Engels Short Story

• Engels
• Speciaal Onderwijs
• Leerroute 1

Rules of the Game - Amy Tan

Bas v.M., Bas v.T., Dylan, Tim

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Content

Author

Characters

Short Summary

Narrator

Themes

Genre

CITO Questions

Author

Amy Tan

February 19, 1952

Immigrant from China

Freelancer

''The Joy Luck Club''

Her own experiences

Which of the main characters
can you still name?

Characters

Waverly Jong (MeiMei)

Lindo Jong (MeiMei's mother)

Vincent & Winston Jong (MeiMei's brothers)

Lau Po (old man who teaches chess)

Can you name a few key points in the story?

Short Summary

Talented chess player

Skills become a source of pride for her mother

>Waverly does not like that

Waverley having chess game with mother

Viewing her mother as her enemy

Dreams of floating out of the window and escaping.

"Rules of the Game" is a short story written by Amy Tan. It is part of her larger work called "The Joy Luck Club." The story was first published in 1989.

The story revolves around a young girl named Waverly Jong, who is a talented chess player. Waverly's Chinese immigrant mother, Lindo, encourages her to play chess and teaches her the game's strategies and tactics. Waverly becomes an exceptional player and gains recognition in her community.

The story takes place in San Francisco's Chinatown, where Waverly lives with her family. Waverly's skills in chess become a source of pride for her mother, who sees her daughter's success as a reflection of her own abilities as a parent. However, as Waverly becomes more successful, she starts feeling pressure and begins to question her own motivations for playing chess. The mother tells everyone in town that Waverly is defeating all these great players but Waverly herself does not like that.

Throughout the story, Waverly struggles with her identity and the cultural expectations placed upon her. She feels torn between her Chinese heritage and her American upbringing. Waverly also faces challenges in her relationship with her mother, as they both grapple with their own ambitions and the desire for recognition.

The story ends with Waverley viewing her mother as her enemy, as though they are playing an intense game of chess against each other, her mother is playing with the black pieces, and she is playing with white, creating an image of black and evil and white and goodness. Then Waverley dreams of floating out of the window and escaping.

The title, "Rules of the Game," refers to the strategies and techniques used in the game of chess. But it also symbolizes the rules and expectations that Waverly feels she must follow as a daughter and as a member of her Chinese American community.

In the story chess is used as a metaphor for life as seen in the struggles that she experiences while playing a game of chess that are similar to real life struggles.

Can one of u think of a struggle that can be seen in chess as in real life? 

Can you think of a struggle that can be seen in chess as well as in real life?

What type of narration contains
"Rules of the game" (1)

1. First person perspective
2. Third person perspective
3. Second person perspective
4. Omniscient Third-Person Narrator

Narration

First person perspectieve

What do you think are the
themes of this short story?
(2)

Themes

Quest for power

Conflict

Culture clash

The Mother-Daughter Relationship

What is the genre of this short story​?
(3)

1. Chess​
2. Betrayal​
3. Power
4. Family Drama

Genre

Family drama

CITO questions

What becomes clear about the art of the invisible strength in paragraph 1?
(4)

1. The invisible strength is the wind
2. MeiMei uses it to become a chess grandmaster
3. It means to have self control
4. Its a strategy that can be used to win chess games

I was six when my mother taught me the art of invisible strength. It was a strategy for winning arguments, respect from others, and eventually, though neither of us knew it at the time, chess games. "Bite back your tongue," scolded my mother when I cried loudly, yanking her hand toward the store that sold bags of salted plums. At home, she said, "Wise guy, he not go against wind. In Chinese we say, Come from South, blow with wind-poom!-North will follow. Strongest wind cannot be seen."

What special treatment does Meimei receive in this text fragment?
(5)

1. She is allowed to stay up late and watch TV.
2. She is given extra pocket money every week.
3. She is exempted from doing household chores.
4. She is provided with a private room in the house.

"Why does she get to play and we do all the work," complained Vincent. "Is new American rules," said my

mother. "Meimei play, squeeze all her brains out for win chess. You play, worth squeeze towel."

What is the cause of the arguing while shopping according to the text fragment?
(6)

1. MeiMei is annoyed because of the choice of clothing her mother is wearing.
2. MeiMei is annoyed because of her mother bragging
3. MeiMei is annoyed because she wants to go somewhere else.
4. MeiMei is annoyed of her mothers attitude towards her chess achievements

My mother would proudly walk with me, visiting

many shops, buying very little. "This my daughter Wave-ly Jong," she said to whoever looked her way.

 One day after we left a shop I said under my breath, "I wish you wouldn't do that, telling everybody I'm your

daughter." My mother stopped walking.

Is the following statement true or false?
MeiMei's mother inittially discourages her from playing the game

false

true

Conclusion

In 'Rules of the Game,' Amy Tan weaves together themes of strategy, mother-daughter relationships, cultural identity, and the power of language to create a rich and complex portrait of life in San Francisco's Chinatown.

Through the character of Waverly Jong, Tan explores the challenges of growing up between two cultures, while also celebrating the resilience and creativity of immigrant communities. Her message is one of hope and possibility, even in the face of adversity.

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