Elements That Influence Enders Behavior - Research Paper Example

Elements That Influence Ender’s Behavior Ender’s game is a military science fiction novel created in 1985 by Orson Scott Card. The novel is set in the future of earth. In addition, the novel illustrates an exposed human race that has recently gone through two battles with an insectoid alien species, Buggers. In readiness for an expected third conflict, a global fleet operates an institution to recognize and instruct future fleet commanders. The most talented children from all over the world, including the main character, Ender Wiggin, are transported at an extremely young age to a training facility known as the Battle School. While at the Battle School, these children are trained in the art of battle via increasingly tough games. These games include ones that are performed in zero gravity in the Battle Room. This is where the tactical genius of Ender is discovered. According to the book, humanity started to examine the solar system and comprehend interplanetary spaceflight sometime in the near future. During this assessment, they came across an alien species referred to as the Formics, offensively named buggers because of their insect-like features (Elaine 7). These creatures attacked human beings and members of these two species entered into a battle. In spite of political disagreements between the three ruling parties, the Strategos, Polemarch, and Hegemon, a peace was developed and an International Fleet created to deal with the Formics. In anticipation for the return of the buggers, the International Fleet developed the Battle School. This was a program meant to ascertain children of brightest and best tactical brains and place them in thorough training to help deal with the Formic concern once and for all (“Introduction”. Enders Game 26). This paper will analyze and interpret why Ender behaves as he does in the novel by looking at the events or conditions that made him the person he is in the novel. The Influence of Other Characters on Ender Ender’s game highlights the story of Ender Wiggin. This is a young boy who is taken to the Battle School which is situated in the orbit above the earth. This training institution is created to make the young children become combatants that will fight against the buggers in the future. Ender goes to the training institution, trying his level best to advance in the harsh training program. On the other hand, his sister and brother are attempting to fix the earth and make it a better place. The training is difficult for Ender. Nonetheless, Ender is given an extremely talented instructor, who assists him in becoming a commander who will ultimately rescue the human race from the third invasion. In addition, there are a number of characters who help shape the way Ender behaves in the novel. There is Ender’s family which consists of his sister Valentine and cruel brother Peter, Ender’s friends at the Battle School, including Carn Carby, Petra, Hot Soup, Bonzo, Crazy Tom, Bean, Dink, and Alai. In addition, there is the Queen, from the buggers’ species, Colonel Graff, and other individuals of power (Miller 58). These individuals posses dissimilar characteristics that help shape the way Ender behaves in the novel. The officials operating the Battle School, Ender’s parents, the other children being trained in the Battle School, and Ender’s older brother, either take part in abusing Ender or ignore the abuse of Ender (DeCandido and DeCandido 1). It may be argued that the abusive training Ender goes through turns him into a professional at carrying out violent acts against his rivals, and this capacity in the end makes him the rescuer of the human species. Moreover, the novel continuously informs the readers that he is morally clean. Even though he eventually takes on guilt for the termination of the alien buggers, his pretentious guilt is an unjustified action. Ender is depicted as a scapegoat for the actions of other individuals. The author attempts to make the readers believe that the damage Ender causes is not due to his intents and only due to the sacrifice he makes for other people. Therefore, it may be argued that the morality of Ender’s action is solely based on the intents of his own actions. Moreover, the result of Ender’s actions represents a person who eliminates a complete species and yet remains essentially innocent. In addition, Ender is depicted as an icon of susceptibility, placed under almost impractical strain. It is when Ender reaches a decision to renounce the enterprise that he wins the definitive victory. The mistreatments that he goes through almost makes him a catastrophic character when it becomes apparent that his triumph makes him obsolete, while his childhood training has left him incompetent for a different form of existence. Ender’s Suffering and its Impact on His Behavior Also, Ender behaves the way he does because he is subjected to undeserved, relentless suffering. On the foremost page of the novel a mature individual lies to him about an event that may cause him harm. The health expert taking off the surgically implanted monitor utilized by Ender gives a word that the elimination will not be painful. Nonetheless, when the surgically implanted monitor is being removed, the condition is unbearable. Also, when Ender is not being given the wrong information by authorities in the Battle School, he is experiencing bullying. The origin of a large degree of hatred experienced by Ender is that he is better than practically every character in the novel. Ender is better in morality, intelligence, psychological understanding of other people, creativity, logic, and sensitivity, and, when it is required and despite inadequate physical stature and training, hand to hand battle. In the initial chapter, the same day the surgically implanted