Setting
What place is Waverly named after?
Waverly is named after her home, Waverly Place.
How does Waverly first begin to enjoy chess?
When she plays with her grandpa and brothers
What is the significance of Waverly's brother, Winston?
Winston plays chess with Waverly and helps grow her interest in chess, before assisting in her success.
How are the story and the poem similar?
Both passages focus on the interactions between a parent and child.
How does the story being set in America further the plot?
Waverly uses the fact that they live in America in order to convince her mom to let her play in national chess competitions.
How do we see Waverly begin to enjoy chess more and more?
Waverly recounts how she heads straight home after school to learn about the intricacies of chess.
How does Waverly describe the wind?
She describes it like it is an extension of her emotions and strategies throughout the story. She uses personification to describe what the wind is to her.
What is the significance of Waverly's older brother, Vincent?
Vincent first exposes Waverly to chess and plays chess with Waverly and helps grow her interest in chess, before assisting in her success.
What are similarities between Waverly's mother and the father in the poem?
Both parents scrutinize the behaviors and actions of their children.
Where is Waverly's family originally from and why is this significant?
China; Waverly says that her mom's standards align with other Asian families, and it contributes to her frustration with her mom.
It shows how even though she is successful, she is still unhappy with the way that her mom treats her and leads to her running away.
How does the wind change throughout the story?
It shifts from representing Waverly's strategic moves to Waverly's raw emotions, then finally comes to reveal how her mom is Waverly's true opponent.
What is the significance of Waverly's grandpa?
Her grandpa challenges Waverly to grow in chess and cultivates her growing passion for the game.
What are differences between Waverly's mother and the father in the poem?
Waverly's mother is very critical of Waverly's actions and very rarely shows that she is proud, while the father in the poem keeps a watchful eye on his son but still expresses satisfaction.
What does the park that Waverly plays chess in symbolize?
It symbolizes a safe place for Waverly to cultivate her growing love for chess.
It shows that her mother is the true "villain" in the story, and how her real opponent is not exactly a "chess" opponent but someone who has been essentially in opposition to her throughout the whole story.
How does the wind represent continuity throughout the story?
Waverly discusses the wind from the very beginning when she played chess with her grandfather all the way through her successful chess career and even into her personal life.
What is the significance of Waverly's inner conflict?
Waverly grows weary and tired of how she is treated by her mom, so she feels negative emotions toward her mom but her rational side tells her to keep quiet, until she eventually breaks and runs away from her.
What do both passages aim to convey to the reader?
Both passages aim to show different ways that parents and children interact, whether it be through healthy communication or an unstable bond.
How does Waverly's perception of her house change throughout the story?
Waverly initially thinks of her house as a safe place, but as her relationship with her mom becomes strained, she begins to avoid the house and even runs away.
What is the significance of Waverly running away?
It shows her discontent with her current home, specifically her strained relationship with her mom.
Why is the wind so significant to the reader?
The wind represents an outlet for Waverly to express her emotions and convey what she is feeling both in chess and in life.
What is the significance of Waverly's mother?
How do the two children's perceptions of their parents differ in the two passages?
Waverly grows a distaste for her mom as the story progresses, while the child in the poem is more receptive and understanding of what the father says.