Enders Game by Orson Scott Card, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, and All the Pretty Horses - Essay Example

Submitted Coming of age The three novels in this essay are related with children and in all the stories considered, the writers elevated the children as heroes. In Enders game, the author Orson Scott Card moulded Wiggin as a hero and his character in this story inspires the children. In the second story The Kite Runner written by Khaled Hosseni the writer had woven the relations between a rich boy Amir and a poor kid Hassan. In the last one Pretty Horses of Cormack McCarthy the characterization of the sixteen-year-old boy John Grady Cole is good. For this work the author got the appreciations from the critics also. Enders game by Orson Scott Card In this story the main character is Andrew Ender Wiggin, he was selected to a battle school along with his sister Valentine and his sadistic brother Peter. In the course of training, Commander Hyrum Graff recognizes that the boy is an intelligent and worthy than others in the camp. The identity makes him alone in the camp as the all other boys ostracize him from the group and he becomes the topper in the battle school. He wanted to keep away from the position of isolation but it will be impossible for him. He feels discomfort till he receives a letter from his sister Valentine and later he decides to protect her in battle school. Later Wiggin was promoted as a commander of the battle school war game because of his skills and in the battle room he proves his skill through performance and gets the appreciations from the superiors. After some months the hero of the story Wiggin exhausts himself with the heavy work and he becomes tired of the war game and was not in a position to continue there. The restless work in the battle school made Wiggin as pale and inactive. He turns weak psychologically as well as physically. But his superiors as a highly talented identified him and he performed as if he was in real battleground. For the final exam Mazer Rackham, who was the legend in formic wars, trained Wiggin. In the final exam of the battle school Wiggin was assigned to fight with a war ship. In the war game his master directed Wiggin and he played major roll in the war game. As the commander of his war team he had to destroy the ships of the enemies and he had to create the massacre. But the sensitive Andrew Ender Wiggin fought as a real soldier and destroyed the ammunition of the enemies. He fought in the war game as a real soldier. The boy Andrew used a special weapon named Dr. Device, which is unethical in the war game and destroyed the ships of the enemy. He thought that his unfair decision will send him home and he can remain there with his sister Valentine and his friends. But his superior told him that the genocide and massacre is common in the real war. The soft natured Andrew could not digest the war game, the genocide as well as the massacre. The guilty feeling gave him ill health and he goes into coma. After he recovers from ill health his sister convinces him to leave from the colony ship from the battle room. Later the battle turned into a mind game and Andrew seriously involved in that game and wants to save his staff. His sister Valentine also tries to convince him to come out of that mania. Orson wove the relation between the three people very tactfully and the scenes of the war game are undoubtedly amazing. The author succeeded in drawing the attention of the readers and in the movie the spectators. But in this story dosage of violence is something more. The second part of the novel is a movie and it also entertained the people very much. How ever the novel bagged Nebula award as a best novel in 1985 and Hugo award in the same category in 1986. The two parts remains in the history as a best science fiction novels. The Kite Runner written by Khaled Hosseni In this novel the author describes the relation between the rich and poor boys in the war effected Afghanistan. In contrast to the theme in the previous novel, which describes the struggle of a character between violence and peaceful life, the present chapter discusses the relations between rich and poor. In this story the children play with the kites in Afghanistan and Kabul and enjoy their child hood very much. The story unveils the history and socio economical situations of Afghanistan. The relationships between human being, especially the sensitive attachments of the characters in this story are well described. By reading this novel one can understand how the Russian invasion influenced the relations and how the families suffer and disperse due to the war in a heart touching manner. In afghan the boy from rich community Pashtuns and Hassan from the servant caste Hazara were close friends and they used to enjoy their childhood by flying kites. The memories of Amir are enriched with cultural roots and recollect the heritage values of society at that time. The boy Amir who was from elite class enjoys the luxury life and good education where as the boy Hassan, who's father was a servant with Amir's father could not enjoy these facilities but both were friends and play together. But one day the local gang an assaulted Hassan and his family. Amir witnessed the incident but he could not prevent them due to fear. Later Amir quit the country and fled to California and has to face many problems as a migrant. His father (Baba) used to work with a gas station and Amir joined a school to improve his writing skills. In school, Amir meets his co migrant Soraya's family. Her father was a government officer and later Amir marries the girl Soraya. After some time father of Amir, Baba dies and the couple comes to know they cannot have children. Later he succeeds as a novelist and continues his career in writing. After fifteen years Amir receives a letter from Rahim Khan a friend from Pakistan and asking him to visit Pakistan. Meanwhile, Amir knows that Ali was killed in land mine blast and Hassan and his wife came to Baba's home for the care taking it on the request of Rahim. But the Talibans killed the couple for money and their son Soharb turned orphan and joined orphanage. Amir goes to Afghan along with a guide Farid to search the son of his friend. Then he comes to know that the boy was taken by the Talibans and simultaneously Amir come to know that Hassan was not the son of Ali and he was the son of Baba and Hassan was half-brother to him. Then with the details provided by