A couple of questions to think about: How do you personally identify with Ender? Are his circumstances something everyone has to deal with or only for this book and genre? Does the science fiction genre help or hinder your reading? Does it matter that it takes place in space?
28 comments:
Brady Niehoff
Ender's game is sooooooooooo slow so far and I don't get whats doing on. I'm still confused what the monitor was and why it makes people so violent. I also don't get how he could beat someone up if he's only 6 years old.
Another thing that boggles my mind is what does it mean to be a third and why it's so bad to be one. In case you couldn't tell, I'm a little confused by the beginning of the book so far so hopefully it will get better as it progesses
I find peter interesting. He talks about killing his own sister and brother so seriously and than says hes joking. Is he really a murder? Or does he just like to have power over people? I believe there are conflicts between Peter and Ender. They both hate and love each other at the same time. Ender never ever wants to be like Peter and is the opposite of Ender. Ender has a conflict with peter and within himself to not be like peter.
Sam Lewis
Blog by: Alyssa Stokes
The first pages I read I thought were pretty interesting. I couldn't really get what was going on with the monitor, I didn't know what it was. I thought Ender's family life was really interesting as well. Him and his brother don't seem to get along at all while him and his sister are a lot closer. The interesting part is when he was asleep and his brother came over to him and said that he loved him. I thought this was interesting since he obviously is putting on an act so that everyone thinks that he is strong and tough.
I like the character of Ender so far, he seems to be the underdog in the story. He was always getting picked on because of his monitor, but then once it got removed, it seemed to get worse. The kids knew that no one could help him anymore, so they picked on him more, but he fought back and I liked that. I'm used to characters that sit there and take abuse and he didn't seem to want any part of it.
So far I think the book is okay, I don't know if I really like it, but it's something that is purely the authors since it takes place in the future therefor I will have to wait and see what happens and there is no way to guess the outcome.
Jon Bilodeau,
When I first started reading the book I was really confused. I mainly had no idea on what the monitor was and I still dont. I didn't like the fact the Enders brother was just fooling people into thinking they are great firends. I think that that is going to play a big part later on in the book. I also think its great that Ender can talk to his sister and thats hes not all alone.
I starting to like Ender alot more as I read on. The part the took me by suprize the most is when Ender was geting bullied around. The fact that he fought back and "kicked him while he was down". I like that alot because of most people wouldn't. It shows that Ender can stand up for him self. I am looking forward to see what other challenges face him.
Someone explain what the monitor is?
I think Ender is the most interesting character so far. This is mostly because he is the character that is the main focus of the book. He seems very naive as to what he is capable of doing. He is a mix of both his brother and sister and sometimes will take on more characteristics of one of them. He just seems more evolved than the two of them.
I think that Ender has more than one inner conflict and conflicts with the other students at the battle school. He is confused because of the different things that are happening to him so quickly. He is also very young so it is hard for him to know the severity of what is really going on. He is confused because he doesn't know if he really made the right decision by going to the battle school.
So far this book is an easy read, and I find it quite interesting for a sci fi, it's very fast paced but suprisingly easy to comprehend considering bugger and moniter start to comprise a new vocabulary.
I would say that at first I liked relating to Ender, he just seems down to earth and cool. His brother (Peter) seems like a monster and I wouldn't want to have to deal with that thing for a sybling. His sister (Valentine) is sweet, but I'm worried for her well being considering Ender won't be there to protect anymore. I couldn't imagine life without my family but Ender's doing okay. Theres a lot going on underneath the surface of this novel, considering the colonel Graff has sort of taken a liking to him and has been keeping his eye on him. He's taken a lot of crap from the other boys, especially Bernard, who seems to be blatenly out to get him. Although you start to see a bond between Ender and Alai, which is awesome, because you think of Alai as one of Bernard's lackies but he really suprised me. I think I'm going to like Alai and hopefully a friendship will prevail between the two boys, who both seem to think very strategically! SO far so good haha.
My first question is about him having a "monitor" in the back of his neck. So, the monitor allowed people to listen to his thoughts, feel things that he felt, and could see what he saw? That is a little bit weird, in my honest opinion.
Also, I have to believe that Ender has some anger issues. I mean, just read what he did to Stilson. He had to defend himself, I agree; yet he did a little more then defend. He beat the crap out of Stilson.
From my point of view, I take it that Peter wasn't good enough for battleschool, yet Ender is good enough which causes jealousy on Peter's part.
