Waverly Jong
As a young child, Waverly Jong was a chess champion that retrieved advice and wisdom from her mother on how to become a better player. Her mother, Lindo Jong, had taught her the art of invisible strength, a technique used to show no emotion and to make herself characterized as innocent in the eyes of her opponent. Waverly Jong used this advice wisely, but sometimes she thought it was a bit too repetitive and annoying. After a particular chess game in which Waverly won, Lindo gave notice to her daughter by telling her to lose fewer pieces during the game. Lindo Jong had stated, “Lost eight pieces this time. Last time was eleven. What I tell you? Better off lose less!” (Tan 97).
In Lindo’s eyes, she is using tough love to help her daughter further succeed, but Waverly is annoyed by this. She believes that she doesn’t need this advice due to her past accomplishments and develops an attitude toward her mother. Waverly is unable to see her mother’s purpose in her comments. She isn’t able to see the soft meaning on the inside, but can only see the hard shell its concealed by.
Like Waverly and her relationship with her mother, I have the same relationship with mine. My mother is always pushing me to do my best and is critiquing me for the better. She knows that you learn the best when you face challenges and tough standards. This is why my mother is always pushing me to get high grades or to do well on that physics test, its because she is able to see the potential I have. I see it as just one test that means nothing, but she believes that it has value. On an everyday basis, I face this challenge, of trying to satisfy my mother’s standards, just like Waverly.
The quote I mentioned in paragraph 1 relates to the theme of the novel because all the mothers want the same thing for their daughters, a better life filled with opportunities and success. The mothers had faced sexual standards and prejudice back in China which prevented them from accomplishing large goals. This is why the mothers are always pushing their daughters to do their best because they want them to succeed in a place where opportunities run rampant. Though sexual prejudice and standards do exist in America, they are not as common as in China. It is a lot easier for women to work and become successful here compared to China. The mothers understand this and want their daughters to take advantage of these opportunities for their benefit. Though Waverly may see that chess is just a game that she is very passionate about and that she really likes, I don’t think she is able to see the true potential of her skills. On the other hand, her mother is able to see the transformation of her skills into a potential career and how it could benefit her later in life.