Reflections on the Queen's Gambit

In "Reflections on the Queen's Gambit," young chess prodigy Beth Harmon faces her first setback in life. In addition to being a chess prodigy, Beth is also a fashion model who is struggling to earn money. But her determination to improve her game makes her stand out amongst her rivals. In this acclaimed novel, Beth Harmon makes a comeback and proves her worth by beating a roomful of boys in a simultaneous exhibition.

Beth Harmon is a young chess prodigy

As a young child, Beth Harmon lives in an orphanage after her mother dies. It is there that she first meets chess, which she begins to play at a high school level. Later, Beth falls in love with chess pills. In Chess With Beth Harmon, she overcomes addiction to drugs and alcohol to become one of the world's top chess players.

She struggles to earn money

The new Netflix show "The Queen's Gambit" is about a young woman, Beth Harmon, who navigates the world of professional chess tournaments in the 1960s. As a child, Beth loses her mother, which leads to an early obsession with the game. Beth struggles with alcohol and drugs, but she matures and starts winning tournaments. This story is a timely reminder of the power of the female spy.

She struggles with drugs and alcohol

Although the show did not portray drug addiction specifically, it does highlight the reality of substance abuse. Beth uses alcohol and drugs to cope with the loss of her adopted mother and friends. She drinks to feel better when she loses at chess. She also attempts to find love on the side in order to fill her void, but it only spirals out of control. Beth's struggles with alcohol and drug addiction are very real, but the series did an excellent job of portraying them.

She is a fashion model

The character Anya Taylor-Joy is not your typical fashion model. Her style is anything but nerdy and sexy. The story is set during the 1960s, when women were hardly in the major leagues, but women's fashion was often just as interesting as men's. The character is an aspiring fashion model who spends her first prize at a chess tournament on a simple Scottish check sundress. In Mexico City, Beth visits a swimming pool and sports a black and white checkered swimsuit.

She is a heroine

In the Netflix original series The Queen's Gambit, Anya Taylor-Joy stars as Beth Harmon, a chess-savvy woman who becomes addicted to pills and tranquilizers when she is a child. The series is based on the 1983 novel by Walter Tevis, and the actress has been wowing audiences for years. The series premiered on Netflix on March 4, 2020.

She is a feminist

The Queen's Gambit is a novel that has a feminist undertone and portrays a second-wave feminism that is more idealistic than current feminism. Beth Harmon establishes herself without radicalism and applies to both sexes in real life. In a novel of this sort, women are often seen as the weaker, more inept partners to the male characters. Beth Harmon, however, is a chess prodigy. This character's story makes it clear that a chess prodigy must be a role model for women, but it is often the male characters who support her.

She is nostalgic

The Netflix limited series "The Queen's Gambit" amplifies the internal contradictions of addiction by placing it during a cultural battle. While it lacks the turbulence of the late '60s, it does paint a feel-good narrative. However, the overall effect of the movie is not as satisfying as the story would suggest. For a movie that focuses on the complexities of addiction, "The Queen's Gambit" might be the right choice.

She avoids cliches

Although representation of women in fiction is increasingly better than it once was, problematic female archetypes still fill the pages of media. They make stories easier to relate to, but can also be harmful stereotypes. In The Queen's Gambit, Beth evokes the usual female cliches, but manages to evade them. There are three things to note about Beth's portrayal of addiction in The Queen's Gambit.