Betsy Samson’s common ground essay “Does Mother Know Best?” (pp. 183–87) analyzes the arguments in two essays taking opposing positions on parenting: Amy Chua’s “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior” and Hanna Rosin’s response, “Mother Inferior?” (You can find these essays in the appendix at the end of this chapter on pp. 219–22 and 222–25.)
Using the Analyze the Opposing Argument Essays section of the Guide to Writing (pp. 199–201), Samson read the two essays carefully. She annotated as she read, highlighting the text and making marginal notes that identify the basic features of the arguments and their motivating factors. Below is paragraph 5 from Chua’s essay with Samson’s annotations, followed by Samson’s annotations chart showing how she recorded the results of her analysis of Chua’s and Rosin’s essays.
Annotations
What Chinese parents understand is that nothing is fun until you’re good at it. To get good at anything you have to work, and children on their own never want to work, which is why it is crucial to override their preferences. This often requires fortitude on the part of the parents because the child will resist; things are always hardest at the beginning, which is where Western parents tend to give up. But if done properly, the Chinese strategy produces a virtuous circle. Tenacious practice, practice, practice is crucial for excellence; rote repetition is underrated in America. Once a child starts to excel at something—whether it’s math, piano, pitching or ballet—he or she gets praise, admiration and satisfaction. This builds confidence and makes the once not-fun activity fun. This in turn makes it easier for the parent to get the child to work even more.
Can’t let children make their own choices
Chua’s position: virtuous circle strategy necessary
Virtuous not vicious circle: work → success → confidence → more work
Charting the Annotations
Here you can see how Samson filled in the Annotations Chart based on her analysis of Chua’s and Rosin’s essays. Note that she doesn’t fill in every cell in the chart, nor does she devote the same amount of space to each element. To show students how people annotate differently, your instructor might invite you to compare your annotated text and annotations chart to those of other students.
| Betsy Samson’s Annotations Chart | |||
| Essay 1: Chua | Essay 2: Rosin | ||
| Features of the argument | Issue | Chinese parenting techniques better than Western (pars. 1–4)Examples show Chua’s “strict” parenting (2) | Western parenting techniques better than Chinese (pars. 1–4)Examples show Rosin fits Chua’s stereotype of Western parent (1–3) |
| Position (thesis) | Chinese virtuous circle strategy: work → success → confidence → willingness to “work even more” (5). This is “how Chinese parents raise such stereotypically successful kids.” (1) | “In fact, I think Ms. Chua has the diagnosis of American childhood exactly backward. What privileged American children need is not more skills and rules and math drills. They need to lighten up and roam free, to express themselves in ways not dictated by their uptight, over-invested parents.” (4) | |
| Supporting reasons and evidence | Reason #1: Because Chinese parents assume child’s “strength,” they tell truth & demand hard work & success. Contrast: b/c Western parents anxious about child’s self-esteem, they give false praise & children settle for less (11–14)Reason #2: Because “Chinese parents believe . . . kids owe them everything,” they demand their children make them proud. (15–16) | Reason #1: Because holding children to “impossibly high standards” is damaging. Evidence—“horror stories of child prodigies gone bad”; Chua’s admission that she’s “‘not good at enjoying life’” (5)Reason #2: Because children forced to practice too hard on something that they have neither passion nor talent for grow to hate what they have mastered. Evidence: her friend & Andre Agassi (6–8) | |
| Reason #3: Because “Chinese parents . . . know what is best,” they “override . . . children’s own desires and preferences.” (16)Evidence: Anecdote about Lulu supports all three reasons (18–32) | |||
| Refutation and/or concession | Concedes she may have been wrong (Lulu anecdote: “even I began to have doubts”) (30)Concedes that Western parenting style means well (“All decent parents want to do what’s best for their children. The Chinese just have a totally different idea of how to do that.”) (34) | Concedes parents should encourage/push kids to work at a goal, but also refutes Chua’s claim that parents know best what should be the goal (8)Concedes “Chua’s most compelling argument is that happiness comes from mastery,” but also refutes Chua’s use of harsh criticism (9)Refutes Chua’s claim that “‘Children on their own never want to work.’” (10)Concedes Chua’s claim about Western parents’ “‘conflicted feelings about achievement’” (13) | |
| Motivatingfactors | Values | Studies comparing parents’ values: “Chinese mothers . . . believe . . .‘academic achievement reflects successful parenting.’” Contrast: Western parents think “‘stressing academic success is not good for children’” & “‘parents need to foster the idea that learning is fun.’” (4)“Confucian filial piety”—kids owe parents (14)Chinese parents “would give up anything for their children” (17) | Shares Chua’s “mother-in-law’s belief that childhood should be full of ‘spontaneity, freedom, discovery and experience’” (15)Values “proper childhood rebellion” (4)Rejects Chua’s goal to “perfect our children” (14) |
| Ideas and ideals | |||
| Needs and interests | |||
| Fears and concerns | Concern: children will not work hard enough to succeed (11–13) | Concern: children will not be happy (12) | |
| Priorities and agendas | Priority: “best way to protect their children is . . . letting them see what they’re capable of, and arming them with skills, work habits and inner confidence” (35) | Priority: to help children “navigate” life’s difficulties (11) | |