The Relationship Between Mother and Daughter in "The Rule of the Game"

Looking at the differences and similarities between Waverly and her mother is very fascinating. I have discovered that Waverly and her mother have similarities, such as them both being disciplined. But they also have differences like Waverly’s mother wanting attention and Waverly isn't liking the attention. I found their similarities surprising because of the different cultures they grew up in. I was also surprised with their differences; I was expecting there to be more differences between Waverly and her mother.

Waverly and her mother are similar in a few ways. One example is that they are both disciplined people, on page 320, Amy Tan said “Vincent got a chess set, which would have been a very decent present to get at a church Christmas party except it was obviously used and, as we discovered later, it was missing a black pawn and a white knight. My mother graciously thanked the unknown benefactor, saying, “Too good. Cost too much.””, Which shows that Waverly’s mom was disciplined into being thankful even when the gift is not very good. On page 126 Amy Tan said “My mother stopped walking. Crowds of people with heavy bags pushed past us on the sidewalk, bumping into first one shoulder, then another. “Aiii-YA. So shame be with mother?” She grasped my hand even tighter as she glared at me. ” That section shows how Waverly’s mother disciplines her daughter.

In some ways Waverly and her mother are very different. Waverly does not like being the center of attention, while her mother does. On page 326 Amy Tan states “I wish you wouldn’t do that, telling everybody I’m your daughter.” My mother stopped walking. Crowds of people with heavy bags pushed past us on the sidewalk, bumping into first one shoulder, then another. “Aiii-YA. So shame be with mother?” She grasped my hand even tighter as she glared at me. I looked down. “its not that, its just so obvious. It’s just so embarrassing.” To me that shows that Waverly’s mom likes getting a lot of attention because of her daughter, and Waverly does not like all that attention being put on her.

The way their personalities clash affects the story. Like when they got into an argument about her mother showing her off while shopping. Another example is after the chess tournament when Waverly’s mother is telling her to lose less pieces while playing chess, but Waverly knows that’s not how chess works, on page 324 where Amy Tan said, “As she wiped each piece with a soft cloth, she said, “Next time win more, lose less.” “Ma, it's not how many pieces you lose,” I said. “Sometimes you need to lose pieces to get ahead.” At the next tournament, I won again, but it was my mother who wore the triumphant grin. “Lost eight piece this time. Last time was eleven. What I tell you? Better off lose less!” I was annoyed, but couldn’t say anything.”

In conclusion, Waverly and her mother in the story “Rules of the Game” by Amy Tan have some similarities. One big one is the discipline they both received growing up. There’s also some differences like Waverly’s mother attracting a lot of attention and Waverly not liking as much attention.