Final answer:
In 'The Westing Game,' every partner pair is imperfect due to clashing personalities, differing social backgrounds, or contrasting motivations, which enhances the plot and character development.
Step-by-step explanation:
The novel The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin explores the dynamics of various characters through a mystery where they're paired together to solve a puzzle. Every partnership in the book is imperfect in some way. The imperfections stem from the fact that each pair has clashing personalities, differing social backgrounds, or contrasting motivations which create tension and conflict. For example, Turtle Wexler and Flora Baumbach are an imperfect match because Turtle is young, aggressive, and protective of her privacy, while Flora is gentle, motherly, and eager for company. Madame Hoo and Jake Wexler are another pair with imperfections; she feels trapped by her inability to speak English fluently, and he is a busy man who doesn't really have time for the game. These imperfect pairings drive the plot and character development throughout the story as they must learn to collaborate to solve the mystery.