Literary term- adage: "She has a Chinese saying for what she knows. Chunwang chihan: If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold." (149)
metaphor: "In her hands, I always became the pawn. I could only run away. And she was the queen, able to move in all directions, relentless in her pursuit, always able to find my weakest spots." (180)
(comparing Waverly and her mother to chess pieces)
Quote- "I wasn't so much afraid of my mother as I was afraid for Rich. I already knew what she would do, how she would attack him, how she would criticize him." (173)
In chapter 10, Waverly tries to tell her mother that she is getting marries to a man named Rich. She knows that her mother would disapprove of him and be upset with Waverly for marrying him. This quote shows how Waverly felt about telling her mother of her marriage to Rich. She was concerned for Rich because she knew her mother would criticize him, and she did. At dinner, Waverly's mother criticized Rich's appearance, mannerisms, and behavior. Waverly knew her mother would do such things, that is why she wanted to protect Rich from her mother's disapproval. This quote also shows the distance in Waverly and her mother's relationship. It shows the fear Waverly has for her mother and their varying views of culture. Waverly's mother is very much consumed in the Chinese culture in all aspects of her life, while her daughter is accustomed to the American way of life. This theme of parental disapproval is also common in the movie "The Notebook". The two main characters, Allie and Noah, fall in love, but Allie's parents disapprove of Noah. Allie's mother criticizes Noah in many fashions, just as Waverly's mother did to Rich. Both Allie and Waverly try to convince their mothers that Noah and Rich are good men and to not judge them.
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