In Amy Tan's short story "Rules of the Game," Waverly's mother is portrayed as overprotective, authoritative, and stubborn. As a first-generation Chinese immigrant, Waverly's mother understands the hardships immigrants face in America and goes out of her way to instill positive character traits in her children. Waverly says,
My mother imparted her daily truths so she could help my older brothers and me rise above our circumstances (Tan 1).
Waverly's mother teaches her the art of "invisible strength," which allows her to become a chess prodigy. Waverly's mother demonstrates her protective nature by accompanying her daughter to every chess tournament and makes concessions to foster her daughter's success. As a successful chess player, Waverly does not have to do chores or listen to her loud brothers while she is practicing. Waverly's mother's sacrifices depict her devotion to her daughter and reveal the lengths that she will go to see her daughter succeed in America.
Unfortunately, Waverly's mother puts too much pressure on her daughter, which forces Waverly to quit playing the game she loves. Waverly's mother continually hovers over her daughter, making Waverly nervous and disrupting her practices. She also makes Waverly walk with her through the market so that she can receive compliments from others regarding Waverly's accomplishments. Essentially, Waverly feels as if her mother is using her to advance their family's social status and cannot deal with her mother's overbearing nature any longer. By the end of the story, Waverly and her mother become bitter enemies who do not see eye to eye on Waverly's future as a star in the world of chess.
A parent’s love can both defend and destroy a child. In “Rules of the Game,” Waverly Jong’s mother is a good example of this. Waverly’s mother is very interested in and concerned about her daughter. One way she shows this is in the way she teaches her to get along in America. When Waverly receives the Christmas gift in the story, Waverly says, “My mother graciously thanked the unknown benefactor, saying, "Too good. Cost too much.” Waverly’s mother knows that she must appear gracious about the gift, despite the fact that when she returns home, she is upset and tells the children to throw the chess set away. “ ‘She not want it. We not want it.’ she said, tossing her head stiffly to the side with a tight, proud smile.” In this instance, Waverly’s mother shows her that she must accept the gift because it is the right thing to do, but she also demonstrates that pride is destructive.
If the children had listened to their mother about the chess set, Waverly would have never learned to play chess. She would not have become an outstanding chess player, and she would not have learned the lessons she needed to learn in life. Waverly wants to assimilate and become a member of American society, and her mother’s love is both helpful and an obstacle to her. While her mother is a staunch supporter and very proud of her daughter, “At the next tournament, I won again, but it was my mother who wore the triumphant grin.” On the other hand, she constantly hovers over her daughter and refuses to allow her to be independent. Even though she knows nothing about chess, she insists on telling her daughter what to do. In the end, this results in a war of wills between Waverly and her mother. Waverly’s mother wins the battle, but it affects their relationship. “ ‘She wore a triumphant smile. ‘Strongest wind cannot be seen,’ she said.” The destructive nature of her mother’s love means Waverly only wants to be away from her.
https://jg019.k12.sd.us/eng1/Assignment%20Documents/Rules%20of%20the%20Game.pdf
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