Rules Of The Game By Ernest Hemingway Analysis

If you were a protagonist in your own short story, who would your antagonist be? Would you be on the same side as your parents or opposing sides? How would your story end? The answers to these questions can show similarities and differences between protagonists. In “Rules of the Game” by Amy Tan, the author challenges the idea of American vs. Chinese culture. She often uses chess as a simile for American culture. Waverly’s mother, Mrs. Jong, describes chess in a passive-aggressive way, indicating how the rules of chess are related to the laws of America. In “Indian Camp” by Ernest Hemingway, he challenges the effects of visual experiences on kids. When Nick travels to an Indian camp with his father to help a pregnant woman give birth, he sees …show more content…
As Nick and his father start to head back across the lake, his father apologizes for the experience where Nick saw a c-section birth and a suicide all within moments. He is looking out for Nick by checking in with him about what happened that day. When faced with difficult questions, he tries his hardest to answer with an answer that will satisfy and teach Nick something while also reassuring him. Mrs. Jong offers Waverly some pointers at her chess tournaments by suggesting, “ ‘next time win more, lose less.’” (4). Waverly does lose less pieces the next time, and Mrs. Jong expresses her happiness when she congratulates her. When you look at Mrs. Jong, some might find her to be negative and strict. Though she might give pointers that have flaws in them, she is still trying to give Waverly tips to do better. Both parents of these protagonists want the best for their kids. Although their parents both want to be the best parents they can be, Mrs. Jong is actually the antagonist in “Rules of the Game”. While readers understand that she wants to help Waverly succeed, we can also see how Waverly and her mother have very different opinions. The conflict between the antagonist and the protagonist is very different in these two stories. In “Rules of the Game”, the conflict is external: Waverly vs. Mrs. Jong. While Waverly is fighting for new American traditions, Mrs. Jong would prefer to stick to her old Chinese culture. You can see the differences whenever they talk about the rules of chess. In “Indian Camp”, Nick has an internal conflict with himself, making him the antagonist. He is struggling to grasp the new information that he receives at the camp. Nick is curious about life and death, but he is in denial that he will die. While Nick’s conflict is an internal battle with himself, Waverly’s conflict can be clearly seen in the conversations between her and her mother. Both Nick’s father and