The Twenty-Six Malignant Gates Response

The purpose of this story is to show how parents try their very hardest to keep their children safe. In the story before The Twenty-Six Malignant Gates ten the mother said, "It is in a book, The Twenty-Six Malignant Gates, all bad things that can happen to you outside the protection of your own home." she was probably lying. Parent's, mother's in this case, tend to lie or be not so great when they think it is for the best for their child.

In the chapter Rules of The Game the mother forces the daughter to play chess and is obnoxious in the ways she does so. An example of this is, But I found it difficult to concentrate at home. My mother had a habit of standing over me while I plotted my games. I think she thought of herself as my protective ally. Her lips would be sealed tight, and after each move I made, a soft 'Hmmmmmph' would escape from her nose."(pg. 98) Even thought this was insanely annoying to have someone hover while attempting to do something better, it showed her mother cared deeply for her. Later in the chapter it discussed how her mother held up a magazine showing off that she was the mother of a chess champion, this was probably out of vanity but she was still proud to call her her daughter.

In the next chapter the mother and her daughter were walking through town when they saw a crazy lady. Out of curiosity the daughter asked what was wrong with her."'What did she do to herself?' I whispered to my mother. 'She met a bad man,' said my mother. 'She had a baby she didn't want.' And I knew that was not true. I knew my mother made up anything to warn me, to help me avioud some unknown danger."(pg. 105). This is another example of her mother going to great extents to keep her safe. If it is actually keeping her safe is questionable but it ties into the story leading into, The Twenty-Six Malignant Gates.