Referencing

Invisible Strength

In the story “Rules of the Game” by Amy Tan, Waverly Jong's mother is always teaching herabout the “art of invisible strength”(p.37). Waverly says that she uses this as a “strategy for winningarguments, respect from others, and eventually, though neither of us knew it at the time, chess games.Invisible strength symbolizes rules, and knowledge.

The game of chess has many rules just like the game of life. When Waverly asked about the

many rules of chess, she said 'This American rules,' she concluded at last. 'Every time people come out

from foreign country, must know rules. You not know, judge say, Too bad, go back. They not telling

you why so you can use their way forward. They say, Don't know why, you find out yourself. But they

knowing all the time. Better you take it, find out yourself”(p.43). Rules are invisible because they are

just a concept and an idea, but they hold limitless power because they influence everyone. Waverly also

uses the “art of invisible strength”(p.37) to win when she is playing chess and in life. Waverly was

taught this art by her mother who also used this art as a set of rules such as “Bite back your

tongue”(p.37). Waverly learned these rules that linked directly to life through trial and error such as

when she wanted the “forbidden candies”(p.37). She first whined for them and later received them

because she showed self-control by no longer whining. In addition to self control, invisible strength is

the strength of the human mind.

In the beginning of the story Waverly did not understand anything about chess. She “read the

rules and looked up all the big words in a dictionary.”(p.43) and later she came close to becoming a

grand master. This invisible strength is the strength of her mind. The invisible strength is also like

wind, strong but invisible. After her two brothers abandon chess for other recreational activities,

Waverly still steadfastly stuck to chess showing her will to become good at chess....