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Chapter 6
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Queen’s Gambit, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Talent, Ambition, Dedication, and Success
Discrimination and Belonging
Coming of Age
Addiction
Friendship and Mentorship
Summary
Analysis
One evening after Beth’s Russian class, one of the college students invites her back to a party. She makes conversation with one of the guys there, Tim, while drinking a beer and smoking a joint. He talks to her about wanting to read Dostoevsky in the original Russian. She likes talking to him, and she goes to the bedroom to call Mrs. Wheatley to tell her not to wait up that night. After she gets off the phone, Tim sits on the bed beside her, and she starts to flirt.
Beth demonstrates another way in which she’s starting to become more independent and mature—clearly taking control of her sexuality. She makes a deliberate plan not to come home that evening and pursues another student in her class.
Themes
When Beth and Tim first start to have sex, Beth panics—she feels helpless for a moment. But he’s careful and wears a condom, and she feels like it’s time for her to have had the experience. She thinks that what they’re doing is all right—it’s nothing like books or movies. She wishes he were Townes, though, and afterwards, she falls asleep with all her clothes on.
Beth feels largely in control of her first sexual experience. In tying this rite of passage to Beth’s agency (in contrast with her earlier experience with Jolene, where she lacked agency), the book portrays coming of age as learning to take initiative in one’s life, not being passive.
Themes
In the morning, everyone is gone. There’s a note on the fridge that says everyone went to Cincinnati to see a movie, and Beth can stay as long as she likes. She showers before smoking another joint, making herself breakfast, having a beer, and cleaning the entire apartment. She finds jeans, a white T-shirt, and lipstick and puts them all on. She feels good about how she looks.
This is one of Beth’s first experiences having true independence: getting to spend time how she likes, consuming alcohol as she likes, and dressing as she likes. Putting on lipstick in particular is notable, as it is the first time Beth has been shown to wear makeup. This is a symbol of femininity and often of sexuality, and having control over these aspects of her life clearly empowers Beth as she transitions into adulthood.
Themes
Later, Beth calls Mrs. Wheatley, saying she won’t be home that night either—she’ll be back after school on Monday. Mrs. Wheatley asks if she’s with a boy, and Beth admits that she was the night before, but she assures Mrs. Wheatley she’s fine and won’t get pregnant. She spends the rest of the day listening to music and getting drunk—she thinks it’s time to learn about how to be drunk, and she likes being alone. She then goes out to buy two bottles of burgundy for herself. She drinks them all night and the next day.
Here Beth experiences what she sees as another rite of passage—getting drunk. Emphasizing that she likes being alone while doing these things (i.e., doing them without her mother’s input or influence) associates such things with Beth’s desire for independence and control over her own life. Her indulgence in alcohol suggests that drinking is already becoming an addiction.
Themes
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Going to school on Monday, Beth feels light in the May morning. She’s ready to finish high school and devote her energy to chess. She has $3,000 in her savings account, she’s no longer a virgin, and she knows how to drink. After school on Monday, Mrs. Wheatley seems uncertain how to treat Beth, but she seems glad that Beth is finding a life outside chess. Beth graduates from high school in June, and Mrs. Wheatley gives her a watch. But what Beth likes even better is her new rating: 2243. She starts to study, first for an international tournament in Mexico City, then the U.S. Championship, then an invitational in Paris. She feels like her career is starting to take off.
This point of transition in Beth’s life shows just how much she has grown—and that she has done so by taking control of her own life. Not only has she undergone common rites of passage like sex and drinking, she has also gained a new appreciation for studying, acknowledging the work that she has to do in order to nurture her career. And as a result, she has been rewarded with even greater success, earning the title of a chess Master. Thus, the book emphasizes that even though talent can get a person far, discipline and dedication are even more important to reach one’s highest goals.
Themes
