In Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game, the theme of manipulation is present throughout the novel. From the very beginning, Card establishes the theme of manipulation from the start as a foreshadowing of something greater to come towards the end. Ender is an adult in a child’s body; He is more knowledgeable than most human beings on the planet. Card develops Ender into a character that relies on adults to help him throughout his childhood, but then grows to have a deep hatred towards them. Wiggin was just a normal child until one day where his life drastically changed forever. He soon begins to experience the manipulation from his journey throughout battle school and to defeating the buggers. Ender is tricked into turning his nightmare into a reality …show more content…
starring himself as the protagonist and the government as the antagonist. In Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card uses the character of Ender to show the manipulation of children by adults and their peers. In the novel, Ender is manipulated several times by adults but also by his peers. There is one character in the novel that Ender despises throughout the book, his brother Peter. The government have watched Ender through his monitor for a while and know that Peter is a murderer and that Ender can't stand him (Gross 117). When Ender kills the Giant in the mind game, The Giants Drink, he calls himself a murderer. He thinks of Peter and he says that he would be proud of him (Card Ch. 6). Card establishes a true hatred between the brothers, and makes it very well known to the reader. Ender’s biggest fear in life is becoming like his brother, Peter. In Chapter 1 Peter, Valentine, and Ender are playing their little Buggers vs. Astronauts Game, and Peter says that he is going to kill them. Ender is by no means an evil person and Card has no intent of making him one, but it is the people that surround him that create a different side of Ender. When Wiggin doesn’t defend himself he feels bad, but when he does defend himself he feels even worse. When he does defend himself it makes him feel like his brother Peter, who is the last person he wants to be like He then goes on to tell Ender and Val that he was joking, and that he could get them to do whatever he wanted them to do (Card Ch. 1). This is the first case of manipulation being shown in the book. Peter says that he can practically make Ender and Val due whatever he wants, because they are so afraid of him. “Throughout Ender's Game, adults lie.
They cheat. They change the rules in the middle of the game. Adults, in short, refuse to fight fair - and children know it” (Day 208). Manipulation by an adult is first seen when it is time to get Ender’s monitor removed. The nurse tells him that removing it “won’t hurt a bit”, but as soon as the procedure starts he feels a sharp pain shoot down his spine. As a child Ender does not know as much as she does as an adult, so when she told him it would not hurt she knew Ender would have trust in her words (Day 208). Wiggin’s own parent’s even lied to him about their lifestyle and their certain practices. “The lies in question range in size and scale, but the consistent message is that adults are reliable almost exclusively in their unreliability. Ender’s parents are revealed to have lied about their own religious and ethnic background” (Day 220). Ender’s whole journey through battle school is one big trick set up by adults. “The ‘hero’ Ender Wiggin, is manipulated by adults into committing Xenocide, the destruction of an entire intelligent alien species; the rest of his life is devoted to expiating this sin” (James 326). Ever since Ender was six years old, he has been manipulated by the military to concentrate on his survival. The military shows no concern towards Ender's health are well-being throughout this period of time (Brown 1245). “Andrew (‘Ender’) Wiggin is a ‘third,’ a child conceived by parents in defiance of strict population …show more content…
control ordinances that limit couples to two children and deny civil rights to any further offspring” (Brown 1243). When Ender was born as a “third” the government began inspecting him closely and they knew he was the one who would eventually save the World. Ender destroys the buggers by winning what he supposes are just video games. In the real world though, Ender has destroyed the whole entire bugger universe. He goes into a deep dark sleep filled with much hatred towards himself (Brown 1242). “Because of his sympathetic explanation of their lives, Ender, who became the literal savior of humankind by defeating the Buggers, became despised as ‘Ender the Xenocide’ ” (Argetsinger 305). Wiggin cannot believe that Graff would do such a thing to him because they had created such a strong friendship. When Ender had just wiped out the entire bugger universe, he went straight to Graff and asked him what happened. Graff told Ender that it had to be a trick, otherwise Ender couldn't have done it (Card Ch. 14). The teachers and Graff knew that Ender was capable of killing, but they also knew that he had deep-seated issues about killing and that he had an empathetic personality that would keep him from committing the Xenocide (Gross 119). Card makes this the climax of the story to make the reader catch on to how Ender was manipulated and tricked into doing something he had absolutely no interest in doing. Ender comes down to Earth and realizes that his worst nightmare has come to life, resembling his brother Peter. Card has transformed Ender into a whole new character, one very similar to Peter, his ultimate nemesis.
He cannot even bother to look back at his past and what he has done. Ender tells Graff that he came to the Battle School, because he’s been in the presence of the brother who he hated but known he has become just like him. He accepts the fact that he has turned into Peter and that there is no going back now. When Ender decides to go to a colony world with Val, she tells him that she feels like Ender is beginning to manipulate her when he breaks down in tears and tells her that he needs help. He says he will do whatever to get her to help (Card Ch. 15). Ender turns to Val as the only person he can trust now, and it seems like she has always been the only person that he can trust. When Ender and Val are together, he lifts up his hand and ask her if she can see the strings. Ender is comparing himself to a puppet that is being controlled by someone, in this case the adults at the Battle School (Card. Ch. 15). Valentine tells Ender that everybody knows who you are, you do not have complete control over your life. There will always be someone or something that is going to boss you around, in this case the government (Card Ch.
