Rhetorical Analysis †“Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior” Essay

Parenting is al expressive styles a debatable topic in America. E genuinely person has an opinion on how a sister should be raised and disciplined. In Amy Chuas Why Chinese Mothers Are prime(prenominal) (an excerpt from Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother), Chua explains Chinese parenting and how it is in force(p) in her life. She claims that by breaking down a child and pushing them to their integral potential, the child provide, in turn, be confident and incredibly lucky. Through the do of several(prenominal) rhetorical devices, Chua supports, as well as weakens, her claim and expresses a different, controversial way of parenting.An important element in Chuas parametric quantity is her ethos. She is clearly an intellectual individual, given that she is a professor at Yale University. set aside her credentials, this essay brings forth a distinct character. From the start, she identifies herself as a tough and strict Chinese mother. Throughout the constituent she uses several p ersonal experiences that support this assertion. The referee recognizes a palpate of confidence from Chua as she repeatedly contrasts occidental-parenting i grasss from Chinese-parenting fancyls. As far as her credibleness as an author, it is questionable. She writes, Chinese parents believe that their kids owe them everything.The reason for this is a little unclear Her credibility begins to slip when she uses the word unclear. This statement suggests that she does not even roll in the hay herself why she is parenting the way she is parenting. It also presents a perfect opportunity for argue people to both(prenominal)er an cause against Chuas style of parenting. Another obiter dictum where Chuas credibility becomes uncertain is when she writes of mimicking her maintain when he intervenes in a dispute between her and their daughter. It shows that she is unwilling to diagnoseen to the other side of her tune and has this my-way-or-the-highway complexwhich is not necessar ily an attractive outlook to have. It seems that an author who is bluff to looking at both sides of an ground is a more intelligent author.Chuas use of pathos is particularly insensitive. She uses it more to take a jab at western culture rather than to draw an collection on either side. Several times Chua makes up these hypothetical scenarios and discusses what western sandwich parents would do and then what Chinese parents would do. Her idea of how Western parents react is evidently dead on but there is a sarcastic eminence about it. What is really interesting about her emotional appeal is that she quotes her husband who opposes peerless aspect of her line of work. He says, Children dont choose their parentsso its the parents responsibility to provide for them, which is an appeal to Western parents. She immediately shuts his argument down but fails to explain why it is a terrible deal for the Western parent. This only weakens her claim because, again, she is not being open -minded. In the end, Chua makes a very general appeal by saying, All decent parents indispensableness to do whats best for their children. It is confusing because this statement somewhat qualifies her claim. First, she refutes Western parenting, then, comes back to say that Western and Chinese parents are all one in the same in the way that they care for their children. Chuas source is unclear.Beyond Chuas strong opinions, she utilizes statistics and facts in her argument. The statistics at the beginning of the piece describe percentages of Western and Chinese mothers who agreed that stressing academic success is not corking for children or that parents need to foster the idea that learning is fun. The upshot showed that 0% of Chinese mothers agreed and they, instead, valued the idea of successful children resulting from successful parenting. These types of statistics definitely support Chuas Chinese mother persona. The statistics also support her claim of how much time Chinese parents put into helping their children make academic achievements. It is difficult to argue with facts and data, however, Chua does not cite the sources of this data. For all the reader knows, she could have made it up. It may be a more working(a) logical appeal if the studies she quotes were from a well-known and respected source.Chuas picking of diction reflects possible exaggeration on Chuas behalf andconfusion for the reader. It makes sense to exaggerate in order to stress the item she is trying to make but it also triggers the reader to doubt and question, which does not help her cause. Referring to her daughter, she writes, avocation her garbagewhen she acted exceedingly disrespectfully toward me. The idea of someone acting extremely disrespectfully varies from person to person. It is very biased statement. There is no way to interpret how her daughter was really acting. Already having examples of Chuas ethos from this piece, it is practical to fill she is exaggerating. Chuas diction is also troubling, especially when she writes, All decent parents deprivation to do whats best for their children. What are decent parents and what is best for some(prenominal) child? She does not elaborate on these key terms. It is the beginning of an argument on definition. Like in the case of Chuas exaggeration, there is no way to determine what qualities a good parent has. There is no way for every parent to agree on a list of things that are best for children.Another technique the author uses to get her point across is repetition. Numerous times without her essay Chua repeats two spoken communication at the beginning of a sentence, By contrast She is making it very clear that there are differences between Western parents and Chinese parents. This is effective because the reader is constantly reminded that these two types of parents are not comparable in Chuas mind. There is also a bit of repetition in terms of actions of the author. It seems like there is a c ycle of Chinese parenting in her life. She raised her daughters the way her parents raised her. Chuas father called her garbage when she acted out or keeping(p) and Chua called her daughter garbage when she acted inappropriate. This cycle of Chinese parenting indicates that Chinese culture is constant or very hard to change. Overall, through repetition, the reader gets a good sense of contrasting cultures.The intended audience for this argument is an element worthy discussing. Chua was most likely aiming this piece specifically at Western parents. The argument is definitely eye-catching to any parent and is compelling enough to release disagreement. Chua seems to want that reaction because the purpose of her essay was to contrast Chinese parenting and Western parenting andexplain how Chinese parenting is more effectivein her opinion. It almost seems as though she wants to rub it in the faces of Western parents, maybe even depart guilt. The effect she wants to have on her audienc e may be for them deliberate about her claim and reevaluate their methods of parenting.As mentioned before, Chua claims that by criticizing a child and hammering academic success into his or her brain the child will grow to become a prosperous and confident person. Her purpose gets through to the audience but does not necessarily persuade them. She utilizes rhetorical devices that both support and weaken her argument. Chuas lifestyle is a result of how she was raised. In a sense, her piece is a great lesson for Western cultures about Chinese culture. Chua may or may not effectively explain why Chinese mothers are superior but, ultimately, she conveys a unique, if not totally outrageous, idea of parenting directed at the average Western parents.