Childhood Loneliness
Childhood loneliness is a considerable problem that can affect young children in many ways, and may have long-term negative consequences. In the novels, Indian Killer, by Sherman Alexie, and Ender's Game, but Orson Scott Card, the powerful portrayal of childhood loneliness is overwhelming.
After years of being monitored by government officials, Ender Wiggins, the main character of Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game, finds himself completely alone. The loneliness set's in as he finds himself in a new school, away from the watchful eyes of the government and bared to the world. He is a Third. This feeling of being a third makes Ender feel even more isolated, "It was not his fault he was a Third. It was the government's idea, they were the ones who authorized it - how else could a Third like Ender have got into school?" (Card 5). There was no one there to keep the bullies away now. Although he never really liked the monitor, he now found himself alone and missing the advent ages of having it on and knowing that someone, somewhere was always with him and watching him. At battle school, Ender knows that he will be isolated from the other students. Colonel Graff tells the other students of Ender and how superior his talents and intelligence is compared to the rest of the group. The other students don't like Ender and don't trust him. Throughout battle school, Ender is kept from his family and isolated from other children.
Bernard makes life even more miserable and lonely for Ender as he doesn't like him and builds a gang of other kids to help torture, insult, and abuse Ender. This gang torments Ender to the point were he feels backed into a corner and has no choice but to fight his way out. With this new found power, Ender gains a friend in Shen. His loneliness seems to subside for a short time as he makes a small group of friends. The adults see how he has gained followers and decide to move him to the Salamander Army in hopes that re-isolation would ignite that same spark in him. Once again, loneliness finds Ender. Because of his superior power and intelligence, he continually finds himself isolated and alone. Colonel Graff states that "Isolation is the optimum environment for creativity" (Card 149).
Before Ender got picked to fight the buggers he was just a normal boy he went to school like every other kid, one day he got put in a test and if he passed he would go to battle school in space, Ender eventually passed the test and he had a military personnel come to his door and tell his parents that he passed the test and is going to battle school.
Ender is selected to go to Battle School in space because of the actions he has displayed against a bully after a device known as a monitor, which allows the leaders of the I.F. to watch and hear everything Ender perceives. Although Ender’s conception was predetermined (in this time period, families are only allowed to have two children unless stated by the government which is why Ender is often called a “Third”), he had to display the correct characteristics to be selected. Ender’s siblings, Peter and Valentine also wore the monitor, but neither wore it as long nor was selected because Peter was too cruel and Valentine was too mild. Once Ender arrives, he makes a couple new friends from the other selected children, including a boy named Alai. When Ender is alone, he plays a mind game and progresses farther than anyone has before so out of the blue, Ender becomes promoted to a group called Salamander Army, where he befriends the only girl, Petra Arkanian, at Battle School. As Ender continues to display his brilliance, he is continuously being promot...
Petra and Dink are warning ender to always be accompanied by somebody and to never be alone. That night Ender’s only way of falling asleep is by thinking about how the teachers will protect him outside the battle room if he truly means something to them. The next day after winning two battles he falls asleep and wakes up just a little before lunch time. Carelessly he walked in to take a shower, until Bonzo and other seven boys come up on him. Bonzo is the boys in the room that truly wants to kill Ender. In order for Ender to face him one-on-one he uses Bonzo’s honor to get the other boys to back down. Before the fight Dink rushes in, but is held back by the other boys as he tries to prevent the fight from happening. Ender provokes Bonzo and when Bonzo charges at him ender quickly hits Bonzo’s head with his face. To prevent from Bonzo trying to attack again Ender hits him in the ribs and crotch, but Bonzo does not move. Dink later takes Ender away from the bathroom as the teachers that were supposed to protect him come rushing in. Ender’s later reminded of Bonzo’s face when he first hit him and Stilson’s face too and later begins to cry. Ender is given another battle with two armies at the same time, but he is completely done with battles even after winning. Ender is informed by Bean that his toon leaders had been promoted along with their assistants too. They are now commanders including Bean himself. Ender is also informed that he has graduated to Command school but before he goes to Command School he goes back to Earth. It turns out that Ender killed Bonzo and Stilson, but they never told him. Down in Earth military officers have found out who Demosthenes and Loc...
One event that has been started before Ender that he is expected to finish is the war between the humans on the planet, and the alien “Buggers.” Ender is expected to be able to end this war because his older siblings tested out impossibly in the governments way of determining aptitude, or ability to become a general in the army that is preparing for a fight with the Buggers. Rarely is a third child born, but in this exceptional case, Ender was permitted to be born because of his siblings test results. As soon as ender is born, a monitor is placed in the base of his neck to analyze his thoughts and senses to determine whether he is Battleschool material or not.
Throughout the novel, Ender gradually begins to realize that he is not so different from his brother Peter. Ender grew up being punished and beaten up just for being a third who was smarter than Peter. This explains why Ender wants nothing to do with him when he leaves home. The mind game periodically reminds Ender that he is not completely different from him through certain levels. On the first obstacle that proved difficult, he brutally
...t and only try to defeat the I.F. Just as important as knowing that they hurt Ender was knowing why. After talking with Bean he realized that he was becoming everything he wanted to avoid. A commander that pushed around his soldiers and put them down. But he knew why. He thought, “Graff had isolated [me] to make [me] struggle” (Card 167). He was beginning to be like the people he hated because of his own isolation. He was supposed to struggle so he didn’t feel like anyone would help him but that only made his situation worse. Once again, knowing who the real enemy was was a key step to defeating the real enemy. Truly knowing your enemy can help a lot when trying to defeat them.
