Ender’s Manipulation In Orson Scott Card’s novel, Enders Game, at the age of six, Ender is chosen by Colonel Graff and the International Fleet to help save mankind from the buggers. However, through his journey, he experiences manipulation and deception from significant figures that surround his life. This deceit from Colonel Graff, Valentine, and Mazor Rackham is focused on defeating the buggers in the Third Invasion. In this book, Ender is most particularly manipulated by Graff, the I.F. soldier who watches over him. Even though Graff is secretly Ender’s friend, Colonel Graff is the recipient of a lot of doubt and negativity coming from Ender. The constant belief that Graff is supposedly deceitful pushes Ender to perform better. Now away …show more content…
When Ender leaves to Battle School, not only does he face other “Peters” but he experiences fatigue and loneliness from the severe program he is going through. Valentine will begrudgingly be used to motivate Ender in continuing in the program. Ender has improved at Battle School within a year- the youngest toon leader yet and was highest in the ranks. Everyone respected him as a teacher- not as a friend. This made Ender feel utterly depressed. Nobody saw him as a young child- just a respectable commander and that surely made him agitated. Graff and the other adults began to worry about Ender’s health. So, they called in reinforcements and had Valentine write a letter, “She’d written before, and they didn’t let any of those letters through. Those might have been real, but this was asked for, this was part of their manipulation” (Card-107). The IF uses the person Ender as ever truly cared for, Valentine, to motivate him and give him some kind of shrivel of hope to persevere through the program. They believed that Ender would do anything for his sister Valentine because of his unconditional love for his sibling. Even though this manipulation strategy was transparent and quite frustrating for Ender, he was determined not to play by the adults’ rules and he continued to be the best soldier yet. Later, when Ender was promoted to Commander, he stayed on Earth for two months- never wanting to go to space. Valentine is brought to meet him and convince him to go to Eros,” She walked back up the hill, savagely angry at them for making her come to Ender like this. For she had, after all, done just what they wanted. She had talked Ender into going back into his training, and he wouldn’t soon forgive her for that” (Card-170). Valentine knew the consequences of manipulating her brother- that Ender would think
The Enders Game written by Orson Scott Card provides understanding of the characters and their relationships with others through indirect characterization and diction. Orson Scott Card uses literacy devices and specific word choice to let the reader draw conclusions about the characters and the relationships between Peter and Ender, the symbolism of the bugger mask/bugger-astronaut game, and the foreshadowing of Peter and Valentines death. The author reveals the relationship between Peter and Ender through Peter’s perception of Ender and the astronaut-bugger game. “Ender did not see Peter as […]
Introduction: Ender is one of the main characters in this book, Ender is intelligent on and off the battlefield he is the youngest in the salamander army but he is more skillful than anyone else in the army. The book Ender’s game is written by Dr son Scott Card, This book was the Hugo and Nebula winner.
Leading up to that he faces enemies and obstacles in the form of bigger kids and the games that he wins thoroughly, to the point where he cannot be beat. He always is one set ahead of whatever is thrown at him. Until Ender finds the Bugger Queen pupa.” Reached into the cavity and took out the cocoon.” (Card 321) Here in this scene Ender is going against what we have come to see as part of who he is. He has the intent to allow the Buggers to rebuild and try to live along side of humans. Normally he destroys something so thoroughly that it can never hurt him or the people he is fighting for again. This is perhaps one of the very best examples of the theme that one’s past does not define them or their
Ender’s game is a science fiction novel written by Orson Scott card it was published in 1985. This book is in the future when in the story earth has been invaded by an alien race and is almost destroyed by the invasion but wins the battle and to prevent earth from being destroyed if they return they create the International fleet which recruits kids an teaches them to be commanders. The chapter that I am going to analyze is chapter one which is called Third. This chapter shows how Ender is being manipulated since the start and how he has to deal with being different by being a third.
Bernard makes life even more miserable and lonely for Ender as he doesn't like him and builds a gang of other kids to help torture, insult, and abuse Ender. This gang torments Ender to the point were he feels backed into a corner and has no choice but to fight his way out. With this new found power, Ender gains a friend in Shen. His loneliness seems to subside for a short time as he makes a small group of friends. The adults see how he has gained followers and decide to move him to the Salamander Army in hopes that re-isolation would ignite that same spark in him. Once again, loneliness finds Ender. Because of his superior power and intelligence, he continually finds himself isolated and alone. Colonel Graff states that "Isolation is the optimum environment for creativity" (Card 149).
Most of the children know about the web of deceit and the manipulation, including Ender who works around it because of his own beliefs of his own purpose. Although he is needed in the mission to save the world, from Ender's point of view he needs to do this for Valentine. Or is he just tricking himself into thinking this? Ender realizes there is deceit by the IF and teachers. They deceived Ender into thinking that Valentine's letter was sincerely written by her. Ender realizes that he is being deceived and manipulated, his thoughts were, "It isn't the real thing because they made her write it. She's written before and they didn't let any of those letters through. Those might have been real, but this was asked fo...