When Ender broke Bernard's arm, I don't think he was at fault. Bernard was harassing him, and Ender did what he had to do. Bernard tries to get people to hate Ender, which most do. But, Ender gets even when he uses Bernard's name to send messages to everyone. I think these two will have a big incident in the future of the book.
Tawn Burgos
Day Two - Block Four
First responding to what Zach Hall said:
I think that the only reason that Graff has been so nice to Ender is because he wants everyone to turn against him. It is said that they want him isolated from the other people at first. They want him there solely for training purposes and he knows that by showing that Graff is a fan of Ender's, the other boys will imediately dislike him for being a teacher's pet. It is clear though that Ender can overcome the obstacles that people put up for him. This is shown both by how he had lived at home and how he is now living at the battle school. He knows how to defend himself against those that mean to bother him. He is also proving to Graff that he can make it past the boundraies that he is trying to set up between him and the other boys by making friends with Alai.
Responding to what Tawn said:
The monitor makes it so that you are virtually living the life of the person it was attached to. It is used on Ender because in this book I think that people are made simply to be put into the army. This is what the monitor is put in for; to see whether or not they are even worth being put into training. I disagee though on what you said about Ender and Stilson. Stilson was harassing him in the same way that Bernard was and Ender was just trying to defend himself in a way that made it clear to Stilson not to mess with him.
Sam Lewis,
Yeah i dont get why they picked Ender for battleschool. What are they looking for in a person for battleschool. Was it cause he got into a fight and wrecked that kids day. Or is it cause he got he monitor off. But even with his montor off how did they know that he got into a fight. Cause the very next day they were there for him.
My favorite character would also have to be Ender. I like the way to book explains how he thinks. I also like valentine she seems like a really good sister.
Zach Hall
I agree with Sam, Peter is a very scary character and I wouldn't trust him at all. I wouldn't want to be related to anyone who jokingly laughs about killing their syblings.
Also in response to Amanda and Tawn I think the whole Stilson and Bernard thing is partly self-defense, but it's part of who he is becoming. The war games and strategies are really taking a toll on Ender. In the second part we read, Ender has gone from a Launchie to Salamander Army and now Rat Army. All this juggling around isn't exactly ideal. He's being forced to grow up a lot quicker and now he's doing training with the Launchies, which is becoming controversial. He also is inflicting damage on the other boys, splitting an ear, breaking a nose, and kicking some kid in the groin don't exactly sound just like battle tactics. It's starting to seem like a complex situation and I don't really know what to make of it.
I was really surprised when Ender was moved into the Salamander Army. I thought that it was quite unexpected and I thought it was almost unfair to him. It was said how no one under eight ever got moved into armies and Ender was still six at the time. I find it interesting the timing they chose to move him at. He was just becoming settled with his group of Launchies and they took him out. They are pretty persistent in trying to keep him isolated when he's proven that he can move past the boundaries they set up for him.
I wonder how he will develop over time in his army. Especially since Bonzo so desperately is trying to trade him. I think it's crazy how they can just trade their players like they're worthless. Ender doesn't seem entirely unable to function with an army. During his practices he shows a lot of progress. How long do you think he it will take him to become a toon leader or even a commander? He advanced quickly from Launchy into an army so I wonder how much they expected from him.
This story is moving much faster than I expected that it would. Things are changing so quickly that it is almost getting difficult to keep up with. The characters are really well developed and they all stand out in the story. I think that every element of this book is so well thought out.
I think Peter is constantly becoming more freightening in how he behaves. I didn't expect him and Valentine to still be tied into the story once Ender left for battle school. It's interesting how well Peter can manipulate anyone. Valentine is aware of what he's doing but she still can't stop it. I think Peter is a bigger part of Ender's personality now because of how well he is learning to handle the people around him. Although Ender is not as malicious as Peter it's weird how they are gradually becoming more similar even when they have no contact.
Zach Hall
I agree with Amanda about how fast paced the book is. Ender is aging within a matter of pages and although its in such a short amount of time I feel like we've been in Enders life all along.
I agree with Amanda about Peter, he is very cynical and scary and now I'm beginning to worry about Valentine. Peter is very manipulative and Valentine is being overcome with evil because she doesn't have the good of Ender anymore. Especially with Peters meniacle plans to take over the world it's a little bit scary and now it seems to be the battle of the Wiggins.
Zach Hall
It's also very interesting that Ender is being moved up very rapidly through the ranks, but it's really now suprise there. He keeps being pushed to the limits by Graff and Anderson but hes meeting the challenges well even if it is corrupting his child like state considering he's only a nine year old boy.
