Page 52 - Point 5 Literature Program Option 1 Teachers Guide (2) (1)

RULES OF THE GAME
amy tan

Student’s Coursebook, page 46

HOTS taught: Uncovering motives, Explaining cause and effect
HOTS spiraled: Generating possibilities
Literary Terms taught: Conflict, Heroine

Background Information

Biography

amy tan was born in 1952 in California, the daughter of Chinese immigrants. Rules of the
Game is a short story about a child chess champion in a difficult mother-daughter relationship.
as a major theme, the story reflects the clash between an american child and an immigrant
parent who is striving to maintain the culture, traditions, values and behavior of the old country.

Cultural issues and relevant vocabulary
• The examples of Mrs. Jong’s speech show us that the Chinese language has a very different
structure to English, particularly in how verbs are used. Look at these examples:
Wise guy he not go against wind (line 4) חורב םחליהל הסנמ וניא םכחה
Was smash flat (line 42) ירמגל הסרדנ
Who say this word? (line 65) ?הז תא רמא ימ
However, despite the incorrect syntax, the meaning of her words can be understood.
• One of the elements that define an ethnic group is their food and herbs. In the first part of this
story we are given many details about the food and herbs available in Waverlys Chinatown
neighborhood. It is not important to know their exact meaning but rather to get a sense of
their variety and otherness.

Examples of these are:
dim sum (line 20)
the odor of fried sesame balls (line 22) םינגוטמ םוסמוס ירודכ לש חירה
sweet curried chicken crescents (lines 22–23) קותמ יראקב ףוע ינורהס
pungent leaves (line 31) ףירח חיר ילעב םילע
• The game of chess is played all over the world and is known for the tactics and strategies it
requires. The name of the chess pieces in English are (line 115):
king ךלמ

queen הכלמ
bishop ץר
castle חירצ

knight שרפ
pawn ילגר

52 rules of the game