Through the entire story, we watch as Ender is manipulated and wronged by authority figures. He does not receive the love, affection and care that parents are supposed to deliver to their children. He is constantly being physically and mentally abused by his older brother and school bullies, yet no adult ever comes to his rescue. This pattern isn’t just apparent during his life on Earth because it continues and follows him as he moves on to battle school. A specific example of this can be seen as him and his launch group are making the journey to the school for the first time. During this trip Graft makes a show of telling all the other launchees how impressive Ender is, which results in him being repeatedly struck in the head. Not only does this authority figure fail to intervene and help Ender, but as the abuse continues Ender has a sudden realization. “Then it had become clear. Graft had deliberately caused it”(Card, 32). This example shows how someone who
In the beginning of the book, Ender is ashamed when his decisions harm others. After receiving ‘special treatment’ on his way to Battle School, Ender is being harassed
He uses a combination of Peter’s ruthlessness with Valentine’s compassion. “In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him. I think it’s impossible to really understand somebody, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves” (Card 238). Ender reveals this to Valentine because it is the main reason why he despises himself. Ender first uses his method against Stilson after getting his chip removed. He realizes that with the way Stilson is, the only way to stop him is to cause enough pain to deter retaliation. Learning from his enemies does not only occur on Earth. While being rejected in Salamander Army, Ender studies the good and bad techniques in the battle room. Given that, Ender ultimately beats Bonso once he is in command of his own army. He continues to do this with every person and battle he comes into contact with, making him the best commander at
Andrew Wiggin is a very complex character because he is a young boy that faces many difficult situations. At a young age, Andrew is taken from his parent’s home and shipped off to Battle School to prepare for the war against the“buggers”. Andrew is forced into isolation due to the malicious tactics used by the school’s administration. Throughout the duration of this novel, Ender is bullied by multiple characters, such as his brother, Bonzo, and Stilson. He fears his dangerous older brother and he also fears that he will become him, and this creates an internal conflict. The text states, “He kept remembering how it felt to kill the snake, grinding it in, the way he tore the ear off that boy, the way he destroyed Stilson, the way he broke Bernard’s arm. And then to stand up, holding the corpse of his enemy, and find Peter’s face looking out at him from the mirror. This game knows too much about me. This game tells filthy lies. I am not Peter. I don’t have murder in my heart.” This quote conveys how afraid Ender is of becoming his older brother and the internal conflict that he faces. Ender also had to deal with the school’s administration rigging and changing certain rules to challenge him and sometimes they even tormented him. Even though Ender has had to endure these hardships, he is still responsible for saving humanity. These hardships shows how much of a complex character Ender
One of the elements of isolation that leads to the loss of childhood is the hostile characters at the battle school, particularly Graff and Bonzo. Graff stands behind the action and makes things happen, while Bonzo is too rigid to see opportunities in front of him. Isolation towards Ender starts in the shuttle before they reach the Battle School. To prove this, Graff says “’I’ll have him completely separated from the rest of the boys by the time we get to school’” (Card, page 27). Ender expects Graff to be tough and pick on him, but instead he sets him up as the best by continuously bragging about him. This causes hatred of the other soldiers to grow towards Ender. Graff means to do that to make Ender stand out from the others and to make him into the best soldier. Ender’s isolation does not stop there, but it continues as he finally begins to get along with the Launchies and make friends: “’So as soon as he can cope with a situation, you move him to one he can’t cope with,’” (Card, page 66) says General Levy when he finds out Graff is transferring Ender to Salamander Army. This declares that Graff does not want Ender to get used to where he is and that he wants Ender to be able to handle everything that is thrown at him, which is a form of isolation. I...
In the book Ender’s Game, Ender was the one in class that was the best and smartest, when Ender turned six he was asked to join battle school but he knew that he had no choice. Ender was treated like the best by Graff to make the rest of his launch group not like him and to make it even harder on Ender throughout battle school and quickly moved Ender into
One can be easily led to share the same belief Kessel displays in his carefully crafted essay, as he states many convincing points. A point commonly made is that even though Ender killed the bugger race unknowingly, he had planned on exterminating them anyways. Otherwise, he would not have attended Battle School. However, this was one of many instances of manipulation. Ender, along with the rest of the human race currently on earth, were led to believe that the buggers were planning an attack. Humanity was at stake, and the buggers were to blame. The Third Invasion all of humanity was taught to dread was believed to be an attack of the buggers onto earth. When offered a spot at Battle School, Ender was told that this was the only reason he was born. His life had one purpose, to protect humanity. If he didn’t go, why was he even still alive? This is a lot of pressure to be placed on a six year old boy. In
During the time he thought he was training, he was actually commanding his friends in combat against these aliens and eventually committing xenocide against them. Throughout the end of his trip through battle school and especially in command school, Ender is constantly down and almost what seems to be in a deep depression or some sort of mental disorder, like Colonel Graff predicted would happen. Ender did not enjoy the fights, day after day, and so when he realized that he had actually killed all the buggers, he was not happy in the slightest. “Ender’s mind was too tired to cope with it all. They weren’t just point of light in the air, they were real ships that he had fought with and real ships he had destroyed. And a real world that he had blasted into oblivion. He walked through the crows, dodging their congratulations, ignoring their hands, their words, their rejoicing. When he got to his own room he stripped off his clothes, climbed into bed and slept (Card 108).” Ender never would have acted so violently if he knew that it was real, like his fights. He never would’ve acted so violently if he had known his strength or if he knew what was being presented upon him. (“’Ender grabbed Mazer’s uniform and hung onto it, pulling him down so they were face to face. ‘I didn’t want to kill them
Ender and the kids has been treated unfairly by the I.F, he was contrived that the adults lied and persuaded him to attack the buggers for it was not a simulation. “I've spent my life as someone's pawn" (Card, 97). Ender has been a peasant to the adult, commanding him what to do all of the time and also treating and forcing the kids can lead them to failure like some of the kids in battle school, it is wrong to lie to and cheat a kid but on the other hand the adults manipulate him to ensure the survival of the human race. Just like how Graff and Rackham manipulates Ender, Ender has manipulated Bean while he is commander of Dragon Army, Ender was devastated that he was lied to just to kill an entire race of species that did not cause harm since the first attack, thus saying how manipulating others to do things sounds negative but it gets the job done. “The most important message was this: the adults are the enemy, not the other armies” (Card, 82). The adults are manipulators to Ender and do not tell the truth. They change the rules; they do not reveal their plans to anyone, they trick Ender into doing what they want and he considers and