“Rules of the Game” tells the story of Waverly Jong and her adventures as a successful child prodigy at chess. Waverly begins by describing the simple childhood that she had as an inhabitant of Chinatown, but she then progresses to tell the story of how she first discovered her talent and love for chess. Waverly discusses her constant successes and victories as she plowed through tournament after tournament and eventually gained considerable fame. The aspect of this story that caught my attention the most, however, was the degree to which Waverly took her mother for granted. One day, while Waverly and her mother, Lindo, were shopping together in the market, Lindo was proudly professing to anyone who would listen that Waverly Jong, the chess champion, was her daughter. Embarrassed and slightly frustrated, Waverly confessed to her mother that she wished she would not do such a thing, and she even accused Lindo of using her as a way to “show off.” I personally felt that this was a very rude and harsh statement. Waverly may have been embarrassed, but I do not think that she was considering her mother’s feelings or taking into account how much her mother had sacrificed for her to become so successful in the first place. Lindo had been Waverly’s first supporter and had taken her to every competition, even when the locations of these competitions grew farther and farther away. Lindo had also excused Waverly of many things, such as chores and finishing her dinner, so that Waverly could practice. While it may be true that Lindo was, in a way, parading Waverly around like a trophy, Lindo loved her with all her heart and was simply proud to have such a daughter. The way in which Waverly criticized her mother and then ran away was both disrespectful and inconsiderate. Readers should note the immature way in which Waverly reacted and be reminded to respect their parents and family.
When Waverly finally decided to return home after hiding in an alley all evening, Lindo Jong declared to the rest of the family, “We not concerning this girl. This girl not have concerning for us.” I found this quote to be particularly effective in this section because, while harsh, I believe this statement helped Waverly to understand the rude way she had treated her mother. Also, it taught her that one cannot gain respect from another if he does not first show respect to that person. Waverly was a girl who lived and played by the rules of the game of chess, and, after this encounter with her mother, I believe she was finally beginning to understand the rules of the game of life that we all must learn, as well.
A literary term that was used in this section was simile, or a comparison of two things using the words “like” or “as.” In “Rules of the Game,” Waverly remarks, “…I could see the yellow lights shining from our flat like two tiger’s eyes in the night.” This simile enhances the description of the flat by painting a more vivid picture for the reader to visualize.
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