One of the elements of isolation that leads to the loss of childhood is the hostile characters at the battle school, particularly Graff and Bonzo. Graff stands behind the action and makes things happen, while Bonzo is too rigid to see opportunities in front of him. Isolation towards Ender starts in the shuttle before they reach the Battle School. To prove this, Graff says “’I’ll have him completely separated from the rest of the boys by the time we get to school’” (Card, page 27). Ender expects Graff to be tough and pick on him, but instead he sets him up as the best by continuously bragging about him. This causes hatred of the other soldiers to grow towards Ender. Graff means to do that to make Ender stand out from the others and to make him into the best soldier. Ender’s isolation does not stop there, but it continues as he finally begins to get along with the Launchies and make friends: “’So as soon as he can cope with a situation, you move him to one he can’t cope with,’” (Card, page 66) says General Levy when he finds out Graff is transferring Ender to Salamander Army. This declares that Graff does not want Ender to get used to where he is and that he wants Ender to be able to handle everything that is thrown at him, which is a form of isolation. I...
In conclusion, when Ender is put in tight scenarios where he has very few options to choose from, it results with his emotions being expressed in a violent form. As a result, Ender’s mental state is affected by the violent actions taken upon Ender by showing the effect it has on the mind and how it effects one another. The effects upon Ender’s physical state results with him choosing to use violent acts in order to avoid the harm that is brought upon physical combat. Life is always based on decisions and many of these decisions are based on basic emotions like happiness, sadness, etc,however many of them result with others as well.
As a result of Graff’s manipulation, the other soldiers greatly resent Ender and one soldier in particular forces a fight between himself and Ender, Ender’s isolation is already complete by the time he arrives at Battle School, which causes Ender great despair. Although Ender’s isolation causes Ender great despair, it was Graff’s goal to isolate Ender to make him a better soldier. Its evident from the beginning the Graff’s final goal was to isolate
Enders shows this when Bonzo again ordered him to this time back off and to not shoot during the battle against the other army in the Battle room. At the very end of the battle Ender once again shows his courage by disobeying his commanders orders and taking part in the battle. This shows that Ender makes decisions for what he feels is right, even if that means to break rules. He decided to disobey Bonzo to save Salamander army from a loss, if this was another solider in Salamander army they would have listened because of the fear of Bonzo. Ender demonstrates this again at the very end of the book, Ender decides to help the Buggers find a new home even when he knew that helping the Buggers was against the rules of the International fleet. Ender does this because he realizes that the buggers were innocent and that they only came to Earth to colonize, the humans on the other side decided to kill all the Buggers and Ender himself played a huge role of killing the Bugger colony. The guilt gets to Ender and he decides to save the Bugger population by finding a new planet for
The novel Ender’s Game is written by Orson Schott Card. It is about a young boy who is sent to battle school. He meets friends and makes adversaries. In battle school, out in space, Ender, the young boy is a genius and is taught many tactics to destroy their prime enemy the buggers. He excels in school and battles his way into command school before the required age. There he is told he is battling buggers in simulations or is he? Throughout the novel, Ender is manipulated, bullied, and isolated, which creates many themes and messages. In this novel Ender’s Game the main theme is life is a game. Three characters that best prove this are Ender, Peter, and Bonzo.
In Orson Scott Card’s novel, Enders Game, at the age of six, Ender is chosen by Colonel Graff and the International Fleet to help save mankind from the buggers. However, through his journey, he experiences manipulation and deception from significant figures that surround his life. This deceit from Colonel Graff, Valentine, and Mazor Rackham is focused on defeating the buggers in the Third Invasion.
Ender’s Game: Valentine’s Character Development. Compassionate, empathetic, and witty. It was obvious from the moment Valentine Wiggin first appeared in Ender’s Game that she possessed these traits. These three traits, as well as her ability to be protective, are showcased very early on in the story. By the end of the book, Valentine has become a powerful, mature, and fearless young woman.
I related to Ender with many of the decisions that he was forced to make. I agree with his philosophy about ending the fight so that no more fights can grow from it, finishing your opponent, but only in self defense, and standing up too bully's. Ender's game reminded me of countries that expect to much for their children, and that would give everything for them to succeed, almost like overprotective parents.
One key component that is produced through Ender’s struggles at his young age is self-reliance. Ender is born unto a family where he is seen as an outcast; he’s a “third.” In a world where population control is major concern, a third-born child is looked upon in disgust. He is isolated even before he is brought into the world. John Kessel reveals his insights into Card’s interpretation of Ender’s exploitation when he says,” Orson Scott Card presents a harrowing tale of abuse. Ender’s parents and older brother (. . .) either ignore the abuse of Ender or participate in it” (Kessel 1). No one contributes more to this abuse than his older brother, Peter. Along with his birth, jealousy and hatred are especially common towards Ender. This disapproving outlook is particularly apparent from Peter. Peter let’s Ender know hi...