“ Individual human beings are all tools that others use to help us all survive.” This is a quote from Ender’s Game, a novel where we commonly see two main themes addressed: the concepts of good and evil and manipulation. Most novels tend to take standard, generic views of these topics, but Ender’s Game is not one of those novels. Good and evil, we typically see them addressed as separate entities, but in Ender’s Game, they are one and the same. For example, in the beginning of the book, we think that the humans are good and that the aliens are evil incarnate. However, at the end of the book it turns out that the aliens were sorry for what they had done and hoped that mankind would forgive them for their transgressions. Mankind subsequently …show more content…
You might not ever know who or what is manipulating you, but you must ask yourself two questions: Is manipulating others ever okay? Is it fair to say that someone who manipulates you is your enemy? Ender is supreme commander of the human armada during the war. Although granted such a prestigious title, Ender doesn’t realize it has been given to him. He thinks that he is still in training and that he is commanding ships in simulators, but he is actually commanding real ships. Every mistake he makes costs the lives of real soldiers. Ender’s teachers manipulate him by telling him that it is all a game, but was that really evil? After all, Ender’s teachers only tricked him to protect him from himself. They knew that Ender was too compassionate to willingly wipe out an entire species. Having found out that he wiped out the entire alien race in an act of xenocide, Ender now hates himself for what he did, although Ender’s teachers admitting it was their fault did make him feel better. In this scenario, manipulation was a good thing, because it accomplished the task at hand and eased the psychological pain that Ender felt. Ender hated the teachers who deceived him into xenocide and thought of them as his enemies, but is it really fair to say that? Their motive was to protect Ender, so even
People do bad things; they could steal some money, break a mirror, or kill an entire alien race to save his people. One boy managed to do it in Enders Game which is a tale of a young boy who will soon find out what his purpose in life is. Ender Wiggin, a six year old boy, is asked to go to battle school to prepare for a 3rd war with an alien race. When all the war stopped; he finds and egg to produce more of the aliens and tries to find a planet for them to live on. This great story was made not just a book but also a movie and between the two, the movie shows more of a visual outlook on how Ender defeats an army of aliens.
The plot of Raiders of the Lost Ark has many notable themes throughout: religion, exploration, transformation, wisdom & knowledge, politics, and good vs. evil. Of these, one of the most prominent themes throughout is that of good vs. evil. In Raiders of the Lost Ark any character who stays in the movie either ends up on the good side (with Indiana Jones) or the bad side (with the Nazis). There is no in between. What makes this movie so unique is how close the bad guys actually come to achieving their goal of using the Ark for its powers. One of the most iconic parts in this movie when this happens is a scene where Indiana Jones and Marion are tied up and the Nazis have control of the Ark. It looks as though it will end in favor of the Nazi
In Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card, we see the life, struggles, and choices of Ender Wiggin. After reading the book, we as the readers can interpret what we believe the book was meant to accomplish in terms of the moral questions it raises. Some believe that Card wrote the book as a self-serving justification of Enders actions. However, I believe that the story is not a justification of Enders actions, but instead an illustration of the abuse and mistreatment of a young child.
In the beginning of the book, Ender is ashamed when his decisions harm others. After receiving ‘special treatment’ on his way to Battle School, Ender is being harassed
After much internal debate Ender decides to go to battle school and leave home. He knows he won’t see his family until he is at least 12 but most likely he will have to wait until he is 16. When Ender is inside the ship on the way to battle school, the adults start their manipulation game. Graff calls out Ender as the only one who will save mankind, making the other kids hate Ender and become envious. Ender already lost the chance at having a normal childhood when he was born a third, but he was also considered to be the chosen one to save mankind from the very beginning. The manipulation of Ender is shown through the book and the children at the school either take part in his abuse or ignore the adults who cause it. Through this abusive training tactic Ender becomes the skilled fighter and leader the government wants. Ender gets moved through the program fast. He gets to the command school at age 9, a school no one can go to until they are sixteen. The adults tell him he will be doing simulations to practice the attacks on the buggers, but after the last simulation he finds out he killed the entire bugger species. The novel shows Ender to be morally innocent throughout his story, but he takes on the guilt of xenocide of the buggers. He is shocked at what he did, even when he didn’t know what he’s doing. Ender loses his innocence at this moment. He knew he was being manipulated by the adults throughout his career at the battle schools, but he had no idea he was being manipulated into exterminating a whole race. When he realizes what he did he goes into another depression slump and does not come out of his room for days. He doesn’t understand why he was manipulated into what he
Throughout the book, Enders Game it is arduous to establish what it authentically denotes to have human rights. The regime relies on children to preserve the world from the buggers. They are treated like they are adults and are purloined of their youth. Ender realizes that the adults are manipulating the children and his cognizance of what is right and what is not is what preserves the world from the manipulation from the adults. Because of Ender kenning what is right and was is not and withal is authentic this is what he does that culminates up preserving the Earth from extirpation. In Orson Scott Card’s novel, the Ender’s Game shows how in authentic life that children can be utilized in Warfare, which they are called “child soldiers”, and
"The line between good and evil is permeable and almost anyone can be induced to cross it when pressured by situational forces"~Philip Zimbardo. It is hard to not cross the line between good and evil because if someone is getting you mad, you might want to harm them in some way. But you have keep your cool and let it go. Being good or evil is your own choice. Even if you are good, you always have an evil side. This quote fits perfectly because it talks about how evil is really only in people under certain situations. People are essentially good, but under certain circumstances, turn evil.
Good, is portrayed by God, and evil seems to be what fate has in store for the
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.
Manipulation is a very powerful word. People use this tactic everyday to get what they want in life. By deceiving people or tricking them into seeing a certain point of view, people gain power. To skillfully use the power of manipulation a person must use another person's weaknesses. By using a person's emotions against them, they can be manipulated with ease. In Shakespeare's Othello, the character of Iago uses these tactics almost to perfection to achieve his goals.
I’ll never have to play a game again. And that is victory” (Card, Ender’s 293). All Ender truly wants is to go home and be with his family. The idea of ending the silly games sounds like a win to him, and that is exactly what he does, although this does not make him a killer. The difference between Ender and a killer is discussed in John Kessel’s article regarding a blog arguement between Orson Scott Card and Elizabeth Radford when Kessel says, “...the passages insist that the difference between Hitler’s genocide and Ender’s is that Ender’s was an accident.
Good and evil can be summed up as a difference between rational and irrational thoughts, with the former being related to “good” and the ladder to “evil”. This is a view shared by Immanuel Kant and his Categorical Imperative. In the movie Schindler’s List, we are presented with two individuals, Oskar Schindler, who by the end of the movie displays characteristics of a man following rational thoughts, doing acts that he would want to become universal maxims. On the other end of the spectrum, we have Amon Goeth. Goeth follows his irrational thoughts, using the Jewish people as a means for his own ends.
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.
... other. Although Peter is considered evil and cruel, the novel never mentions him killing any human being. Ender is another perfect example of good and evil coexisting in one body though he is generally seen as good, he has his moments. Finally, Card expresses his thoughts on his theme of good versus evil with symbols that can describe the deception of looks; not all who look innocent are innocent, and not all those who look guilty are guilty. Good and evil lives within us however it is up to each individual person to decide which side of the fence they would rather be on: good or evil.
Good vs. Evil in Macbeth The good characters in Macbeth are less interesting than the evil ones. Everybody has an evil seed planted in them. Only the really evil person acts on them and commits something morally wrong. Like a Macbeth. When Macbeth first received the prophecies, he actually considered them.