Ender’s GameA Novel Study

Explanation of Terms

The International Fleet (often shortened to I.F. or IF) is an organization created to protect Earth from the alien Formics (buggers)

The Fleet has two commanding officials:

Polemarch, head of the Fleet and in control of ship movements

Strategos, at the head of the department of strategy.

More terms

Hegemony- an alliance of the countries of earth

Toon- From “platoon” a subgroup of lower command in an army.

Symbolism in Ender’s game The skinned squirrel Peter The Giant’s game Stilson

The squirrel

The squirrel- symbolizes Peter’s cruelty and his sadistic personality

Peter

Symbolizes the part of Ender that he is most afraid of becoming. Ender’s genetic makeup is similar to Peter’s. The image in the mirror reminds Ender that he might be just like Peter, whom he loathes.

The Giant’s Game

The way Ender beats the game symbolizes that in certain circumstances, Ender is willing to do whatever it takes. It foreshadows the killing of Bonzo and the revelation that Stilson died at Ender’s hands too.

Stilson

As the first time Ender kills, or even fights for that matter, Stilson is a reoccurring figure in Ender’s mind. To him, Stilson represents the lesson of fighting once, and taking it as far as it must go to make sure he does not need to fight again. Stilson also haunts Ender’s dreams as the symbol of the unwilling murders he has committed.

Allusions in Ender’s GameLocke- Peter’s webnet persona. The

name is an allusion to John Locke, An English philosopher who wrote about political issues way back in the 1600s (9.126)

Allusions in Ender’s GameDemosthenes- Valentine’s webnet

persona. Took a leading role in turning Athens against Alexander the Great – which didn’t work out for Athens, or for Demosthenes. (9.64)

Peter’s Locke is moderate and empathetic. Valentine’s Demosthenes is paranoid and anti-

Russian

Because their webnet personas are opposite to their own personalities, Peter and Valentine rely on each other to make the deception work

Peter believes that once the Bugger threat is eliminated, Russia may rise in power and countries will turn against each other.

The Warsaw Pact (p. 126) A mutual defense treaty between

eight communist states of Central and Eastern Europe in existence during the Cold War.

“If they’re moving troops, it must be under the direction of the Strategos”

“It’s all internal, within the Warsaw Pact.”

Peter believes he can change public opinion (manipulation of information/propaganda)

Allusions

Napoleon Alexander the Great Thomas Paine Benjamin Franklin Hitler

Allusions

Circumcised dog” – An old and insulting way to refer to Muslims by Christians, who were not circumcised. (10.173)

“Veni Vidi Vici” – What Julius Caesar said about an easy war, meaning, “I came, I saw, I conquered.” (ch.11)

Themes

Loss of innocence. Growing up too quickly

Ender spread his hands over the child-size keyboard near the edge of the desk and wondered what it would feel like to have hands as large as a grown-up's. They must feel so big and awkward, thick stubby fingers and beefy palms. (1.54)

Innocence Lost "But shouldn't they still act like children?

They aren't normal. They act like – history. Napoleon and Wellington. Caesar and Brutus." (7.10)

Out of the woods emerged a dozen slavering wolves with human faces. Ender recognized them – they were the children from the playground. Only now their teeth could tear; Ender, weaponless, was quickly devoured. (7.69)

Manipulation “I've spent my life as someone's pawn" (15.97). "Not a joke, a game. I can make you guys believe

anything. I can make you dance around like puppets." (2.64)

"Individual human beings are all tools, that the others use to help us all survive." (4.83)

"I'm not going to let the bastards run me, Ender. They've got you pegged, too, and they don't plan to treat you kindly. Look what they've done to you so far." (8.150)

The Effects of Isolation “Too willing to submerge himself in someone

else’s will. […] So what do we do? Surround him with enemies all the time?” (1.4-6)

“Isolate him enough that he remains creative – otherwise he’ll adopt the system here and we’ll lose him. At the same time, we need to make sure he keeps a strong ability to lead.” (4.1)

If Graff was setting him up, there’d be no help unless he helped himself. (4.62)

The need for friendship Not enemies, not friends, but brothers – able

to live in the same house. (1.16) “Nowhere in that does it say I have to make

friends with children.” (4.75) "They don't want to teach me everything,"

Ender said. "I wanted to learn what it was like to have a friend.“

Alai nodded soberly. "Always my friend, always the best of my friends," he said. (7.55-56)

The need for friendship

But I'll be watching you, more compassionately than you know, and when the time is right you'll find that I'm your friend, and you are the soldier you want to be. (10.168)

"It's good to know I have a friend here." But Ender wasn't sure Dink was his friend anymore. Neither was Dink. (11.81)

Ender was human and Bean had been allowed to see. (11.213)

Warfare. The desire to win. I have to win this now, and for all

time, or I’ll fight it ever day and it will get worse and worse. (1.78)

Ender knew the unspoken rules of manly warfare, even though he was only six. It was forbidden to strike the opponent who lay helpless on the ground; only an animal would do that. (1.79)

Warfare. The desire to win no matter what the consequences. Ender felt sick. He had only meant to catch the

boy’s arm. No. No, he had meant to hurt him. (4.66)

"Because as long as people are afraid of the buggers, the I.F. can stay in power, and as long as the I.F. is in power, certain countries can keep their hegemony.” (8.162)

Ender never surrendered to Peter, but I have turned, I've become part of him, as Ender never was. (9.266)

Warfare. The desire to win no matter what the consequences.

They couldn't beat him in the battleroom, and knew it – so instead they would attack him where it was safe, where he was not a giant but just a little boy. (11.108)

[…] the power to cause pain is the only power that matters, the power to kill and destroy, because if you can't kill then you are always subject to those who can, and nothing and no one will ever save you. (12.110)