Although Graff cares deeply about Ender and wishes he could protect him from the harm and stress that lies before him, he recognizes that Ender might be his only hope to defend Earth from the buggers. Ultimately, Graff decides to sacrifice this one child’s happiness by putting him through the extremely rigorous and damaging training process. While he struggles with great discomfort over harming Ender, Graff’s actions are heroic because Ender becomes a strong leader and strategist who succeeds in defeating the buggers for good, which Graff believes will protect all of mankind.
From the beginning, Graff makes it clear that he will prioritize his duty to protect and serve over both his and Ender’s feelings of comfort and happiness. As soon as Ender leaves for Battle School, Graff makes the decision to turn the other students in the Launch Group against Ender. Graff hopes to make Ender’s peers resent him and refuse to help him so that Ender will feel alone, become independent, and develop the strength he will need in order to shield Earth from the buggers. When Ender confronts Graff, furious about what he has done, Graff tells him that “’We might both do despicable things, Ender, but if humankind survives, then we were good tools,’”(Card 34). In using the word “tools” to describe his and Ender’s roles, Graff summarizes his …show more content…
Yet Graff’s intention was to behave heroically. He did not know the truth about the buggers, and he genuinely viewed the buggers as a threat to the Earth. If the buggers had been attacking Earth, as everyone believed, Graff would have been considered a hero because he made sacrifices in order to protect Earth. In the end, the outcome of his actions was tragic, which would likely disqualify him as a hero by some. Nonetheless, Graff’s intentions were heroic, which makes his actions morally
From the beginning, Graff makes it clear that he will prioritize his duty to protect and serve over both his and Ender’s feelings of comfort and happiness. As soon as Ender leaves for Battle School, Graff makes the decision to turn the other students in the Launch Group against Ender. Graff hopes to make Ender’s peers resent him and refuse to help him so that Ender will feel alone, become independent, and develop the strength he will need in order to shield Earth from the buggers. When Ender confronts Graff, furious about what he has done, Graff tells him that “’We might both do despicable things, Ender, but if humankind survives, then we were good tools,’”(Card 34). In using the word “tools” to describe his and Ender’s roles, Graff summarizes his …show more content…
Yet Graff’s intention was to behave heroically. He did not know the truth about the buggers, and he genuinely viewed the buggers as a threat to the Earth. If the buggers had been attacking Earth, as everyone believed, Graff would have been considered a hero because he made sacrifices in order to protect Earth. In the end, the outcome of his actions was tragic, which would likely disqualify him as a hero by some. Nonetheless, Graff’s intentions were heroic, which makes his actions morally