I didn't really know what to think of this story. It is different than what I have read before. During this story, the reader finds out that Waverly's mother is very proud. The way it was described made me wonder if pride is considered a Chinese trait. When Waverly first watched her brothers play chess, she asked a lot of questions. Her brothers get very irritated with her and tell her to read the book. Later on when she does find out why, she learns not to reveal it to her opponents. I agree that this is a very good strategy. If one is more knowledgable about the game and all that is behind it, he or she is more likely to win. This is the same for any competitive game or activity that is being played. Lau Po also tells her that there are unspoken rules to chess. I found it very interesting that they all seemed to be somehow related to a Chinese proverb or saying. They seemed to have a meaning beyond just playing chess. I do not, however, know what that meaning is. I found it odd that her father was not really mentioned, other than to say that her parents made sacrifices for her. I agree with her brothers. I would have been mad had my sister gotten away with doing something or not doing something that we were supposed to just because she was good at chess. Another example of her mother's pride is when she takes Waverly with her shopping so that she can show her off. If I were Waverly, I would also be embarassed by my mother for doing that.
I was surprised that a nine-year-old had such concentration and dedication. Her brothers quickly tired of playing chess, but Waverly did not. She spends hours upon hours studying the chess board and pieces to determine moves in different situations. I do not think that I would have the patience or the dedication to keep up with that kind of intensity. I would get bored very quickly. I was also surprised that she was so good at chess. Personally, I do not understand chess no matter how many times people try to explain it to me. I get bored very quickly with it. After Waverly read the book and learned the "why," she became an excellent player.
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Personally, I believe that everything in life has hidden rules that make progressing simpler. The Chinese have many sayings that boil down to this one idea, so they may seem like a people with a saying for every situation. In reality, on saying fits all. I was also most impressed with the dedication showed by Waverly Place Jong as she developed her skills. I found it amusing that chess was termed an American game by a Chinese woman: chess was developed in Indo-Chinese society. This topic was an excellent one for Amy Tan. It showed off her ability to write about Chinese culture in an area that few people regard as Chinese. I only pray that The Joy Luck Club, pretend that was underlined, is equally well written. Judging by the movie, I doubt it.
I really liked how the Chinese sayings explained everything. I love symbolism, and this definitely showed that everything has a reason and a purpose. I was pretty confused when Waverly's mom told her that the rules were the "American Rules". I wondered momentarily if the Chinese rules were different. I understand now though. The Chinese way is not to simply read the directions and do what they say. Waverly wanted to know why certain pieces could only move in certain directions. Because of what her mother had told her, she read books and studied chess until she truly understood everything about chess. She understood why, and she understood the strategies needed to play chess. I loved how dedicated Waveryly was. She was so young and dedicated. Very few children could what she did at her age. Once she realized that there were rules to the game of live, I knew that she would go very far in life.
I think that Chinese people are just proud of their past. I mean Asian people used to be looked down upon, and I think the race just learned to take comfort in the cultural past. I cannot believe that a young girl of Waverly's age was able to put that much dedication into learning and becoming better at chess. I think that if a person works at something long enough, she will succeed at it. I still do not know how she was able to study chess that much. I find chess as a boring pointless game, and I would never be able to become that dedicated to learning the game. I found her mother to be disappointing. I think that her mother's need to use her daughter to feel important shows that the mother is not as proud as she comes off to be. If she was content with herself, she would not have to live through her daughter. I really dislike parents who live through their children. I feel that these parents are not happy with their past and want to relive it. What really upsets me is that most of the children do not like the life their parents make them live.
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