"Rules of the Game" - Amy Tan

Hi! This is Cathy Lee.

The protagonist’s mother repeatedly offers advice such as “Wise guy, he not go against wind…” (p. 497) and “Better you take it, find out why yourself.” (p. 502). This emphasises how much traditional Chinese values are a part of the protagonist’s life, but also highlights the generation gap between mother and daughter, especially when the protagonist’s beliefs differ from that of her mother’s. Although some of her mother’s advice, “the art of invisible strength” (p. 497), forms the foundation for many of her actions, including her skilful chess-playing, she grows up to form opinions and values that are vastly different from her mother’s. When her mother says she should “lose less” chess pieces to perform better in games (p. 504), the protagonist disagrees, saying that she needs to “lose pieces to get ahead” (p. 505). Similarly, when her mother introduces her to others with pride based on her chess achievements, the protagonist feels that her mother is “[using her] to show off” (p. 507). Clashes such as these outline the differences in their held beliefs, and the resultant relational chasm between them as they grow apart.