46 pages • 1 hour read
Amy TanRules of the Game
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1989A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Themes
Invisible Strength
Invisible strength is a recurrent theme within the story and connects readers to both the setting and characters. Just as Waverly closely observes her surroundings, readers, too, must pay attention to what is not said (what is invisible) to fully comprehend the story. At one point, Waverly says: “The sanddabs made me shiver each time; their eyes lay on one flattened side and reminded me of my mother’s story of a careless girl who ran into a crowded street and was crushed by a cab” (Paragraph 7). An unattractive fish at a local market prompts Waverly to remember a story about the violent end to a girl’s life. What is invisible is Waverly’s fear that she might meet the same fate should she ever be careless. The strength of the story is in the invisible—what is not told, but rather suggested.
The creation of Chinatown exhibits a people’s invisible strength. To be an immigrant requires reliance on invisible strengths to survive and adapt. The hustle and bustle of the fish market and local shops illustrate the area’s productivity; the crowded streets show that the space can support its growing numbers; and, the sense of play the children feel within its confines signal safety and a commitment to encourage childhood curiosity. In response to anti-immigration laws and overt racial intimidations, the Chinese immigrants created a space that was all their own. This space becomes Waverly’s playground to grow and learn about herself.
To be a woman in almost any culture requires reliance on invisible strengths to survive and adapt. Knowing how to sacrifice oneself, knowing how to contribute to the family, knowing when to speak and not to speak and what to say are all invisible strengths that support the women in this story. Waverly’s mother knows to respond with humility rather than confidence when crowds gather to watch Waverly play: “Is luck,” she says (Paragraph 37). Waverly knows not to show her excitement at being invited to play in a chess tournament so as not to potentially embarrass her family with her failure. She knows to respond to a question about her goodness posed to her by the “Santa man” with a “solemn” nod so as not to appear conceited (Paragraph 14). These characters have the invisible strength to adhere to cultural expectations while also garnering support to challenge those boundaries. In a world that might not support a girl playing chess, Waverly’s community supports her, a testament to both her and her mother’s strength.
Mother-Daughter Relationships
The cultural and historical settings magnify the challenges that Waverly and her mother face. To be both Chinese and a woman sets these characters up for demanding journeys. Waverly’s mother could easily instruct her daughter to avoid defying social or cultural norms. Doing so could be interpreted as a form of protection so that her daughter might not experience pain, disappointment, or worse. But Waverly’s mother takes a different route. When Waverly tamps down her excitement about participating in a local chess tournament, Waverly’s mother tells her to play. Rather than adhering to the culturally accepted norms, Waverly’s mother directs her daughter to take on the challenge, effectively subverting the submissive role Waverly might be expected to perform.
Waverly follows her mother’s lead later in the story while they shop in the marketplace surrounded by neighbors. Waverly’s mother introduces her to everyone, which annoys Waverly because she wants her mother to brag about her own successes rather than Waverly’s. Waverly says, “I knew it was a mistake to say anything more, but I heard my voice speaking, ‘Why do you have to use me to show off? If you want to show off, then why don’t you learn to play chess?’” (Paragraph 65). Waverly challenges her mother in front of other people, then further embarrasses her by running away. Even though Waverly’s mother has encouraged Waverly to undermine certain expectations elsewhere in the story, she did not expect Waverly to sabotage her.
Nearly all mothers supply their daughters with tools both literal and figurative; lessons that teach daughters how to build barriers or connections. So, it is understandable that as daughters learn to use these tools, they might first aim them at their mothers. Even supportive and encouraging mothers might object to daughters screaming at them in public, even though they have told their daughters to use their voices.
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By Amy Tan