monitor is eliminated, a playground bully, Stilson, assaults Ender. At six years old, in the initial of a number of physical wars Ender triumphs, he totally debilitates Stilson. In addition, Ender’s behavior is facilitated by his family members (Bova 76). Peter, Ender’s older brother harasses him all out of proportion to any reasonable reason, and his cruelty goes entirely unchecked and unnoticed by their father and mother. Peter constantly threatens to take Ender’s life. It may be argued that Peter posses the qualities of a psychopath. Valentine, their sister, gives information of how Peter mistreats squirrels, removing them from their habitat and skinning them alive so that he can watch them become lifeless. Also, Peter is stopped from killing Valentine and Ender solely by the danger of being discovered (“Introduction”. Enders Game 160). The above events show that Ender is going through a difficult period which shapes his behavior. Also, for reasons not highlighted by the author of the novel, Ender never informs his father and mother of what he is going through. He learns to conceal his hurt and fear from an early age (Ender’s Game 47). It may be asserted that is because of the lying face that he presents to his mother and father, when his brother mistreats him and he does not dare to let it show. In the factual world, the reason for such silence, if it is not fear of a negative reaction from the abuser, is frequently being shameful. It is often argued that a child is fearful that he may be deserving or responsible for being abused. It is remarkable that the only period when Ender’s father challenges him and asks why he does not seek help from a mature individual when he is being mistreated, they are broken up before Ender can respond. The readers are not able to obtain the response from Ender. It may be essential to enquire where the instructors or parents of Ender are when Ender is being physically mistreated. This shows that Ender behaves the way he does because neither the authority nor adults are there to offer him protection from the people who are mistreating him. In the instance of Ender’s mistreatment by his older brother, Peter, it may be argued that their father and mother are plainly purblind. This means that there is a probability that both Ender’s father and mother are aware of what he is going through but do not care or their approve is not considered. Also, the behavior of Ender is shaped by the authority in the school. In the situation involving commanders Anderson and Graff at the Battle School, it is evident that the authorities intentionally hold back their desire to assist Ender because they need to train him to deal with any difficulties on his own. In the initial parts of Ender’s training, commander Graff asserts that Ender can only have friends and not parents. In this situation, a parent refers to any grown individual in authority who has command to defend the child. In most instances, instead of assisting Ender, adults intentionally enhance his anguish. This is emphasized by Gaff when he asserts that Ender Wiggin should believe that no matter what takes place, there will be no adult who will ever come to assist him in any way. The severe condition the author of the novel has established to abuse and isolate Ender helps to illustrate what makes Ender develop the characteristics he has in the novel. After Ender is influenced into going into the Battle School, his mistreatment endures, intentionally furthered by Graff (Ender’s Game 40). The Influence of Authorities on Ender’s Behavior Another event that makes Ender become the person he is involves the Battle School’s officers, Gaff, and Bonzo. The Battle School’s officers and Gaff are aware that Bonzo has the intent of killing Ender and they allow the attack to take place, they even want it to take place. In addition, they record the attack on video, from a number of angles. In a factual word, people with authority have the responsibility and power to prevent attack on vulnerable people, but from the novel it is evident that people in authority do not perform this duty. These individuals do not protect Ender because they want him to get hurt. The Battle School’s officers and Gaff do not enjoy the view of any individual being injured, but they do it because they are mandated to do it so as to train him to posses the skills to rescue the human species (Ender’s Game 220). It may be argued that the inability of people in authority to protect Ender teaches him to be his own protector. Conclusion In conclusion, the readers are able to see the impact of righteous, displaced anger in the characters in the novel. This helps to shape the behavior of the main character which is depicted in violence and defensible as moral action. Ender fights with his rivals and is still perceived as morally clean. It may be argued that nothing Ender does is his mistake. For instance, Ender continues to kick Stilson on the face until he dies despite Stilson lying on the ground defeated, nonetheless, he is still presumed to be a decent person. This may be due to the mistreatments he goes through in his life (“Response” 32). Work Cited Card, O. S. “Introduction”. Enders Game. New York: Tor Books. 1991. Print. Card, O. S. Ender’s Game. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 1985. Print. Bova, B. The Best of the Nebulas. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 1989. Print. Card, O. S. “Response.” Fantasy Review 102 (1987): 13-14, 49-52. Print. DeCandido, G. A., and DeCandido, K. A. “PW Interviews Orson Scott Card.” Publishers Weekly 30 Nov. 1990. Print. Elaine, R. “Ender and Hitler: Sympathy for the Superman.” Fantasy Review 102 (1987): 7-11. Print. Miller, A. For Your Own Good: Hidden Cruelty in Child-Rearing and the Roots of Violence. New York: Noonday Press, 1990. Print. Read More