Question

Which type of conflict is portrayed in this excerpt from “Rules of the Game” by Amy Tan?

I walked into my room, closed the door, and lay down on my bed. The room was dark, the ceiling filled with shadows from the dinnertime lights of neighboring flats.

In my head, I saw a chessboard with sixty-four black and white squares. Opposite me was my opponent, two angry black slits. She wore a triumphant smile. “Strongest wind cannot be seen,” she said.

Her black men advanced across the plane, slowly marching to each successive level as a single unit. My white pieces screamed as they scurried and fell off the board one by one. As her men drew closer to my edge, I felt myself growing light. I rose up into the air and flew out the window. Higher and higher, above the alley, over the tops of tiled roofs, where I was gathered up by the wind and pushed up toward the night sky until everything below me disappeared and I was alone.

I closed my eyes and pondered my next move.

a. conflict with the self
b. conflict with society
c. conflict with nature
d. conflict with technology
e. conflict with another person
I picked e

Answer 1

Who is the other person?

Answer 2

the black men?

Answer 3

No. They are characters on her imaginary chess board.

Answer 4

If the chess game is a metaphor for some life conflict, not a real game, then there is no other person. If it's a real game, the opponent who controls the black pieces is the opponent and the source of conflict. From the excerpt, I don't know which Ms. Tan intends.

Answer 5

She wore a triumphant smile. is that her mother?

Answer 6

so the conflict is with herself?

Answer 7

Yes. A.

Answer 8

Thank-you Ms, Sue

Answer 9

You're welcome, Catie.

Answer 10

thank you Ms.sue

Answer 11

thanks Ms.Sue

Answer 12

Character Development in White Fang