A man who watched me play in the park suggested that my mother allow me to play in local chess tournaments. My mother smiled graciously, an answer that meant nothing. I desperately wanted to go, but I bit back my tongue. I knew she would not let me play among strangers. So as we walked home I said in a small voice that I didn’t want to play in the local tournament. They would have American rules. If I lost, I would bring shame on my family. “Is shame you fall down nobody push you,” said my mother. Which answer best summarizes this excerpt from “Rules of the Game”?
Waverly wins every chess tournament she enters but is dismayed when her mother keeps telling her to do better.
Waverly is scared about playing in her first chess tournament, but her mother’s encouraging words give her courage.
Waverly tricks her mother by saying she doesn’t want to play in a chess tournament, knowing this will cause her mother to make her play.
Waverly is proud of her chess skills and is annoyed that her mother keeps insisting that she is just lucky.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The best answer that summarizes the excerpt from “Rules of the Game” is: Waverly tricks her mother by saying she doesn’t want to play in a chess tournament, knowing this will cause her mother to make her play.
In the excerpt, Waverly is clearly torn between her desire to compete in chess tournaments and her understanding of her mother’s expectations and fears. She desperately wants to play in the local tournament but recognizes that her mother is unlikely to support her, as she is protective and has a traditional view of social interactions. Waverly’s statement that she doesn’t want to participate reflects a strategic choice rather than genuine reluctance. By expressing disinterest, she hopes to navigate her mother’s protective nature, knowing that it might provoke her mother to encourage her to play.
The phrase “If I lost, I would bring shame on my family” underscores Waverly’s internal conflict. It reveals her fear of failure and the cultural pressure she feels regarding her family’s honor. Her mother’s response, “Is shame you fall down nobody push you,” suggests a pragmatic approach to failure, indicating that shame arises from one’s own actions rather than external judgments. This reinforces the idea that Waverly feels trapped between her ambition and her mother’s protective instincts.
Ultimately, Waverly’s use of a lie about her feelings serves as a clever tactic to manipulate the situation in her favor. This complexity of emotions illustrates her desire for independence while still being under her mother’s influence. Thus, the correct answer reflects Waverly’s cunning in handling her mother’s expectations, which shapes her character and foreshadows the challenges she will face as a young chess prodigy.