In 'Rules of the Game', the theme of identity is also present. Waverly is trying to figure out who she is. Is she the obedient Chinese daughter her mother wants her to be? Or is she the independent, self - made American success story? Her chess - playing is a part of this identity - seeking process. The cultural clash also affects her identity. She has to navigate between the traditional Chinese values of her family and the more liberal American values around her. And the mother - daughter relationship further complicates this identity formation as her mother's expectations constantly shape and reshape how Waverly sees herself.