Ender's Game Symbolism

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In Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, the motif of ends justify the means emphasizes the lengths people will go to to save themselves. Graff and Anderson continuously test Enders skill and expertise through various unfair challenges on Earth and in Battle School, emphasizing the motif of ends justify the means. With the Buggers on the brink of returning, Graff and Anderson are to ensure Ender can be the best soldier possible, regardless of what they do to get there. Ender encounters a challenge when Stilson attempts to beat up Ender, although Enders skill and wit overcome Stilson for good. “Ender walked to Stilson’s supine body and kicked him again, viciously, in the ribs. Stilson groaned and rolled away from him(42).” With this being done, …show more content…
Such as, “Wiggin, I finally traded you. I was able to persuade Rat Army that your incredible place on the efficiency list is more than an accident. You go over there tomorrow(168).” With Ender being "Isolated", it causes him to feel uncomfortable and upset forcing him to move on and overcome these obstacles in order to be the best soldier capable of possessing. Graff and Anderson purposely do this in order to see how Ender can adapt to the obstacles that are presented to him day by day. All of these obstacles will in the near future impact whether or not he can be ready for battle against the buggers. Ender ensures he will be prepared for one of his final challenges that jeopardized his life, fighting Bonzo to the death. Ender fought and killed Bonzo in a close battle; Ender's ability to think of the big picture rather than in the moment once again helped save his life. Although Ender did not want to “beat the snot(43)” out of Stilson, or kill Bonzo, he knew it had to be done to ensure his safety seemingly making this one of his most important battles. With being presented by Graff …show more content…
Just a few weeks into Enders training, he hates the position Graff once again put him in, because his schedule never leaves him to socialize with others. Nonetheless Ender does not even get the chance to eat with any of the others. Although Ender is never given time to socialize with the others, he will soon come to realize what it all had been for. Ender is awoken to find a man sitting in his room, thinking he was mentally ill, Ender does his daily exercises and the man, being Mazer Rackham , grabs his leg purposely trying to get Ender to fight back. This teaches Ender to be prepared for any obstacle that might come his way at any given time. This training exercise is taken to the extreme because during a war you can't expect a schedule for when you are to fight. You always have to be prepared for any obstacle that may come your way. Mazer convinces Ender he is fighting in a simulator with all of his old friends: Alai, Bean, Petra, Dink, and "all the best students Ender had fought with or fought against, everyone that Ender had trusted in Battle School(420).” This was a convincing tactic that Mazer used because without it, Ender could never have actually killed the Buggers. Ender’s training on Eros can be said as the most essential part to defeating the Buggers once and for all. The cruel training on Eros illustrates the importance of Ender's ability to fight at the risk of everyone he's ever loved

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