Waverly Jong

"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" (103).

The "two angry black slits" are a symbol of Waverly Jong's mother. Previously, Waverly's mother's eyes became "dangerous black slits" when Waverly got frustrated and bluntly told her mother, "if you want to show off, then why don't you learn to play chess?". In this scene, Waverly Jong imagined her mother beating her at chess, fulfilling her wish. The quote, "Strongest wind cannot be seen" means that Waverly Jong did not see the strength of her mother at anything she does.

This theme plays along with the title, "Twenty-Six Malignant Gates". Because many daughters underestimate the protection of their mothers, they tend to become disobedient and "bad things" happen to them because of their denial of their mothers' advice.