Ender's Game

Battle School

Author's note: this is a piece from the point of Ender as he takes place in his first battle in the battle room. The suit they are wearing turns stiff where ever it gets shot so you cant move that part anymore. Also, they fight in zero gravity. It might be inaccurate because they've only had a practice battle so far, but this is what I think it will be like.

I gripped my gun with one hand, playing with the buttons on it. One made it a lamp, the other fired a little circle of light that turned people's suits stiff. With my other hand, I gripped the rail to keep myself in control. If I let go, I would just tumble slowly around in mid air. So I kept my hand on a rail.

Then the fight started. I didn't want to stay on the rail, or I would be an easy target for a boy on the other team. So, I picked a wall, and pushed off. I planned it so I would turn slowly around while I glided, so I landed with my feet against the wall, which was now the floor. The rest of the boys glided around in the air in front of me. I bounced off the wall, and glided toward the next one. I had to slow myself down, so I bent my knees to absorb some force. I stopped against the new floor.

I raised up my gun and pointed it at a slightly older boy on the other team. I fired, and hit him in the leg, right where I had been aiming. Then the other leg, so it would be difficult for him to push off against walls. He crashed into a wall and bounced off. I open fired, and froze the rest of him. Then I pushed off again.

In the last two battles, which were also my first two battles, I had taught myself some tricks. Never stay in one place for two long, or you will be a sitting duck. Always plan where you are going to go, never just glide, other wise you will be bouncing around with no control. And don't get shot.

The battles were fun, once I got the hang of it. But the rest was bad. I was away from my family, and wouldn't see them for six years. The older kids were mean, and I was bullied. The classes were hard for the first time, and the meals weren't as good as mom's. But I would get through it. I hope.

Excuses

Author's note: This is a response to Ender's Game. In the book, there is a game room where older kids play this arcade game where they have to avoid an alien. Or, they can play other kids one on one. So, Ender challenges an older kid to a match. 

Ender watches the older kids playing a video game. He figures out the game, without even playing it. Confident in himself, he challenges an older boy to a match, best two out of three. Ender wins two of them, and is feeling quite proud of himself. The older kid starts saying how they should redesign the game, because it was so easy, any 'pinhead' could beat it. This made me think of how when people can't handle losing well, they make an excuse.

 I know a lot of times people make excuses when they lose. I wonder why this is? I guess it is just human nature, to make excuse, and I know I have done it. But there has to be some reason. Maybe they win so much, they aren't used to losing, and make the excuse. Maybe they think they should have won, or maybe they are just mad at losing. The last idea seems most realistic. I know, especially when kids are younger, they don't handle losing well. When I was little, I hated losing, but now I don't mind nearly as much. But when people lose and become angry, there's nothing else they can do but blame their loss on someone else. This is most likely why people always make excuses.

By my experience, I know it is normal for people to make excuses when they lose. It seems like people make excuses when they don't handle losing very well. Or, sometimes with your friends, people are just joking. But it is almost confusing when you think about it, how people always do this. It only helps themselves, and even they know it isn't true. I suppose they just don't handle losing, and try to make excuses to make themselves feel better.

 

Third

Author's Note: This is a piece about how the character in my book isn't wanted in is family because he is different. I can't imagine this and think this would be very scary.

Andrew, or his nickname, Ender, is a Third. He is the third child in the family, which is frowned upon in the era of the book, which is sometime in the future. This causes Ender to be teased and harassed, because he is different. His parents love him, but don't want him. This would be a scary experienced to be unwanted in you're family.

It is true that they love him, but he is shameful to them. He is a sign in their family that they will never be normal in society, with having a Third. They did it supposedly because his previous siblings were so promising, they were allowed. However, they somewhat regret this decision, as it creates nonstop tension within the walls of their home. His parents love him dearly, but he is a constant symbol of the shame of being abnormal. His brother hates him too, because his existence is proof that he wasn't quite good enough. Having your parents not want you and your brother hate you would be a scary feeling of being unwanted.  

His parents are ashamed of him, and his brother hates him. His sister is the only one that loves him with all her heart. But I couldn't imagine not being wanted within my own family. He is a sign of rebellion, going against what is normal, yet is also an embarrassment. Even outside his family, he is constantly made fun of. This would be a very stressful situation and a disturbing feeling that you shouldn't be alive.

Peter

Author's note: This is a response to Ender's brother, Peter. He is ten, and Ender is six. Peter is a huge bully, and threatens Ender with death. But there may be something more to this...

Ender is a six year old, with a brother named Peter. To put it simply, he is evil. Peter is ten, and much stronger than poor Ender. His brother abuses him and beats him, for no apparent reason. Ender is a Third, which is a third child, which is illegal in the evidently future setting of earth. He was allowed to be born because apparently, his brother and sister were so smart, they allowed it. Peter doesn't like this. But there is something about this that takes it to a disturbing level. There is something else to Peter that meets the eye.

Ender and Peter play a game called 'Buggers and Astronauts.' Peter wastes Ender in these games, and it gets disturbing. Only slightly in the mood of the game, Peter pins Ender and says he will kill him. He says he will kill him, and pretend he didn't know it would hurt. He claims he means it, and that doesn't want a Third as a brother. He doesn't kill him, but says someday, there will be an accident, and he will die. This is scary. For your brother to say death threats, that's not good, and very disturbing. Peter seems obvious just evil and mean, but I think there is something more. Later that night when Peter thinks Ender is sleeping, he comes and apologizes, and says he's his brother, and he loves him. This, even if it doesn't seem like it would, makes everything all the more disturbing.  Peter acts like he does, threatens him, then later apologizes, without Ender supposed to know. Why is he doing this? This is why I think there is more to Peter. There is something wrong, that makes him act like he does. But what is it? The answer to that is one I don't have.

There is something about Peter. Something that makes it so he is doing this not for pure evil. He is truly sorry for what he does, yet it keeps happening. It takes it to a disturbing level, like I've said. Why this is happening, I have no idea. Peter may be insecure. He may be depressed, or maybe jealous. I'll just have to wait to find out the answer. But there is surely something hidden about Peter.

Lies and Truths

Author's note: This is a response to the book Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. It is about a quote from the book, saying that lies are more dependable than the truth. I think this is true, and decided to respond to it. 

  

"Sometimes lies were more dependable than the truth."

This quote was by a young boy named Ender. It is not very far into the book, so his character is not developed much yet. But this quote is meaningful, and I for one believe that it's the truth. Young Ender is having a something called a monitor removed from him, and the doctor says it will not hurt a bit. Using his philosophy he decides it will hurt, because every time the doctor says it won't, it will. Sometimes the truth is not always there, so lies can give hints to the truth.

At times, people will lie to cover up the truth. But if you can read through the lie, you can take the opposite or near opposite of what they say, to find reality. Dishonesty is more dependable than the truth because sometimes the truth is only partial. If someone leaves something out, there's no way of knowing, while it is still remains mostly true. But, if they lie instead of leaving it out, the opposite must be legitimate. Although, you must be able to know when someone is lying, but usually that is easier than figuring out what is never said. Lies must be spoken, while what is excluded does not. So what Ender said is correct.

Lies are more reliable that the truth; that statement is somewhat contradictory. But if you take apart what it is actually saying, it makes since. The truth doesn't have to be the full truth, but lies are always full lies. Knowing this, you can make accurate predictions if you know someone is lying. Instead of having a partial truth, you can find the opposite of a lie.