Chapter Five, Maxim, Amy Tan, The Joy Luck Club

Rules of the Game 

"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".

-Page 89

Waverly Jong, the daughter of "Auntie" Lindo, describes her mother's effect on her life through this quote. Waverly was a chess prodigy. At the age of nine she was a national chess champion. She practiced all of the time even while laying in bed. The game of strategy interested her greatly. Her mother would hover over her as she practiced new strategies. When they would go out together her mother would announce to the world that she was her daughter. Waverly started to become very embarrassed of this. Instead of considering Waverly's feelings, Lindo became angry at her for feeling ashamed of her mother.

I feel like Lindo Jong was trying to live out her life through her daughter. She wanted to always impress everyone, but did not have talents of her own to show off. In the beginning of The Joy Luck Club, June describes how Lindo and her mother were best friends, but would always compete with one another. This competitive nature is once again shown in this chapter.  The quote I have chosen shows that Waverly recognized how her mother has helped her in her life. However, I feel that it is hard for her to really appreciate her mother in her life since her mother is indirectly using Waverly to help her feel better about herself.

I have witnessed other parents in today's society who also use their children to relive their past. This is commonly found on television when you see a show like Toddlers in Tiaras. The parents of these children often do not have much pride in themselves, so they want the pride of having successful children.

In the beginning of this chapter Waverly Jong mentions the advice her mother had given her. Lindo gave this advice using a MAXIM.

"'Wise guy, he not go against wind. In Chinese we say, Come from the South, blow with wind-poom!-North will follow. Strongest wind cannot be seen'"(89).