The think I find ironic is almost how cyclical the book is beginning to be. Bean is the spitting image of Ender when he was six. Ender is acting like Graff now too, telling Bean he has to push himself and he has to prove himself. All these efforts will prove to make him a great soldier. Ender does it because he wants the best for Bean, and then Ender realizes this is exactly what Graff wanted for him. I found it very interesting and there are just so many layers to this book and these characters!
Brady Niehoff
D2 B4
I don't know about anybody else but I would love to play the games that they play at the battleschool. You pretty much get to go and do whatever you want to do. It's like living in a fantasy world for real. You have to be a good strategizer to be able to good in these games though which I think is why Ender was invited to go to the school in the first place.
There are three things I don't understand about these games though. The first one is how can you beat the giant when that levels suppose to be impossible? My second question is if the giant was suppose to be the last and impossible level to beat, then why would there be levels after that. The last question I have is how can these games help them for war? In the games you can try different things and if it was the wrong move to make then you die but then you come back to life and you can try the other option that you have. In war, if you make the wrong move then your died forever. Well that's what's suppose to happen but I don't know if that will happen in this book because odd events happen all the time.
Brady Niehoff
D2 B4
The battle school that Ender goes to is very different then what were used to. People joining the military go through a heavy duty training and there life are not great. The kids at the battle school are in like a futurisyic phys. ed. class. A lot more people would probably join the military if all they did was play games all the time.
I don't see how these games help these kids get ready for war. Especially if in some games you can keep dying but it doesn't matter because you come back to life. Then in other games, its pretty much all for nothing, unless you make a pact, and then you won't work as a team like they should in the military. I know these games help to make you strategize better so you know what move will be good in the war but they also have a negative effect on these future soldiers.
I like reading this book more and more as I read. It's full of suprises. I loved what Ender did when they sent him into the battle with no stars. Using his soldiers as shields for others and freezing them. I thought it was brillant, especially because he is sttill only nine. I agree with what Zach said about Graff pushing Ender to the limits. I think that it's entirely necessary what they're doing but it still seems very harsh.
I am getting a little scared for Ender's safety. Graff is so insistant on not giving him help from the teacher's. They know that there are a group of older boys planning to seriously harm or kill Ender. Ender knows it and Graff knows it but Graff is far too persistant on letting him defend himself. It's another example of how hard they push him. I'm sure whatever happens Ender will be fine. It will just be another struggle that let's them graduate from the battleschool more quickly.
I think that the situations that Ender has to deal with are unreal. Nobody has to deal with things that rough except for him. They're just pushing him along so quickly. I think that the book taking place in space is important. It gives you a better understanding of how different their lives are compared to ours. The genre of the book helps in being more open minded about situations.
I think Graff is starting to get kind of out of control on how far ahead he is pushing Ender. I mean every second he is throwing something new at him. Most of the time I think that he just expects way too much of him. I don't see how someone so young can literally have the weight of the world on his shoulders. It's tough to say if they are doing the right thing in pushing Ender so far ahead. He is starting to show signs of weakness which is a bad thing. After his fight with Bonzo, he cried. Nobody ever cries and he did. I hope it's not just a sign that he doesn't have what it takes.
Zach Hall D1 B2
I have to agree fully with what Amanda is saying, Graff is really pushing Ender to the limits. There is only so much someone can take before they go over the edge. Ender is so young and is just being put up in rank quicker and quicker. He's mixed in with people who are much more mature than he is and he is being forced to grow up much quicker than he should.
The fact that he has to grow up so quickly concerns me, because psycologically that raises some issues with the developement of the child brain. Also the fact that Graff didn't do anything about Enders safety is scary. Ender realises that he isn't safe and that must make it hard to sleep at night, I don't know what I would do if I was Ender. Putting my personal safety at risk, sounds like neglect on the schools behalf and although it's a training strategy it really makes you question the credibility of the school and of Graff.
Zachary Hall D1 B2
It's hard to believe that Graff let Ender kill Bonzo and there were really no consequences, even though Ender doesn't know he has killed him. Ender doesn't mean to kill these people and has no intention of harming them. The people intend to harm him, but he ends up taking them out in the end.
Its also scary to think that Ender has to fight these enemies, but once he gets to know his enemies he actually realizes he likes them. I think if Freud were analyzing Ender, there'd be some serious psycological problems here.
