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Battle Hymn Of The Tiger Mother Analysis

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“This was supposed to be a story of how Chinese parents are better...than Western ones. But instead it is about a bitter clash of cultures, a fleeting taste of glory, and how I was humbled by a thirteen-year-old” (Chua). Amy Chua wanted to write a book about the superiority of Chinese parenting. What happened instead resulted in a journey of learning, for both her and her family. Her determination as a tiger mother led her to write a memoir about her experiences. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, a self-proclaimed memoir by Amy Chua is a noteworthy “story about a mother, two daughters, and two dogs” (Chua). Amy was determined to raise her kids the Chinese way. Through hard work and determination, she achieved high levels of success with her …show more content…

Amy’s hours of endless practicing and pushing with her daughters payed off quite well, demonstrating the power of effort through Lulu and Sophia’s numerous musical achievements. Lulu and Sophia performed together at a special gala for an opera singer (49). The sisters performed in Budapest, Hungary as prodigies from America (145). Sophia won multiple local piano awards (Chua 29). She went on to win a piano competition and perform at Yale (57). Lulu auditioned for Juilliard, and ended up landing a place with a prestigious teacher (143). Eventually, Sophia won an extremely competitive contest and performs at the reputable Carnegie Hall (136). Both of Amy’s daughters were very successful in their musical careers as a result of the many hours practicing. Sophia and Lulu even had sought-after teachers with a high level of demands. Sophia’s teacher Wei-Yi usually only taught college students, but after hearing Sophia play, he was willing to take her on. “When Wei-Yi and I first met, he explained that he’d never had a student as young as Sophia…” (122). When auditioning for Juilliard, Miss Tanaka, a famous teacher, heard Lulu’s playing and was impressed. She offered to teach Lulu. “Miss Tanaka’s private studio was famously exclusive-almost impossible to get into” (143). These factors contribute to the level of achievement they reached. In fact, Sophia got one of the highest …show more content…

Throughout the book, Amy had conflicts with her family and harsh words were exchanged, however the underlying reason for the conflicts was love. In her sacrifices, the enormous commitment of time and energy, and the heartbreak and pain she’s willing to endure, the depth of her love for her children shone through. A notable example of this was her conflict with Lulu over a piano piece.“I rolled up my sleeves and went back to Lulu. I used every weapon and tactic I could think of. We worked right through dinner into the night, and I wouldn’t let Lulu get up, not for water, not even to go to the bathroom. The house became a war zone, and I lost my voice yelling…” (62). But her efforts paid off, and Lulu realized that her mother was trying to help her. “After [getting it], she wanted to play the piece over and over...That night...we snuggled and hugged, cracking each other up” (62). Everything Amy did, as she states, is “for [her] children to achieve something [she] hadn’t” (23). An example she provided of Chinese parent’s love for their children is “[Chinese mothers] believe their children can be “the best” students” (5). Chinese mothers show their love by believing in their children’s potential. Amy explained throughout her book that her purpose for all the practice and other efforts is so that her kids could be successful. She also said that this is because she

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