Byron Hueca ’28 and Ilona Shaoul ’28

Literary Analyses: Jamel Brinkley and Amy Tan

I. Byron Hueca

In Amy Tan’s “Rules of the Game” and Jamel Brinkley’s “Everything the Mouth Eats,” cultural identity shapes the protagonists’ relationships with their families and defines their personal growth. Both stories explore the tension between individual desires and familial or cultural expectations arising from the characters’ Chinese and Afro-Latin cultural backgrounds, respectively. Through the complex interplay of these cultural identities—the strictness of Chinese culture and the diversity of Afro-Latin heritage—both authors illustrate how navigating between heritage and individuality can lead to both growth and conflict within immigrant families.

In “Rules of the Game,” Waverly Jong’s cultural identity is deeply influenced by her Chinese heritage, which emphasizes discipline, respect for authority, and subtle interactions. Her mother teaches her the concept of “invisible strength,” a tactic for asserting dominance and winning arguments without showing aggression (Tan 89). This principle, rooted in traditional Chinese values of humility and wisdom, becomes Waverly’s tool in her rise as a chess prodigy. As Waverly masters chess, she also internalizes her mother’s cultural teachings.

However, the cultural strength that helps her succeed is the same thing that creates tension within her family. Waverly’s personal ambition to excel in chess becomes a point of conflict as her mother continues to impose her expectations on Waverly, reflecting the generational and cultural gap between them. When Waverly’s mother proudly tells others, “Is luck,” to explain her daughter’s chess success, Waverly resents the dismissal of her skill and hard work (Tan 91). This dynamic shows how cultural pride can inadvertently suppress individual achievement.

As Waverly navigates her dual identity as a Chinese-American, the pressures of her cultural upbringing weigh upon her. Her mother embodies the traditional Chinese values of self-sacrifice and familial honor, often reminding Waverly that her achievements reflect on the entire family. For example, after a tense confrontation with her mother, Waverly reflects, “I could see the yellow lights shining from our flat like two tiger’s eyes in the night” (Tan 100). This vivid imagery captures Waverly’s feelings of being watched and controlled by the expectations that accompany her heritage. The tension between these cultural values is illustrated through Waverly’s internal struggle to assert her independence while still seeking her mother’s approval, as she navigates between her American individualism and her Chinese heritage (Tan 95).

Similarly, in Jamel Brinkley’s “Everything the Mouth Eats,” cultural identity is pivotal in shaping the protagonist’s relationship with his brother and his self-perception. Eric and his half-brother Carlos are connected by their shared Afro-Latin heritage, but their responses to this cultural identity diverge sharply. While Carlos embraces his heritage through capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art and cultural practice, Eric feels disconnected from this expression of identity. Carlos, explaining the significance of capoeira to Eric, says, “You don’t do capoeira; you play capoeira. And you live it” (Brinkley 79). For Carlos, capoeira is more than just a practice; it’s a way to embody their shared heritage. However, Eric cannot connect with it the same way. Eric’s detachment from capoeira mirrors his broader estrangement from his Afro-Latin identity, which is deeply tied to his fractured family relationships.

Although he tries to engage with capoeira by taking classes, Eric feels inadequate and disconnected from the more profound cultural meanings that capoeira holds for Carlos (Brinkley 87). This disconnection is evident when Carlos, in a mix of teasing and seriousness, tells Eric, “You might not be able to tell though, ‘cause she’s got that nice smile… But don’t get it twisted. That woman’s as solid as that rock your ass is sitting on” (Brinkley 94). This moment summarizes Carlos’s strength in his cultural identity and family bonds while Eric struggles to find his place within those same frameworks.

The tension between cultural pride and personal separation in “Everything the Mouth Eats” is further explored through Eric’s reflections on their shared past. While Carlos finds comfort and belonging in their heritage, Eric feels increasingly alienated. Eric reflects on their childhood, realizing, “family… in so many ways, determines our approach to life’s deceptions” (Brinkley 87). This observation highlights the profound impact of cultural identity on shaping one’s worldview. Eric understands how deeply his family relationships and cultural background have shaped his ability to connect with the world, and how his estrangement has colored his life choices and interactions.

Both “Rules of the Game” and “Everything the Mouth Eats” highlight how cultural identity can be a source of both strength and tension within immigrant families. In “Rules of the Game,” Waverly’s Chinese heritage is a guiding force in her success but also a source of conflict as she navigates the pressures of familial duty and individual ambition. Her relationship with her mother symbolizes the generational and cultural divide immigrant families face, where children are caught between their heritage values and the desire to assimilate into a new culture (Tan 94). Similarly, in “Everything the Mouth Eats,” cultural identity is a force that shapes the brothers’ relationship, with Carlos embracing his Afro-Latin heritage. At the same time, Eric struggles to connect with it. Capoeira becomes a symbol of their cultural pride, but it also underscores the emotional distance between them as they navigate their shared past and differing views of identity (Brinkley 88).

In conclusion, both stories demonstrate how cultural identity is crucial in shaping family dynamics and individual identity. Waverly’s journey in “Rules of the Game” illustrates the complexities of balancing personal ambition with the expectations of a traditional Chinese family, while Eric and Carlos’s story in “Everything the Mouth Eats” reflects the difficulties of connecting with one’s cultural heritage when family relationships are strained.

Both narratives depict cultural identity as both a binding and divisive force that shapes relationships, within families and with oneself. Through these complex portrayals, Tan and Brinkley offer insights into the challenges of navigating cultural identity within immigrant and mixed-heritage families, where the pull of tradition and the push of personal autonomy often collide (Tan 95; Brinkley 89).

