“ Children Need to Play, not Compete,” by Jessica Statsky: An Evaluation. Christine Romano Romano’s evaluation of Statsky’s argument essay is so effective, that it obviously deserves to be used as a text book example of literary analysis. Romano clearly states Statsky’s thesis, lists the criteria which she proposes to use to evaluate Statsky’s arguments, and then highlights the weaknesses in Statsky’s stand. This step-by-step logical approach makes Romano’s writing very convincing and easy to follow. It is almost surgically precise.
This writing has a lot to recommend to other readers. The main attraction is Romano’s balanced approach to Statsky’s essay. Romano lists both “ strengths and weaknesses” (Romano, 405) of Statsky’s argument. She gives credit to Statsky for her strong defense and authoritative evidence. At the same time, she points out the shortcomings in Statsky’s argument.
The intended audience is parents who are the main stakeholders in the welfare of their children. It is through the lens of their “ worries and hopes” (Romano, 402) that Romano views Statsky’s essay. Romano also bases her criticism of Statsky’s writing on its failure to completely address the questions of those parents who disagree, fully or partly, with her thesis.
Romano’s thesis is that, while Statsky’s argument is very effective in reaffirming the beliefs of those parents who share her stand, Statsky weakens her argument by not providing enough evidence to refute the objections of those parents who differ from her. Statsky also fails to address non-contact sports, which form a basic part of children’s competitions.
Works Cited.
Romano, Christine. “ Win-Win Flexibility.” The St. Martin’s Guide to Writing. Ed. Rise B.
Axelrod and Charles R. Cooper. City of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. 402-
406. Print.
