The Shadow

Words have a lot of power. They can hurt and kill as Markus Zusak puts it plainly: “The injury of words. Yes, the brutality of words” (Zusak 262). But Vaddey Ratner teaches us that words can have beauty too. In her work of historical fiction, In the Shadow of The Banyan, Ratner eloquently describes the horrors of the Khmer Rouge’s reign and how it affects the lives of the protagonist, Raami, and her family. Raami is a young Cambodian girl from a wealthy upper-class family. Her father, Papa, is a…

In the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, the protagonist Holden Caulfield suffers with his interminable shadow material. Holden is often found busying himself to avoid dealing with his shadow. His ignorance drives him to do immoral things, like lying and ordering a prostitute. When Ms. Morrow asked him about why he was coming home, Holden became uneasy and thought of a lie. “Then I started reading this timetable I had in my pocket. Just to stop lying. Once I got started, I can go…

Books are my livelihood. Having read the Netherfield library, in its entirety, twice, I have approached the legitimate conclusion I have acquired an infatuation with these published stories. One of my most admired and esteemed books, The Shadow of the Wind written by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, includes prodigious quotes including, “Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read it and lived and dreamed with it. Every time a book changes hands…

The Leadership Qualities of Ender Wiggin Ender’s Game by Orson Card has been a popular science fiction novel for the past three decades. Since its inception the book has claimed two highly respected awards. In addition it has even become a highly recommended reading material for several military education facilities for new officers. This novel highlights four basic qualities that make up the basis of a good commanding officer. The first quality needed for a leader to succeed is gaining the…

Controversial topics are typically surrounded by a lot of “grey area” and strong opinions. People dispute abortion, war, and genetically modified food. Yet, no sane person disputes the immorality of genocide; likewise, no sane person celebrates when a genocide has taken place. By these standards nearly every human in Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game is insane. Ender Wiggin may be the only sane person, yet he is the celebrated killer in question. Ender’s good intentions do nothing to alter his…

Synthesis Essay: Child Soldiers Fear. Trickery. Violation. These inhuman techniques, used by child soldier commanders, destroy children’s childhoods. Within the science fictional book, Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card, Andrew “Ender” Wiggins, a precocious pre-teen, was specifically birthed to take the role of saving the world. He has surpassed many one-sided, atrocious obstacles throughout his time in the battle school. Through Ender, the readers could understand how the children were…

In Ender’s Game, I would like to be friends with Ender. Ender is the main character in the story, and I would want to be friends with him because he is strong, bright, decisive, and also independent. In the story, I read many times where Ender faced challenges, but even though it seemed impossible to do, he still managed to do his best and win. One example was when he was eight years old Ender transferred armies to a new army and became the commander for them. There were many challenges to…

Tradition's the Chains of Change The Lottery is about the supposition that in some cultures and societies they have some nonsensical and useless traditions, that more often than not have no logical meaning or either they are outdated or are no longer relevant to the advancement of that culture or society. Although people still maintain true to most of these outdated traditions, in this story there is one character in particular whose overwhelming sense of obligation to uphold this tradition…

Enders Game, a novel writer by Orson Scott Card, is a look into the experience of a great young mind in a time of peril. Andrew “Ender” Wiggins is chosen as a candidate to become a warrior trained to lead an Army in a time of need. He is chosen at the age of 6, but he is believed to have what it takes to grow and breed into becoming a significantly great leader in his society. This novel takes place in a futuristic world where the civilization and human race is in danger. At the beginning of the…

Ender’s Game is a 1985 military sci-fi novel written by Orson Scott Card, and like other novels, is accommodated by various themes and motifs. In this essay, I will cover one of the motifs that have been sited in the novel—games. In the novel, there are five games in total (excluding the one in the novel’s title): the Mind Game (also known as the Fantasy Game, or the Giant’s Drink), the Game and Battle Room, the simulator in Eros, and the game of “Astronauts and Buggers” that Peter and Ender…