Power In Amy Tan's Rules Of The Game

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Every person wants to have power and success in one thing or another. However, some people take this power to an advantage, and it becomes the only thing they care about. In "Rules of the Game", by Amy Tan, Waverly is a very gifted chess player. She plays in local tournaments that soon turn into national tournaments, and gradually loses connection with her family to her chess career. Waverly mistakenly breaks apart her relationship with them, especially her mother. Tan believes that no one should take advantage of power over their family, because it can end up hurting them.
Waverly doesn't know how to tell her mother she is being annoying in the beginning of the story, so she comes up with a plan for everything she needs from her. When Waverly wants something, she doesn't directly ask for it. She knows that her mother is strict and doesn't allow many things. She says, "I desperately wanted to go [to the chess tournament], but I bit back my tongue. I knew she would not let me play among strangers. So as we walked home I said in a small voice that I didn't want to play in the local tournament. They would have American rules. If I lost, I would bring shame on my family" (119). So instead of …show more content…

In the story, "Rules of the Game", Waverly takes power over her family, specifically her mother. She breaks apart the bond between herself and her mother that can probably never be fully restored again. Throughout the book, Waverly takes advantage of the power she's earning from her chess career. As she becomes more successful, the more focused she becomes on the power she earns. Her family makes changes in their own lives to help Waverly, but she just uses it to her own advantage. At the end, Waverly realizes how deeply she has hurt her family, and that she has lost their respect. Taking too much power ended up with Waverly losing all admiration from her mother, who was once her biggest supporter. She is alone now, and her mother has changed to her

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