄ ｍｅ ｈａｓ ｅｘｐｅｒｉｅｎｃｅ ｏｆ ｂｅａｔｉｎｇ ｂｙ ｈｉｓ ｐａｒｅｎｔｓ． Bｅｓｉｄｅｓ， ｔｈｅｙ ｌｉｋｅ ｍａｋｉｎｇ ｃｏｍｐａｒｉｓｏｎ ｔｈｅｉｒ ｋｉｄｓ ａｎｄ ｓｏｍｅ ｏｔｈｅｒ ｋｉｄｓ ｆａｒ ｂｅｔｔｅｒ ｉｎ ａ ｐａｒｔｉｃｕｌａｒ ａｒｅａ in order to keep their kids away from overconfident． Ｆｏｒ ｅｘａｍｐｌｅ， once Ｉ got an A in my final exam and told my mom, she said “Well done, but one is not enough. You can get more. Your friend Zoe keeps getting A in all exams this semester. You should learn from her”.Although my mom did not notice, that was hurt. In my mother’s value, A- was a bad girl, same as what Chua mentioned in the very beginning of the book. It is not easy for me at that time to get an A. I was going to share my happiness with her.I ｒｅｍｅｍｂｅｒ ｍｙ ＥＳＬ ｐｒｏｆｅｓｓｏｒ ｓａｉｄ ｄｉｓｌｉｋｅ Ｃｈｉｎｅｓｅ ｐａｒｅｎｔｓ， ｍｅｄｉｏｃｏｒｉｔｙ ｉｓ ａｃｃｅｐｔａｂｌｅ ｆｏｒ ｍｏｓｔ ｏｆ Ａｍｅｒｉｃａｎ ｆａｍｉｌｉｅｓ． As Chua conclude in the end of chapter 11, western