Rules of the Game Introduction

Everyone has mommy issues. It's pretty much a fact of life. And in "Rules of the Game"—one of the short vignettes in Amy Tan's 1989 debut novel, The Joy Luck Club—Tan says everything we've ever secretly thought about our biggest fan and harshest critic.

In the story, we get a slice of Waverly Jong's life in Chinatown with her mother. Waverly's mom is an immigrant who wants a better life for her children. It's a great motive, but her mother's execution leaves a lot to be desired. Her idea of helping her daughter leans toward obsessively controlling her, so instead of preparing Waverly to succeed in the world, Waverly's mom gives her crippling complexes. Gee thanks, Ma.

When Waverly discovers chess, her mom isn't thrilled with the idea… until her daughter starts winning. Her mom quietly encourages Waverly at first, but the better she becomes, the more freedoms Mom takes away, until all Waverly does is play chess. And guess what? Waverly isn't thrilled. Not in the least.

The Joy Luck Club (and "Rules of the Game") hit the big leagues, in part because it focuses on Asian and Asian-American women, people often not included in mainstream lit. But while Tan's stories definitely fill a much-needed niche, they also managed to land her in hot water. Some people accused Tan of playing into Asian stereotypes—with all the broken English, exotic descriptions, and boiled-down fortune-cookie sayings, we see how "Rules of the Game" might tick folks off. Tan wasn't forced to exit stage left, though, and other critics praised her representation of the experiences of Chinese women and immigrants in America.

No matter where you fall in the debate, though, there's no denying that "Rules of the Game" hits the bull's-eye with regards to a universal theme. Through subtle humor, Tan gently shows us that some things (like bossy moms) aren't restricted to race. It seems like when it comes to moms, we all can't live with 'em or without 'em.

 

What is Rules of the Game About and Why Should I Care?

Discovering that you're really good at something is one of the more magical moments in life. It's such a rush to realize your own potential, to feel capable and powerful instead of all the harder things we so often feel. Plus, most of the time our parents are super proud of us, too. And who doesn't love collecting high-fives? We sure do.

But occasionally, in their loving efforts to help us be all that we can be, parents push us a little too hard to develop our gifts. Suddenly, second place becomes code for first loser, and even when we do better than we've ever done before, Mom (or Dad) seems to find something to nitpick. Just like that, our best of times becomes our worst of times, and it totally stinks.

Amy Tan captures this frustration in Waverly's story. Sure, it's tucked into a story about chess and navigating Chinese and American culture, but at its heart "Rules of the Game" is really about this most universal of struggles. It just might leave you feeling like your parents really aren't so bad after all—or it might inspire you to tell them to buzz off. Either way, you'll be hard-pressed not to consider your own life, talents, and parents as you read this story.