Thursday 3 April 2008
Wednesday 2 April 2008
[2] blog #6
Q. Entry of your choice.
-> What is the greatest human nature revealed in the novel?
I think it is that people always try to justify themselves when they do bad things. The government in Ender's Game intentionally made the Wiggins family to bear a "third" for humanity's sake. Ender killed Stilson while he was trying to scare him, and his reasoning was that he was protecting himself. In the mind game in chapter 6, reveals that Ender is supposed to break the rules to win the game. I think the question made by these examples is that "is it acceptable to do anything when necessary?" There is a sentence in the book saying, "Breaking orders is wrong, but a wrong that is committed in the cause of winning is fine for Ender." In chapter 4, freedom are taken away from people and the government uses people as tools to survive. Therefore, it is proven that everyone makes justifications. I think that the ultimate justification in the Ender's Game is "saving the world." For this reason, many had died, envied, and hated each other. When Graff tells Ender at the end that it was a game, his reasoning was that it was for humanity's sake. I don't think this must happen in real life despite of any condition or situation. I think when we die, we should die with pride instead of all the unmanly struggles.
-> What is the greatest human nature revealed in the novel?
I think it is that people always try to justify themselves when they do bad things. The government in Ender's Game intentionally made the Wiggins family to bear a "third" for humanity's sake. Ender killed Stilson while he was trying to scare him, and his reasoning was that he was protecting himself. In the mind game in chapter 6, reveals that Ender is supposed to break the rules to win the game. I think the question made by these examples is that "is it acceptable to do anything when necessary?" There is a sentence in the book saying, "Breaking orders is wrong, but a wrong that is committed in the cause of winning is fine for Ender." In chapter 4, freedom are taken away from people and the government uses people as tools to survive. Therefore, it is proven that everyone makes justifications. I think that the ultimate justification in the Ender's Game is "saving the world." For this reason, many had died, envied, and hated each other. When Graff tells Ender at the end that it was a game, his reasoning was that it was for humanity's sake. I don't think this must happen in real life despite of any condition or situation. I think when we die, we should die with pride instead of all the unmanly struggles.
[2] blog #5
Q. Please choose one passage from the novel that is significant to you. Why is this passage meaningful? Please type it into one of your entries and comment on what you thing about the passage.
p. 65 "Instead he signed off, put his desk in his locker, stripped off his clothes and pulled his blanket over him. He hadn't meant to kill the Giant. This was supposed to be a game. Not a choice between his own grisly death and an even worse murder. I'm a murderer, even when I play. Peter would be proud of me."
This passage is after Ender was playing the mind game and killed the Giant by digging into its eye. This passage is meaningful because it truly shows the personality of Ender after his personailty of Peter. This passage shows that even though he was angry and acted like what Peter would do, he felt guilty of his action unlike Peter. I think this is what ultimately differs Peter from Ender. This is also mentioned when Graff comes to Ender and picks him up the very first time at his home in Greensboro. The Battle School chose Ender and not Peter because of their reasonings or justifications. This also shows that Ender has both Peter's and Valentine's personalities because he can be cruel one time and then suddenly so caring the other.
This passage is after Ender was playing the mind game and killed the Giant by digging into its eye. This passage is meaningful because it truly shows the personality of Ender after his personailty of Peter. This passage shows that even though he was angry and acted like what Peter would do, he felt guilty of his action unlike Peter. I think this is what ultimately differs Peter from Ender. This is also mentioned when Graff comes to Ender and picks him up the very first time at his home in Greensboro. The Battle School chose Ender and not Peter because of their reasonings or justifications. This also shows that Ender has both Peter's and Valentine's personalities because he can be cruel one time and then suddenly so caring the other.
Tuesday 1 April 2008
[2] blog #4
Q. What is the climax of this novel? Do you find this novel sadden you in any way? Why?
The climax is obvious in this novel. The climax is when Ender finds out that the simulation is not actually a game, but reality and that he annihilated the buggers. The twist for the readers in this novel was particularly strong because Card intentionally built up the novel in events so that the readers wouldn't be able to easily predict his happening. Card first made "games" of killing buggers to make soldiers both confident and relaxed while they are "practicing." Therefore, when they are actually fighting the buggers, they won't freeze or have too much tension in themselves while they're fighting. However, Card skillfully used this stereotype of a "game" so that we, as readers, won't also be expecting too much from a simple game. Then, BOOM! It was actually real. I think the novel saddened me a little bit, not becuase the fact that Ender killed all the buggers, but because how Card described Ender's feelings afterwards. This also sent a sign of a melancholy mood in the novel. The author used Ender's feelings to portray moods.
Monday 31 March 2008
[2] blog #3
Q. Who are the main characters in the novel? Do you like them? Why or why not? What is special about them? What do they reveal about the universal human experience?
