Themes/Ideas
Ender's Game is not only about a Formic war. Behind that story there are great themes and ideas that can relate to real-life. The reader learns that only the enemy will tell you how to win.
~understanding is winning~
LIFE IS HARDIn the novel, Ender learns to face harder battles each day. He has no time for his childhood because he has the responsibility of saving humanity. Ender's life is determined by Major Andersen's computer. The computer was programed to keep Ender alive, but it did not concider his emotional stability and health.
~This is a significant theme that helps develop Ender's character and set the mood of the novel. |
MANIPULATIONEnder is constantly manipulated by the International Fleet. He is persuaded into doing thing he usually would not do. The author used the characters of the adults and the army commanders to represent this theme. Those people have more influence and power because of their position in the war. Adults think that children are weak, not as intelligent as them, and "childish" because of their age. This is ironic for a novel about intelligent children that are saving the world.
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INDIVIDUALS VS. HUMANITYColonel Graff is the character that promotes this idea. He thinks that Ender should risk his life in order to save mankind.
Graff's quotes Human beings are free except when humanity needs them. |
GOOD VS. EVIL
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Other important themes:
- GAMES VS. REALITY
- FRIENDS VS. ENEMIES
- WINNING NO MATTER WHAT
- LIES