Who is waverlys mother

Waverly likens it to the wind, invisible yet powerful beyond belief. The wind can whip up fierce storms and flatten entire communities, yet leave no trace of its presence. In its power and invisibility, it is the strongest of opponents. The "strongest wind cannot be seen," Waverly's chess opponent tells her. Like the human will, it cannot be seen or traced. In another sense, the "art of invisible strength" represents female power.

Women who have been denied conventional paths to power traditionally use their ability to persuade, to shape, and even to control events. If a woman cannot sit in the boardroom, she can shape events from her home — even though a man holds the reins of power. This force is even recognized and sometimes derided in the cliche "The woman behind the man.

The "art of invisible strength" is also the power of foreigners, those considered ignorant because they cannot communicate fluently and effectively in the dominant language.

For example, Mrs. Jong's fractured English is amusing. When Waverly fears that she will lose a chess match and shame the family, Mrs. Jong says, "Is shame you fall down nobody push you. There is nothing humorous in her final comment to Waverly: "We are not concerning this girl. This girl not have concerning for us. Jong has won this round — or has she? The struggle for control between Waverly and her mother is symbolized in the dreamlike chess game in the final page of the section.

Waverly's opponent in this game is "two angry black slits. Jong's eyes turn into "dangerous black slits. She now knows that getting what she wants should not be left to fate; rather, she herself can shape events to serve her purpose.

Her mother seems all-powerful, and Waverly feels that she must continually prove her worth to her mother. She feels that her mother poisoned her first marriage — and, now, she will not get married again until she gets her mother's approval. She cannot even imagine eloping — even though it is her second marriage.

Marlene is astonished that Waverly has difficulty telling her mother that she is getting married. Even Rich is amazed. Because of Waverly's dependence, her mother still has the power to change Waverly's perception of reality. Waverly adores Rich. He loves her unconditionally and makes her happy in every way. Yet when she senses that her mother does not approve of Rich, her own opinion of him sours.

Rich tumbles from being a sort of god to being an animal. Tan uses a chess metaphor to explain Waverly's feelings and her battle with her mother: "In her hands, I always became the pawn. I could only run away. And she was the queen, able to move in all directions, relentless in her pursuit, always able to find my weakest spots.

It continues the chess metaphor central to "Rules of the Game," and thus it links the two stories. Notice, however, that nowhere has Mrs. Jong directly criticized Rich: The perception of maternal disapproval is all in Waverly's mind. For example, Waverly interprets her mother's remark about Rich's freckles — which she herself elicited — as an insult.

Waverly responds to her mother's remark "a bit too heatedly. Similarly, the Jongs do not criticize Rich's clumsy attempt to use chopsticks or his gauche gift of wine — only Waverly does. In the same way, Rich has no way of knowing that Mrs.

The lack of communication definitely throws up walls between mother and daughter. Mom's broken English becomes a sign of her troubled communication with her daughter, and by extension, highlights the differences between an immigrant and a child born to that immigrant.

It's hard enough to communicate across generations; for Mom, she has just that much more turf separating her from her children. Parents Home Homeschool College Resources. Study Guide.

By Amy Tan. Previous Next. Mom a. Lindo Jong We don't actually learn Waverly's mom's name in this story, but if you read the rest of The Joy Luck Club, you'll be properly introduced. Tiger Mom Mom's basically a well-meaning control freak. Her daughter, Waverly, tries to give Mom the benefit of the doubt: My mother imparted her daily truths so she could help my older brothers and me rise above our circumstances.

On the one hand, she rails against the strictures of Chinese culture and embraces certain elements of Amercanism with relish. On the other hand, she doesn't want to be wholly American. She had a sour American look on her face. Oh, maybe ten years ago, she would have clapped her hands — hurray! But now she wants to be Chinese, it is so fashionable. And I know it is too late. All those years I tried to teach her! She followed my Chinese ways only until she learned how to walk out the door by herself and go to school.

Waverly's torn between things that appear to be opposites: insecurity and pride, independence and approval-seeking, Chinese and American culture.