Human Rights Issue in Ender's Game

Mikhail Bakunin expressed the importance of a child’s rights when he said, "Children do not constitute anyone's property: they are neither the property of their parents nor even of society. They belong only to their own future freedom." Any person under eighteen constitutes as a child. Therefore, they are given the various rights of education, having a say in decisions of their parents concerning them, and protection from discrimination. In some situations, though, it may become apparent those birth given rights have been overlooked. In Ender’s Game, Scott Orson Card shows how easily an adult can abuse the innocence of a child and ignore their given rights when it comes to their own selfishness and convenience.

Throughout the entirety of the novel, we read as Ender experiences the loss of many of his basic rights as a child. From the watchful eyes of the International Fleet to the obvious discrimination Ender receives because of his status as a Third, his privacy and safety finds itself at risk. The first attack comes from a school bully named Stilson, and from there we read as Ender’s life is watched and put at risk from day to day. This is a direct break to Ender’s rights as not only a child, but a human being. As read in the Declaration of Human Rights, “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honor and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.” This clearly states a person’s privacy and reputation shall not be attacked or interfered with – both of which we see happen to Ender whether it be by students or the International Fleet itself.

It’s no secret that Ender is put to work during...

... middle of paper ...

...All around the world, children are stripped of their rights without them even realizing it and it’s important that fact isn’t ignored.

Works Cited

"Report Says Child Farmworkers Are Working Under Dangerous Conditions."The Daily Transcript. N.p., 19 June 2000. Web. 2 Jan. 2014. .

"The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UDHR, Declaration of Human Rights, Human Rights Declaration, Human Rights Charter, The Un and Human Rights." UN News Center. UN, n.d. Web. 31 Dec. 2013. .

Card, Orson Scott. Ender's game. Rev. ed. New York: Tor, 1991. Print.

Gettleman, Jeffrey. "THE WORLD; The Perfect Weapon for the Meanest Wars."The New York Times. The New York Times, 29 Apr. 2007. Web. 2 Jan. 2014. .