Young kids can be easily affected by their surroundings. They learn from the roles of their teachers and their fellow students and peers. This is clearly demonstrated in Ender’s Game, a science fiction novel written by Orson Scott Card. It shows how Ender Wiggin, a very young boy, is put into a position of leadership and what he learns through this experience, Through a computer game, Ender learns that he is a very clever killer. Through his experience as commander, Ender learns that being strict will help him be a better leader and win games. Finally, his experience with Shen and Bernard teaches Ender that having humor will easily allow him to make friends. Overall, Ender’s experience in Battle School teaches him many things about himself, about leadership, and about friendship. By means of the computer game that he plays at Battle School, Ender discovers that he is a clever killer. In one part of this game, Ender is faced with a giant standing behind a table with two liquids, with one supposedly taking him to “fairyland” upon being drunk, and the other being poison. It is a riddle that Ender has to solve by simply guessing the right liquid. After many failed attempts, however, Ender begins to get frustrated. Instead of guessing one of the liquids, he kicks both glasses over, then “jumped[s] on the giant’s face, clambered[s] up his lips and nose, and began[s] to dig in the giant’s eye” (64). Ender shows his problem-solving persona when he decided to disobey the rules of the game. His killer side is also unleashed when he decided to dig out the giant’s eye and murder him. He shows the side of him that mirrors his brother Peter. The rigorous training sessions at the battle school and Bernard’s treatment probably brought out Ender’... ... middle of paper ... .... Ender is able to get the other Launchies to be comfortable with him by humiliating the boy that is everyones bully. He is able to find common ground with the Launchies in his army. He successfully makes friends, and “his isolation was[is] over” (53). When trying to find some friends, Ender learns that showing his sense of humor is the best way to go. Overall, Ender’s affairs in command teach him many things about himself, leadership, and friendship. He learns that showing his sense of humor will help him create friendships with his fellow Launchies. He also learns that being a strict commander will produce positive results for his army. Finally, Ender learns through a computer game that he is a clever killer under all his raw emotion. Although Battle School is a painful ordeal for Ender, he is able a few valuable lessons that will probably help him later in life.
Before Ender got picked to fight the buggers he was just a normal boy he went to school like every other kid, one day he got put in a test and if he passed he would go to battle school in space, Ender eventually passed the test and he had a military personnel come to his door and tell his parents that he passed the test and is going to battle school.
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 […]
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.
Ender is selected to go to Battle School in space because of the actions he has displayed against a bully after a device known as a monitor, which allows the leaders of the I.F. to watch and hear everything Ender perceives. Although Ender’s conception was predetermined (in this time period, families are only allowed to have two children unless stated by the government which is why Ender is often called a “Third”), he had to display the correct characteristics to be selected. Ender’s siblings, Peter and Valentine also wore the monitor, but neither wore it as long nor was selected because Peter was too cruel and Valentine was too mild. Once Ender arrives, he makes a couple new friends from the other selected children, including a boy named Alai. When Ender is alone, he plays a mind game and progresses farther than anyone has before so out of the blue, Ender becomes promoted to a group called Salamander Army, where he befriends the only girl, Petra Arkanian, at Battle School. As Ender continues to display his brilliance, he is continuously being promot...
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
This Chapter begins with two mysterious characters having a conversation describing Ender and his two siblings. They decide that the Ender is the one they need to save the world from the buggers they say they have doubts about him just as they did about his brother and sister. The story begins with Ender a six year old boy having his monitor removed that device allows the authorities to see what he is thinking and his emotions his brother peter hates him because ender had the moni...
After years of being monitored by government officials, Ender Wiggins, the main character of Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game, finds himself completely alone. The loneliness set's in as he finds himself in a new school, away from the watchful eyes of the government and bared to the world. He is a Third. This feeling of being a third makes Ender feel even more isolated, "It was not his fault he was a Third. It was the government's idea, they were the ones who authorized it - how else could a Third like Ender have got into school?" (Card 5). There was no one there to keep the bullies away now. Although he never really liked the monitor, he now found himself alone and missing the advent ages of having it on and knowing that someone, somewhere was always with him and watching him. At battle school, Ender knows that he will be isolated from the other students. Colonel Graff tells the other students of Ender and how superior his talents and intelligence is compared to the rest of the group. The other students don't like Ender and don't trust him. Throughout battle school, Ender is kept from his family and isolated from other children.
