Rules of the Game Themes

Family defines Waverly's life in "Rules of the Game." She's just a kid, after all, and her mother is a force to be reckoned with—and she has her eyes set on Waverly. Yes, chess is in the mix, but...

Chess becomes a metaphor for life in "Rules of the Game," as Waverly and her mother climb into each other's heads and start yanking wires like deranged howler monkeys. Waverly learned manipulation...

The main character in "Rules of the Game" is just a kid, so it isn't too surprising that the story is concerned with youth. Specifically, this story is about how Waverly slowly loses her innocence....

Waverly starts out a normal kid doing normal kid things in "Rules of the Game," playing on slides and driving her mother nuts with weird questions. But when she starts playing chess—and more to t...

Waverly's mom grew up in China before moving to America, while Waverly is growing up in a part of America that is heavily influenced by China. Chess becomes her window into the United States—whic...