15). Card does an outstanding job of showing the manipulation of children by adults and their peers through the character of Ender. Ender’s life was drastically changed, because he was tricked into doing things that he did not want to do including. Andrew Wiggin’s worst nightmare was eventually turned into reality when he destroyed the whole entire bugger universe unintentionally. Card uses Ender to show the innocence of children, and how important peers can be in the raising of a child. He will never be the same character as Card made him in the beginning of the book; now he is known as Ender the Xenocide.
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
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
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.
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.
One part of the book where manipulation is used is on page 9 when Obie is talking to Archie and he couldn't say what he wanted to say as shown here -You couldn't win an argument with Archie. He was too quick with his words.- This supports the theme of manipulation because in an argument if you can say your thoughts on a subject then you get downsized and and you don't feel as strong about your perspective on the subject than you did before. Another part of the book where manipulation is shown is on page 48 and it says -You could take a kids lunch money and nothing happens because kids wanted peace at any price.- This text proves manipulation is a main theme because if you take a kids lunch money and nothing happens because they want peace this shows that the kids in this book are willing to pay money for peace instead of fighting for what's right.
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...
Throughout the novel, Peter has symbolized evil and manipulation. Valentine on the other hand stood for love and happiness, hope, future, and everything good. Taking this into account, this quote is obviously trying to highlight something much more, beyond the novel; it’s trying to illustrate the universal struggle between good and bad. Peter Wiggin has been harassing Ender his entire life, on both an emotional and physical caliber. It’s no doubt he’s become one of the more influential aspects of Ender’s life. But it’s Valentine who is always there to save him, and
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
Throughout the book, Enders Game it is arduous to establish what it authentically denotes to have human rights. The regime relies on children to preserve the world from the buggers. They are treated like they are adults and are purloined of their youth. Ender realizes that the adults are manipulating the children and his cognizance of what is right and what is not is what preserves the world from the manipulation from the adults. Because of Ender kenning what is right and was is not and withal is authentic this is what he does that culminates up preserving the Earth from extirpation. In Orson Scott Card’s novel, the Ender’s Game shows how in authentic life that children can be utilized in Warfare, which they are called “child soldiers”, and
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
Barbara Sher is quoted saying, “Isolation is a dream killer” which is a perfect summation of Ender’s lonely journey through an isolated childhood. Ender’s Game is a science fiction novel by Orson Scott Card about a young boy named Ender Wiggin who is taken from his family at the age of six for rigorous training that ultimately leads the entire human space fleet against the alien race, the Buggers, that threatens to destroy all of mankind. Card makes it clear from the very beginning Ender is alone in all this. It is precisely this that is needed for the transformation Ender must undergo to carry the weight of an entire race on his shoulders. Isolation becomes the primary element that contributes to Ender’s success as a leader because it instills self-reliance, strength, and above all else, empathy. He realized that no one is there to help him, no one is coming to his rescue, and only he can be the one to save them all.
In the story “Ender's Game” many interesting actions and events happen. From wars to death, to games, that are not games anymore. This story is about a young boy that lives in a world that is constantly under attack from extraterrestrials called the Buggers. In the beginning, Ender is just a young boy constantly controlled and watched by the government (The IF). In the middle, he is taken to battle school and there the people realize that he is the best person for the job and will lead the human race to victory over the Buggers. Lastly, the IF puts Ender and his group together to beat the buggers in a final war. The book “Ender’s Game” written by Orson Scott Card is a fun and exciting science fiction book that leaves the reader at the edge of its seat. The symbolism and hidden messages in the book make the reader connect to the story. The title, the characters, and the setting all have something more to bring to the table and change
Throughout the novel, the adults use the children's innocence in order to manipulate them. To begin, the adults cover their true identities, as controlling personnel, by portraying themselves as good people to the children. While Colonel Graff and Anderson are conversing they say, "' I like the kid. I think we're going to screw him up.' 'Of course we are. It's our job. We're the wicked witch. We promise gingerbread, but we eat the little bastards alive'". (Card 10) The adults explicitly state that they use the children's innocence to control them, they display one thing but have an outcome of another. By choosing methods of manipulation that appeal to children, the adults influence the children’s actions as they do things they naturally wouldn’t perform. Furthermore, the adults control every component of the soldier's lives. While reflecting Ender says, "I've spent my life as someone's pawn"(312). The adults choose Ender’s ultimate fate and every other small factor. They have an upper hand in their relationship, hence Ender refers to them as the chess player determining each of his moves. Furthermore, the adults use Ender’s obliviousness to manipulate him to reach their life goal. After the battle with the Buggers, Mazer explains, “You had to be a weapon, Ender. Like a gun, like the little doctor, functioning perfectly but not knowing what you were aimed at. We a...
Manipulation is a very powerful word. People use this tactic everyday to get what they want in life. By deceiving people or tricking them into seeing a certain point of view, people gain power. To skillfully use the power of manipulation a person must use another person's weaknesses. By using a person's emotions against them, they can be manipulated with ease. In Shakespeare's Othello, the character of Iago uses these tactics almost to perfection to achieve his goals.