Chess is a game of intelligence as it requires foresight in anticipating your opponent's moves. In India, the caste system makes life seem impossible at times, and life may be a game at best. In the book, A Fine Balance, the main characters all fight a losing battle through this social caste system. They each have their own intentions in life and are striving to accomplish their desires, but all are bound by society's rules. This "game," as we call it, truly defines the obstacles in life. The four main characters: Maneck, Dina, Ishvar, and Om, come from vastly different backgrounds, but they all have this life game in common. The rewards and penalties vary greatly among the players, but no one receives an easy time through life.
Maneck enters the novel as a young smart child who has every aspiration to be like his father. He becomes his town's prodigy child and lives an extinguished lifestyle. Soon his life changes as his parents send him away to school in order to receive a higher education. Maneck's game changes from aspiring to run the family store to trying to gain the respect back from his father. He explains to his mom, "daddy doesn't need me"."He only wants a servant in the shop"(212). Maneck believes this because his parents send him away for school, against Maneck's will. Therefore, he only sees them during holidays, and Maneck's father only hears Maneck complain about school. Maneck's parents are overly harsh on such a young boy, and they do not allow him to have any say in his life. Meneck is raised to take orders and never can make choices for himself. Maneck dies because of not being able to make a simple choice; he does not acknowledge Ishvar and Om as beggars when they yelled "O babu, ek paisa?"."Ishvar, it's me, Maneck! Don't you recognize me!"(597). Maneck calmly walks past these two who were such a huge part in his life, but he cannot overcome his uncertainty with how to react to their drastic change.