orphanage center, Amir goes to a football tourney where Soharb is present. Later Amir finds that the Assef and some other gang sexually harassed Soharb. Later Amir and Soharb beat Assef very badly and Soharb hit the eye of Assef with slingshot resulting in loss of eyesight for him. Later Amir convinces him to come to USA and promises him that there is no need to live as an orphan. But the authorities didn't permit Amir to take that boy along with him as he was an orphan. The situations irritated the boy and weaken him psychologically as well emotionally. He could not bare his pathetic conditions and simultaneously rules and regulations act as hurdles to go with his uncle to America. At this juncture, Soharb attempts suicide. Amir rescues him and takes the boy to America and introduces to his wife Soraya. But the boy could not mingle with the family and wanted to be alone. But Amir patiently talked with the boy and told that his father Hassan was half-brother to him and he revealed his childhood. Amir explains how did he enjoy the kites game along with the boys father Hassan and heart fully he treated the boy as his own son and he runs the kite to console the boy. At the end of the story Amir hugs the boy and told that he was living for him and he could do anything for the boy Soharb. Thus the author unveils the emotional and sensitive relations between human beings that are above the class differences. ALL THE PRETTY HORSES Another novel, All the Pretty Horses written by Cormac McCarthy is a good book and a movie has been made based on the story. In this story sixteen-year-old boy John Grady Cole's grandfather gave a big ranch to his grand mother before his death. But he left his home and reached Mexico along with Lacey Rawlins of seventeen years and Jimmy Blevins of thirteen years old to lead life on his own. Jimmy Blevins, a courageous young boy told that his horse was stolen and joins Grady and Rawlins. Even they did not believe his words, despite of some doubts regarding route they agreed him to come with them. Later they understand that the boy was cunning and dangerous. In the middle of the journey, Blevins lost his clothes and horse. However at last they reach Mexico with troubles and searching for employment. Mean while they could understand that they are facing some forebodings and it was difficult to survive there. An army man pursues them and they face a situation that compels to escape from him. At last they could find the horse and the clothes. In contrast to the above two novels discussed in the previous chapters, the story revolves around the attachment between the human beings and animals (horses). The boys Grady and Rawlins traveled towards south and at last they reached to their ranch and they wanted to find employment there. As they were searching the jobs Grady happened to see a beautiful girl Alejandra, a daughter of Don Hector of a historical and aristocratic family. Don hector is a professional in breeding wild mountain horses with his own livestock. So Grady and Rawlins joined the vaqueros for job. Thus the boys succeed in getting jobs in a new country. John Grady Cole works with commitment and sincerity and gets appreciation from the co- workers as well as from the owner. Once Don Hector asked Grady about his past and he narrates the episode that includes his friend Blevins's horse theft. While working there Grady concentrated his mind on the girl Alejandra and wanted to get affection. At the same time he wanted to be in the good books of the family, but Duena Alfonsa, aunt of Don Hector and grand mother of Alejandra warned him that he will never marry the girl as her father wont agree her daughter with an American. She asserts that her son will not agree to give his daughter to a poor man. But on the other side Alejandra agrees his love. After some days Grady and Rawlins were arrested due to some misconceptions and police take them to a prison in the city of Encantada. Unfortunately Blevins was also there and he was taken there for killing three. After few days Blevins was taken from the jail and killed by the police. The police beat Rawlins seriously and he was injured. Another prisoner assaulted John Grady. Later both of them were released from the prison and Rawlins returned to Texas. But being adamant, he did not give up his trials for his lover Alejandra and he again goes to La Purisima. Alfonsa repeatedly says that the marriage was impossible and reveals her love story and how did she lost her husband and expresses her desire to save her grand daughter being in troubles. Alejandra also wanted the approval of her family for their marriage along with some money. Cole comes back to Encantada with grief and he finds Blevins's horse which they missed in past. He feels sorrow to see the innocent animal and he sees the police officer that killed Blevins and wants to take revenge on him but he couldn't. Finally Grady also returns to Texas. When he returns to his home he could find nothing there. His father and his childhood nurse also died some days ago. He moves on the horse which he stolen to restore his owner. Now Grady is a man. He left home in searching something and returned empty hands but his mind and soul were changed. Thus the novel explains the human psychology as well s the sensitive relations between the humans and animals. The story and theme of the novel has drawn the attention of kids and later Columbia pictures have made a motion picture. CONCLUSION All the stories discussed in the paper are related with the children as well as the child characters and child artists played major rolls in the stories. In all these stories the child characters are filled with passion about achieving their goals and they tried hard to achieve them at any cost. At the same time they were ready to face any problems to reach their targets. Sensitive relations and attachments between the characters in the stories attract the readers towards them. Thus all the three stories received good response not only from the child readers but also from adults. The critics also appreciated them and they bagged some international awards also. References: Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game, Analog Science Fiction and Fact, New York, USA: Tor Books, Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner, First Edition, 2003, United States: Riverhead Group. Cormac McCarthy, All the Pretty Horses, First Edition, First Edition, 1992, United States: Alfred A. Knopf Read More