Works Cited

Brinkley, Jamel. “Everything the Mouth Eats.” A Lucky Man. Graywolf Press, 2018, pp. 75-111.

Tan, Amy. “Rules of the Game.” The Joy Luck Club. Penguin Books, 2006, pp. 89-101.The Immigrant Hybrid Identity Experience

II. Ilona Shaoul

The short stories “Rules of the Game,” by Chinese-American author Amy Tan, and  “Everything the Mouth Eats,” by Black-American author Jamel Brinkley, share an experiential writing style that emphasizes the struggle of the immigrant experience in America. Both stories follow children of first-generation immigrants who have found guidance, comfort, and self expression in the form of a game. In Tan’s story, Waverly’s experience growing up is in part dictated by the game of chess and the effect competition has on her family as she rises to become a national champion. In Brinkley’s story, the significant theme is the Brazilian martial art capoeira, which similarly holds great importance to his story and development as a person. These writers of color express their experience of hybrid identity through the games they play and the portrayal of their familial relationships.

The skills, techniques, and tactics of both chess and capoeira embody values that align with the struggle of hybrid identity assimilation. Tan’s “Rules of the Game” follows the life of the author as a young second-generation Chinese immigrant chess prodigy. In Tan’s description of the game of chess, a metaphor unfolds, a representation of the tensions and trials of the immigrant experience. “All weaknesses and advantages become evident to a strong adversary and are obscured to a tiring opponent. I discovered that for the whole game one must gather invisible strengths and see the endgame before the game begins” (Tan, “Rules of the Game”, 94). Tan implies that in order to survive assimilation, one must be ruthless, strategic, patient and smart; all values acquired through the game of chess. Tan used the same strategic skills and values to integrate into a culture that is not hers. Although the values are nihilistic and westernized, perhaps taking them on was necessary in order to live in U.S. society—a society that prioritizes individualism and achievements over familiar Chinese values.

In the short story “Everything the Mouth Eats” a similar trope appears. Brinkley relates his experience as a half-Puerto Rican and half-Black son of two immigrants. His brother introduces him to capoeira, a half-dancing-half-wrestling expression of cultural heritage. The sport is primal and instinctual while remaining graceful; it is animalistic and intimate and requires much skill. “Part of entering the world of Capoeira Angola is a constant training in vigilance, and not just during the actual playing of the game. Feints and trickery are generalized into a capoeira player’s worldview such that they are revealed to be an unavoidable part of the texture of life itself.” (Brinkley, 87). This concept can once again be applied to the experience of assimilation. A constant game somewhere between play and fight, resistance and respect. Both short stories share these metaphorical anecdotes that are representative of a shared experience.

Both stories also emphasize familial heritage and connection. In Tan’s case, this takes the form of spoken language. In her essay, “Mother Tongue,” Tan expresses how language is one of the cornerstones of her experience as an outsider. A language barrier that creates space between Tan’s mother and American culture does not make the same barrier between mother and daughter. “Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, full of observation and imagery. That was the language that helped shape the way I saw things, expressed things, made sense of the world.” (Tan, “Mother Tongue” 198 ). Although Tan’s mother lacks the ability to fully express herself in the constraints of the English language, her ability to communicate with her daughter is not weakened. Tan is able to understand the world through multiple different lenses because of her unique immigrant experience. Not only does she have an understanding of American culture and its language she also has the deep rooted wisdom and the beauty of her mothers’s tongue.

In contrast to Amy Tan’s connection to language, Jamel Brinkley carries familial connection in the body. In “Everything the Mouth Eats” Brinkley and his brother both experience a shared trauma that consumes them in different ways. Brinkley’s brother, Carlos, after becoming homeless and using drugs, found solace in capoeira. For him it was a healing practice, shared with his community as a celebration of heritage and culture. Through the course of the story Eric learns to appreciate and find great beauty in the sport, unveiling a side of his brother he was unable to access through language. “I saw how Carlos wanted to play, low to the ground, our bodies close. This intimate, and dangerous, style of play was known as ‘the inside game’” (Brinkley, 111). Their relationship was stunted because of an inability to connect and talk about their past, but with the very physical and animalistic practice of the game, they could express their catharsis and share their pain. Tan and Brinkley express their connection to family in different ways. Both require a return to heritage for a better understanding of their family, their pasts, and themselves.

These short stories are unique expressions of the hybrid immigrant experience in America. They stand as powerful lessons in practice, discipline, play, pain, and love. Tan’s experience is based on youthful expectations and strong values, which create powerful connections to her family. Brinkley’s experience reflects a deep reconnection to heritage and love within a meditative physical practice. Both stories emphasize the importance of connection and the pain of assimilation due to dueling ideals. In comparing and contrasting these written expressions of identity, each experience is separate and valuable, as not one immigrant experience is the same as another. There is great value in learning, understanding, and respecting the practices and ideals of those who are and are not immersed in their culture, as such diversity ultimately creates a society that is whole.

Works Cited

Brinkley, Jamel. “Everything the Mouth Eats.”A Lucky Man. Graywolf Press, 2018, pp. 75-111.

Tan, Amy. “Mother Tongue.”Best American Essays 1991, edited by Joyce Carol Oates, Ticknor & Fields, 1991, pp. 196-202.

Tan, Amy. “Rules of the Game.” The Joy Luck Club. Penguin Books, 2006, pp. 89-101.