Ender's Game Essay

Soldier

What words do you think of when you hear the word, “soldier”? You may think: Military. Fighter.Warrior. Brave. But do you think of the word “children”? In Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card, children are recruited by the government to become soldiers in the war against the buggers; aliens who invaded Earth twice and threatened the existence of the human race. One child in specific, Ender, was chosen as a potential commander. We don 't realize, but the best military forces in history were children trained to act like adults. For example, the Spartan Army of ancient Greece trained all boys at a young age to become strong elite fighters. It was their duty to endure rigorous training and withstanding mock battles, similar to the Launchies

The primary goal of the education system was to breed great soldiers. Spartan citizens were obligated to be great soldiers. Babies were judged early on to see if they were fit for their duty as a soldier. In fact, “All Spartan infants were brought before a council of inspectors and examined for physical defects, and those who weren’t up to standards were left to die.” (History.com) This is similar to Ender’s Game, because Ender’s birth was requisitioned by the government. He is considered a “third”, in a society where only two children are allowed in each family. While his brother tested to be too violent and his sister a too mild temperament, Ender was bred in hopes that he would be the perfect mix of the two. Before Ender was born his parents signed an agreement with the government that if Ender qualified as a soldier he was military property, or he could not have been born. Since Ender was only born to fulfill the government’s needs, he feels that his only purpose is to go to Battle School and train to be in the army. Ender says, “‘It’s what I was born for, isn’t it? If I don’t go, why am I alive?’”(Card, pg. 26) Revealing his natural obligation to the military, just like the Spartan

But surely an impressive story of this magnitude would be based on history. “I learned that history is shaped by the use of power, and that different people, leading the same army, with, therefore, approximately the same power, applied it so differently that the army seemed to change. Ender’s Game is a story about gifted children. It is also a story about soldiers,” says the author. (Card, Introduction) Orson Scott Card claimed the book was based off the history of the use of power within an army and the fact that the soldiers were so young. Card also stated, “It was so important to me, there on the lawn in front of the Salt Palace, to write a story in which gifted children are trained to fight in adult wars. Because never in my entire childhood did I feel like a child. I felt like a person all along—the same person that I am today. I never felt that I spoke childishly. I never felt that my emotions and desires were somehow less real than adult emotions and desires. Perhaps, then, it was natural for my thoughts to turn to things military.”(Card, Introduction) Although the others are correct in saying that the book was written to help distinguish the community, it is not just a story. Card’s intentions were to share the message, that in the past children were used to fight adults’ wars. The leaders of ancient Sparta, ignored the values of