He is still constantly comparing himself to Peter. In a game Ender played, he had to kill a snake in order to progress which haunts him with thoughts of killing. “‘This game tells filthy lies. I am not like Peter. I don’t have murder in my heart.’ And then a worse fear, that he was the killer, only better at it than Peter ever was.” (Card 115). He is starting to believe that he is not like Peter, however the thought of being no better and maybe even worse than his brother is still in the back of his mind. At this time in the book, Ender seems very opinionated when he compares himself to Peter, and stays that way for quite a while. In chapter eight, Ender is battling a group of boys and ends up hurting them to protect himself. He is later seen questioning why he keeps harming other boys. “I’m doing it again, thought Ender. I’m hurting people again just to save myself. Why don’t they leave me alone, so I don’t have to hurt them.” (Card 115). Now Ender is wondering as to why these people keep attacking him. This causes him to breach his morals and fight back harder so they do not think about coming at him again. Ender’s shame for compromising his morals is starting to turn into
Therefore, Ender shows the reader that he takes responsibility as an adult for just waking up early and on time for his battles. Therefor, Ender taking that responsibility must be hard since he's just a kid and has to be responsible for
Throughout the novel, Ender gradually begins to realize that he is not so different from his brother Peter. Ender grew up being punished and beaten up just for being a third who was smarter than Peter. This explains why Ender wants nothing to do with him when he leaves home. The mind game periodically reminds Ender that he is not completely different from him through certain levels. On the first obstacle that proved difficult, he brutally
After much internal debate Ender decides to go to battle school and leave home. He knows he won’t see his family until he is at least 12 but most likely he will have to wait until he is 16. When Ender is inside the ship on the way to battle school, the adults start their manipulation game. Graff calls out Ender as the only one who will save mankind, making the other kids hate Ender and become envious. Ender already lost the chance at having a normal childhood when he was born a third, but he was also considered to be the chosen one to save mankind from the very beginning. The manipulation of Ender is shown through the book and the children at the school either take part in his abuse or ignore the adults who cause it. Through this abusive training tactic Ender becomes the skilled fighter and leader the government wants. Ender gets moved through the program fast. He gets to the command school at age 9, a school no one can go to until they are sixteen. The adults tell him he will be doing simulations to practice the attacks on the buggers, but after the last simulation he finds out he killed the entire bugger species. The novel shows Ender to be morally innocent throughout his story, but he takes on the guilt of xenocide of the buggers. He is shocked at what he did, even when he didn’t know what he’s doing. Ender loses his innocence at this moment. He knew he was being manipulated by the adults throughout his career at the battle schools, but he had no idea he was being manipulated into exterminating a whole race. When he realizes what he did he goes into another depression slump and does not come out of his room for days. He doesn’t understand why he was manipulated into what he
One key component that is produced through Ender’s struggles at his young age is self-reliance. Ender is born unto a family where he is seen as an outcast; he’s a “third.” In a world where population control is major concern, a third-born child is looked upon in disgust. He is isolated even before he is brought into the world. John Kessel reveals his insights into Card’s interpretation of Ender’s exploitation when he says,” Orson Scott Card presents a harrowing tale of abuse. Ender’s parents and older brother (. . .) either ignore the abuse of Ender or participate in it” (Kessel 1). No one contributes more to this abuse than his older brother, Peter. Along with his birth, jealousy and hatred are especially common towards Ender. This disapproving outlook is particularly apparent from Peter. Peter let’s Ender know hi...
During the book ender plays many battle games, intelligence games, and mind games. It basically turns enders life into a game, or saying life is “Ender's game”. Next, there is the part where Ender destroys the Bugger (alien) army he believes it is just a game. The leaders of the schools tell Ender that it is just a simulation, just a game, but really it ends up he is leading the real armies to beat the buggers. Once again there is a game, Ender's game. Throughout the book it is constantly telling you low key that life is Ender’s game, that he can do whatever. Lastly, one of the mind games ender plays ends up being real in real life. In this game ender kills a giant, and explore this magical land. In this land Ender kills a giant and explores the playground area next to a forest where there is this castle. Representing Ender's game, The buggers somehow built this magical land on one of their planets with the giant and castle and
The novel Ender’s Game is written by Orson Schott Card. It is about a young boy who is sent to battle school. He meets friends and makes adversaries. In battle school, out in space, Ender, the young boy is a genius and is taught many tactics to destroy their prime enemy the buggers. He excels in school and battles his way into command school before the required age. There he is told he is battling buggers in simulations or is he? Throughout the novel, Ender is manipulated, bullied, and isolated, which creates many themes and messages. In this novel Ender’s Game the main theme is life is a game. Three characters that best prove this are Ender, Peter, and Bonzo.
A general then explains that he want to send Ender to battle school so he can learn how to fight in space. Ender decides to go. When he gets there he finds out that it is very tough. He ends up killing 2 kids and breaking count less numbers of bones in the 4 years that he is there.