Many characters are important in the novel, but I think the main characters are Peter Wiggin, Ender Wiggin and Valentine Wiggin. Ender Wiggin is the third child of the Wiggin (genius) family and Valentine is the 2nd child of the Wiggin family. Valentine is a caring, loving, thoughtful, and amicable person. Ender is an outcast, as he is a third, and he is smart and witty. He is a round character. Lastly, Peter is the 1st child and he is belligerent and cruel. I like both of Ender and Valentine because they're younger than me, but still smarter. Also, they take responsibilities in their actions. However, Peter does not. He only thinks of hurting or killing others, so I'm afraid to put my trust in him. That's why I dislike him. For example, after Ender finds out that he wiped out the Buggers' race, he feels terrible and tries to remake it. Even though it was out of guilt, he still takes responsibility and becomes the governer of the buggers. Valentine, I like her because she loves everyone despite of how harsh or mean they are. For example, although Peter even threatened Ender's life, the one Valentine loves the most, Valentine still loves Peter. I think she's kind of dumb, but the fact that she doesn't give up is, in my opinion, somewhat brave. The special things about them is obvious in the novel: they are geniuses. Valentine reveals the loving part of humans, Peter reveals the sinful and belligerent nature of humans, and Ender reveals the guilt and denying nature of humans.
Many characters are important in the novel, but I think the main characters are Peter Wiggin, Ender Wiggin and Valentine Wiggin. Ender Wiggin is the third child of the Wiggin (genius) family and Valentine is the 2nd child of the Wiggin family. Valentine is a caring, loving, thoughtful, and amicable person. Ender is an outcast, as he is a third, and he is smart and witty. He is a round character. Lastly, Peter is the 1st child and he is belligerent and cruel. I like both of Ender and Valentine because they're younger than me, but still smarter. Also, they take responsibilities in their actions. However, Peter does not. He only thinks of hurting or killing others, so I'm afraid to put my trust in him. That's why I dislike him. For example, after Ender finds out that he wiped out the Buggers' race, he feels terrible and tries to remake it. Even though it was out of guilt, he still takes responsibility and becomes the governer of the buggers. Valentine, I like her because she loves everyone despite of how harsh or mean they are. For example, although Peter even threatened Ender's life, the one Valentine loves the most, Valentine still loves Peter. I think she's kind of dumb, but the fact that she doesn't give up is, in my opinion, somewhat brave. The special things about them is obvious in the novel: they are geniuses. Valentine reveals the loving part of humans, Peter reveals the sinful and belligerent nature of humans, and Ender reveals the guilt and denying nature of humans.
Saturday 29 March 2008
[2] blog #2
Q. Are there any current situations in the world that relate to the novel? What are they, and how do they relate? Does the novel shed anylight on how current situations could be resolved or "fixed"?
Well, there are many situations in the world like in the novel Ender's Game. I mean, there isn't a war between human race and the "Buggers," but there are wars extant in the world. For example, there is the Iraq War. The intentions of the wars are different, but the relevant fact is that two different countries (races in Ender's Game's case) are fighting each other. In the novel, it says that Ender, in the end, loves his enemy, the Buggers, after understanding them. Therefore, I think the novel is saying that to stop a war, the countries in the war must understand each other until they love each other. I think conception is wrong, though. I do not understand Ender. The reason is because I don't get how a person can love someone else just by understanding the other. I mean, if you think about it, what if the other person has this set of habits you just dislike? Will understanding the personality you hate and the habits you hate make you love that person? I think not. For me, it will just make me hate the other one. Similarly, just because one understands the other in a war, doesn't simply stop the war immedietly. If it was that simple, people would have already used that method to stop wars, don't you think?
Well, there are many situations in the world like in the novel Ender's Game. I mean, there isn't a war between human race and the "Buggers," but there are wars extant in the world. For example, there is the Iraq War. The intentions of the wars are different, but the relevant fact is that two different countries (races in Ender's Game's case) are fighting each other. In the novel, it says that Ender, in the end, loves his enemy, the Buggers, after understanding them. Therefore, I think the novel is saying that to stop a war, the countries in the war must understand each other until they love each other. I think conception is wrong, though. I do not understand Ender. The reason is because I don't get how a person can love someone else just by understanding the other. I mean, if you think about it, what if the other person has this set of habits you just dislike? Will understanding the personality you hate and the habits you hate make you love that person? I think not. For me, it will just make me hate the other one. Similarly, just because one understands the other in a war, doesn't simply stop the war immedietly. If it was that simple, people would have already used that method to stop wars, don't you think?
Friday 28 March 2008
[2] blog #1
Q. What is the major theme of this novel? Why is this theme important to a teenager living in 2007?I think there are more than one themes in the novel, Ender's Game. In fact, I think there are several. First of all, I think one of the themes is that the world consistently tries to balance itself. As in the Wiggins, hey all have intelligent brains, but Peter is too belligerous and Valentine is too caring. As a third, he is balanced of sometimes being belligerous, but also being amicable. Graff sees Ender as a "balanced" Wiggin. Also, as Ender improves and gets higher in status, Peter and Bonzo declines. Second of all, I think another theme could be "being ignorant is better." Some evidences are when Ender was ignorant of the "game," which was actually the war, he was okay, but then he turned angry when he finds out that it wasn't a game. Also, when Graff tries to do everything "necessary" to make Ender a better commander and a perfect savior of humanity, it was better for Ender to be ignorant of the fact that Graff was trying to help. Lastly, Ender's miserable life ultimately began because of his intelligence--knowing or having the potential of knowing too many things. Only if he had not had the smart brain, he would just have had an ordinary life, like he wants. Last of all, there is the most evident theme, manipulation. As most of the chapters begin with the "high" people like Graff talking about how they should control or what they should do about Ender, it is obvious of their manipulation. The beginning conversations are like foreshadows for the readers. Besides these, there are also racism and sinful nature of humans. This complex book with numerous themes intrigued me and gave me joy reading it.
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