The Twenty-Six Malignant Gates
At church the Jong's received gifts that were donated by the members of another church. The children picked from the bag and Waverly's brother, Vincent, received a chess set. Waverly convinced her brothers to let her play by using two lifesavers to take the place of the missing pieces and the winner got to eat both lifesavers. Waverly learned the power of each piece and learned that she must see the invisible traps that she must avoid and to set invisible traps that her opponent may run into. When her brothers lost interest she began playing with Lau Po. He taught her many new strategies. She began playing in tournaments and became a national champion. Her mother took much pride in her daughter's accomplishments, but Waverly did not appreciate her bragging.
"'Why do you have to use me to show off? If you want to show off, then why don't you learn to play chess?'" (99)
Lindo liked to tell everyone who her daughter was. She had something to brag about at the meetings of the Joy Luck Club. She was a prodigy; and she got publicity. However, Lindo was offended that her daughter would say such a thing. Waverly loved winning and she was good at winning chess matches. Lindo loved that she had a daughter she could brag about.
"'Bite back your tongue,' scolded my mother..." (89)
"Bite your tongue" is an idiom that refers to refraining from speaking because it is better to say nothing at all. In the context, Lindo Jong, Waverly's mother, is telling her to stop screaming and crying, so the phrase can be taken as meaning to stop screaming, talking, or crying.
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