Ender gets promoted yet again to commander school and has time to return to Earth, where he realizes he just doesn't care anymore. He also meets up with Valentine who he loves and she convinces him to go back up, very well knowing that he doesn't want to go but he ends up going back up anyway. This is full of many plot twists right now and I have no idea what to make of it haha!
Alyssa Stokes Day 2, Block 4
Does anyone else get the game that Ender plays? I'm talking about the one on his desk. It is the most random thing I have ever seen. Yet, if your character can do anything, I don't get how other people haven't beaten the game. All Ender had to do was kill the Giant. I guess that just tells you that Ender really is different. If all of the other kids just sit there and play the poison game and always lose, I guess they really are just robots and do only what they're supposed to do.
I would also have to agree when people say it isn't fair that they moved Ender to the Army so soon. But then I guess since they see something in him, than they must all agree that they have to test him. Anyways, it's really good so far!
Alyssa Stokes, Day 2 Block 4
While reading, I found a very interesting point. When Peter is talking to Valentine, and he brings up that there is no buggers and that the war is already over. That got me thinking. Maybe they are just saying that there is a war to keep people scared. Maybe they figure if people are scared, than they will still maintain the power. If that isn't true then maybe there really are buggers that are planning another attack. If not that, then maybe Peter is right and they are planning for land wars. I don't really know right now. Does anyone have any thoughts for this?
Alyssa Stokes, Day 2 Block 4
To go on what Amanda said, I agree that they are pushing him a lot more. I think they have to though to test if he is really as good as they think he is. If he is going to be ready to be some big important commander in the war, than they have to be sure that he can adapt to new situations and that he can handle new things that get thrown at him.
About the crying aspect, I don't necessarily think it means that he doesn't have what it takes. I almost take it as a signal that he is just different from everyone else. That is what they want is different so maybe he's perfect. Maybe the crying shows us that he really is going to be as good as they think he is. Since everyone else doesn't cry, maybe it's good that he does cry. Who knows..
I think what Peter said about the war being over could be entirely true. I don't see why if the buggers still wanted to attack they wouldn't. They are more advanced than humans which is why Ender studies the old war videos for tactics. I wonder what is going to actually happen with Ender once he finishes command school.
Everytime I read this book something completely unexpected happens. When he gets his new game and starts to win. I was so shocked that they gave him a new teacher. It seemed so strange how they met too. I did not expect it to be Mazer the way Ender was talking about the old man. They just always talked about him like this war hero and I never thought he would be this old man.
I find it strange how hard they have worked to keep Ender isolated in Commander sschool. He said how he didn't know anyone in the school. Then they reintroduce every friend he made in Battle School. I completely did not expect that. I was so shocked that they all get to work together again because I figured that after he left Battle school he just wouldn't see them ever again.
This whole book is really well written. I think it's also very strange though. I was suprised that Mazer was actually capable of coming up with things that were more difficult for Ender because the way the book talks about him, Ender seems like the most brilliant person in the whole world. I think it was good to give him Mazer as a teacher though because he was responsible for defeating the buggers in the last invasion so he can help Ender figure out how to beat them in the next Invasion.
Matthew Drew
Day 2 Block 3
referring to what Alyssa said, I agree about crying being a good quality for Ender to have. Someone who is going to be this important and influential to their future, should have different characteristics. He needs to be able to standout from the norm, not saying he doesn't already.
I'm thinking about Ender after command school where everything isn't just assessing his performance and things that happen are real issues for Ender to overcome. Ender's shown Qualities that assures me he would have no problem with the new responsibilities.
Zach Hall
d1 b2
This book was very interesting and very different from what I expected. I really liked it and although it was very sci-fi like it was still compelling and had a lot of realisitic character ideas and personalities that I could relate to.
With that being said, I agreed with something that stokes said. How were we to know that there was even a war, or buggers at all? We're told the entire book that there are buggers and there is this power that we have to defeat. We just have to believe it's there though because we haven't seen any actual war or buggers up until the end of the book. Finally it comes together and there's the aha , there actually are buggers and this academy isn't just a waste of time on youth.
I also agree with Amanda about how it's easy to find new things whenever you read. I also agree about Mazer and how I expected him to be completely different than what was percieved at first.
I really like the fact that the book was fast-fowarded in the end and it talked about how Ender wrote a book about the buggers and the communications between buggers and humans. Buggers are percieved as these horrible beasts that we need to fight and destroy but it's almost as if Ender sympathized with them especially after the "discussion" with the queen. It goes back to Ender own code of ethics and how when he fights his enemies he actually relates to them and likes them
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