BATTLE HYMN

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua

I have read through “Spengler” about the extraordinary work ethic of Chinese students. We can talk about STEM degrees for China and porno and marijuana for America. But along comes “Amy”.

I was impressed. We are not talking about an ordinary family here. We are talking about book authors, college professors, elite social get togethers and a mother and her two children. A Chinese mother who will do anything it takes to get her children to ______. I will fill in the blank at the end of the article.

These two daughters will learn Mandarin. I am trying to learn it here in China. I have been in China for about two months. This is a quote from the bible translator who worked with Morrison to translate the bible into Chinese. William Milne: “To acquire Chinese is a work for men with bodies of brass, lungs of steel, heads of oak, hands of spring steel, hearts of apostles, memories of angels and lives of Methuselah.”

They are learning Mandarin. They are doing school. Where Mom really put the pedal to the medal was piano for Sophia, the older, and violin for Louisa, the younger. They learned and excelled. As the bible says: Prov 22:29 Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings;

They stood before kings in all the glory that our nation can bestow upon a young pianist and a young violinist.

Mom can be proud. Mom is giving us a glimpse of the nitty gritty involved in this accomplishment. We get a picture of Chinese culture. We see her put every thing she has into the accomplishment of the goal of ______.

I asked David, a banker, to read a Chinese review of the book and give me his thoughts. He simply said we all live that way. It is because there are so many people in China and you must excel in order to find a good place in society.

Amy, “The Tiger Mother”, comes across as a drill sergeant, a strategist, and a statesman as she welds her daughters into their future. I think about my role in my three daughters’ lives. I was like Amy’s husband. I was into learning by living and enjoying it as you go. My wife, the homeschooler, had a different relationship with all three girls. Amy is her hero. I was horrified a few times by the lengths that she went to get her children to achieve such high levels of perfection.

In the end she loves her children, and they love her. There is a meeting of the minds with the younger daughter about how she is going to live her life and how her mother will interact with her. By this time, I am liking Amy.

She has something to say to America about excellence, diligence, and potential. It is a message we should hear and apply.

The fill in the blank answer. I can’t fill it in. Only Amy can.