In the twenty-second century as set in Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, children are recruited for Battle School. They suffer through unimaginable trials for children of their age and still survive. This unlikely feat is explained by Diane Coutu in her article “How Resilience Works,” a study of resilience in modern people and businesses, in which she discusses the three key characteristics of resilience that help people through hardship. In Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card displays children’s innate, remarkable ability to recover from trauma and endure hardships. In both texts, resilience is presented as a multifaceted quality that allows people to survive suffering and trauma unbroken.
Coutu’s article “How Resilience Works” expresses that …show more content…
The mantras in Salamander Army and Ender’s improvisation during his final fight with Bonzo are quintessential examples of the three factors of resilience. Bonzo’s control of his army was augmented by the call-and-response chants he exchanged with his army after Ender was unexpectedly and undesirably switched into his army, from which Ender realized that Bonzo was “merely taking control of a surprising event and using it to strengthen his control of his army” (Card 78). Rituals like Bonzo’s chants created stability and greater resilience within his army, similar to the value systems in current organizations. Additionally, Ender’s battle with Bonzo demonstrated the other two factors of resilience—facing reality and improvisation. During his fight, he realized his physical disadvantage, as Bonzo’s “reach was better, he was stronger, and he was full of hate” and adjusted his thinking accordingly (Card 211). His recognition of his physical inequality compared to Bonzo showed his acceptance of reality, and his capability of devising a plan was exhibited in his use of heat from the showers, where he recognized that “his body still had soap on it, and his sweat moistened it, made his skin more slippery than Bonzo would expect” (Card 212). Ender’s use of bricolage, or “the ability to make do with whatever is at hand,” was vital to his
Coutu’s article “How Resilience Works” expresses that …show more content…
The mantras in Salamander Army and Ender’s improvisation during his final fight with Bonzo are quintessential examples of the three factors of resilience. Bonzo’s control of his army was augmented by the call-and-response chants he exchanged with his army after Ender was unexpectedly and undesirably switched into his army, from which Ender realized that Bonzo was “merely taking control of a surprising event and using it to strengthen his control of his army” (Card 78). Rituals like Bonzo’s chants created stability and greater resilience within his army, similar to the value systems in current organizations. Additionally, Ender’s battle with Bonzo demonstrated the other two factors of resilience—facing reality and improvisation. During his fight, he realized his physical disadvantage, as Bonzo’s “reach was better, he was stronger, and he was full of hate” and adjusted his thinking accordingly (Card 211). His recognition of his physical inequality compared to Bonzo showed his acceptance of reality, and his capability of devising a plan was exhibited in his use of heat from the showers, where he recognized that “his body still had soap on it, and his sweat moistened it, made his skin more slippery than Bonzo would expect” (Card 212). Ender’s use of bricolage, or “the ability to make do with whatever is at hand,” was vital to his