The Inheritance Games

Games are a recurring motif throughout the work, a red thread linking the characters together. Avery played them with her mom, the Hawthorne boys played them with their grandfather, and even Toby/Harry played chess with Avery. Games are made to be won and, at one point, Grayson tells Avery, “There’s nothing more Hawthorne than winning.” (320). The games often highlight the class differences between Avery and the Hawthornes. While the Hawthornes solved Tobias’s riddles for fun, Avery’s mom creates games to distract her daughter from their poverty. Avery also notes a class disparity when she sees the Hawthorne game room, where there are thousands of games from around the world and compares it to her mother’s garage sale board games. Though the differences can be seen through the physical aspects of the games, the more abstract aspect of games, riddles, and challenges represents the one place where Avery is on equal footing with the Hawthorns, and that is intellectually. The opening of the novel sees a teenaged Avery playing—and winning—at chess with the adult Harry. Both Avery and Harry are struggling financially, but both have sharp minds that give them an edge regardless of the privilege their opponents might (or might not) hold. So, while the games themselves often provide a contrast, the ability to play—and play well—is ultimately the great equalizer. Throughout the narrative, Avery is insistent on winning, aligning her with the Hawthornes and illuminating her ability to find equal footing with them despite her disadvantaged past.