Words pronounced as peal

n “Rules of the Game,” an excerpt from her 1989 novel The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan examines an early part in the development of a Chinese-American girl named Waverly Jong and her relationship with her Chinese immigrant mother. Tan presents events in chronological order; nonetheless, she varies the pacing of the action in order to create tension and add meaning to the story.

"Rules of the Game" opens with exposition; six-year-old Waverly is on a typical shopping trip with her mother. Tan describes Waverly’s family, home, and surrounding environment. These rich and quickly-presented details are important for understanding Waverly’s relationship with her mother and her life as an American-born Chinese girl growing up in San Francisco Chinatown.

Tan then slows down the narrative to focus on the object that changed Waverly’s life: her brother’s chess set. The author describes exactly how the chess set came into Waverly’s life: it was a Christmas charity gift from their church.

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