Short Story: "Rules of the Game" by Amy Tan Answers

Which character from the short story “Rules of the Game” by Amy Tan is motivated by a desire to help his or her children be successful in life?

Read the excerpt below from the short story “Rules of the Game” by Amy Tan and answer the question that follows. “Bite back your tongue,” scolded my mother when I cried loudly, yanking her hand toward the store that sold bags of salted plums. At home, she said, “Wise guy, he not go against wind. In Chinese we say, Come from South, blow with wind—poom!—North will follow. Strongest wind cannot be seen.” The next week I bit back my tongue as we entered the store with the forbidden candies. When my mother finished her shopping, she quietly plucked a small bag of plums from the rack and put it on the counter with the rest of the items. When the narrator bites back her tongue, what two forces are struggling?

Why does character motivation matter?

Read the excerpt below from the short story “Rules of the Game” by Amy Tan and answer the question that follows. Vincent got the chess set, which would have been a very decent present to get at a church Christmas party, except it was obviously used and, as we discovered later, it was missing a black pawn and a white knight. My mother graciously thanked the unknown benefactor, saying, “Too good. Cost too much.” At which point, an old lady with fine white, wispy hair nodded toward our family and said with a whistling whisper, “Merry, merry Christmas.” What motivates the speaker’s mother to “graciously [thank] the unknown benefactor”?

Consider Waverly “Meimei” Jong’s actions and their consequences in the short story “Rules of the Game” by Amy Tan. Which theme is supported best by her actions?

Which cultural clash influences the motivations for Lindo Jong’s actions?

What are the two forces that struggle in a conflict called?

Which character’s motivation propels the rising action in the short story “Rules of the Game” by Amy Tan?

Consider Lindo Jong’s actions and their consequences in the short story “Rules of the Game” by Amy Tan. Which theme is supported best by her actions?

Read the excerpt below from the short story “Rules of the Game” by Amy Tan and answer the question that follows. In my head, I saw a chessboard with sixty-four black and white squares. Opposite me was my opponent, two angry black slits. She wore a triumphant smile. “Strongest wind cannot be seen,” she said. Her black men advanced across the plane, slowly marching to each successive level as a single unit. My white pieces screamed as they scurried and fell off the board one by one. As her men drew closer to my edge, I felt myself growing light. I rose up into the air and flew out the window. Higher and higher, above the alley, over the tops of tiled roofs, where I was gathered up by the wind and pushed up toward the night sky until everything below me disappeared and I was alone. I closed my eyes and pondered my next move. Who is the opponent in the narrator’s imaginary chess game?