Personal Strength

Author Tim Crothers uses the theme of personal strength to demonstrate how anyone can overcome his or her circumstances. He uses examples taken from the characters' life stories to show how a trajectory toward a better life can only be achieved with personal strength. The first example he uses is from Robert Katende's childhood and, by the end of the book, Katende is imparting that same lesson to the children in the chess project.

Queen of Katwe is filled with stories of people who overcome the odds. Katende continues to play soccer after doctors tell him his injury will prevent it; Phiona surpasses gender stereotypes to compete with, and win against, the boys. Even Night, who serves as a cautionary tale, needed serious personal strength to sacrifice her own future and pull her family out of poverty by starting a sexual relationship with a man and accepting...