Ender's Game Questions Chapters 6-8

Chapter 6
1. The purpose of the Giant's drink game is to see how prospective soldiers deal with certain death. Ender knew that whichever drink he chose was going to kill him, and the game taught him how to work around that. He knew that he was probably going to die, but through the game he figured out how to have success even though it may involve his death. Ender should evaluate his success at this game as an accomplishment. As the adults said, "...he won the game that couldn't be won" (66). The game was supposed to be impossible, and yet he figured it out cheated death. I don't think Ender is a murderer, I think he was just doing what he had to do to succeed. It meant he had to kill some imaginary people in a game, but it does not mean that he really has a bad heart.

Chapter 7
1. Alai said "salaam" to Ender. He also kissed him on the cheek. This exchange was very important because it was not something Alai was supposed to do. It relates to his religion, and religion was supposed to be outlawed so exchanges like this cannot happen. It shows how much Alai supports and trusts Ender, and how he knows that Ender is on his side and would not tell that that had happened. Ender learned how to win people over and make friends.

2. The "just living" mentioned in this chapter is what Ender considers a normal life to be. Living alone with your family, spending time with friends, going to school. No monitors or Battle School in his idea of normal life. I think it is true that Ender has never done this. There was a time when he did not have a monitor, but at that point his siblings had one. Ender wants success out of life. He does not want to be a killer like his brother, but he wants to be liked by people and he wants to be with his sister Valentine. He wants peace and rest and a lack of pain and fear. If I was him, I would be sad that I had never had the opportunity to live in that more simple, gentle way. I enjoy my life and I don't think I would like it if I was in Ender's place.

3. Petra helped Ender by being his friend and by instructing him in battle moves. She taught him how to make his shot better and in doing so she spent a lot of time with him. As she said, "...why don't we be friends?" (79). She accepted him and showed him that not everyone is trying to be mean to him and bring him down. Petra's friendship is a hindrance to Ender because she is not popular in their army and is not especially liked by everyone else. Ender does not want to be outside by association, yet he still wants the companionship of Petra.

4. Ender learns various things about leadership and tactics from Bonzo. Bonzo shows him that appearing as if you know what you are doing does not what you are doing is correct. Bonzo looks like he is doing the right thing, but Ender sees that his battle tactics are flawed but at the same time Bonzo shows him how to bring an army together and create a sense of unity. As said on page 77, "Madrid was not trying to hurt him, merely taking control of a surprising event and using it to strengthen his control of his army". When Ender first arrives and is thought to be awful, Bonzo turns that into a chanting session rallying army pride. Ender also sees that Bonzo pushes around and physically abuses his soldiers unnecessarily. Bonzo does not even give Ender a chance to try, he just orders him to stay immobile. He shows him that you must show your army your power, even though he does it in bad ways.

Chapter 8
1. When Graff says that "Ender Wiggin is ten times smater and stronger than I am" he means literally, but also emotionally. Graff sees that Ender had that strength to, at 6, leave his family and go work for the greater cause. Ender is smart with his emotions; he has learned not to cry or show pain. Graff also means in the games. Ender solves problems and comes up with solutions no one else can see. Graff is also afraid of Ender. He is not sure what Ender is capable of, and doesn't want to take chances.

2. The quote "So teach me." "So learn." shows how on their own everyone is at battle school. Ender's toon leader, Dink, is telling him that he must learn by observing, because no one is going to go out of their way to help him. He is saying that he has to catch up, because until then he is useless and will not have any success.

3. Ender's response to an attack is significant because no one else has tried it before. He has come up with something unique and unexpected that actually helps a lot in battle. His method has not been seen by the other teams so they do not know how to respond to it. He came up with something on his own that was useful for everyone else, which is a special occurrence. Most of the other soldiers can't think outside the box to do something like that, because they cannot understand how to think of up and down  in the Battle Room like he can. Ender also notes that "...even though Dink was very, very good, his persistence in holding onto the corridor gravity orientation instead of thinking of the enemy gate as downward was limiting his thinking" (102). Ender thinks in his own way.

4. The scene with the snake and Peter's reflection represented his conscience. He saw in the mirror what he was afraid of becoming: a murderous monster. He grew up under Peter, so he is used to evaluating what he does in terms of what Peter would have done. He does  not like it when he finds similarities between his and Peter's actions.

5. The game knows about Peter because it is created by adults, such as Graff, that are in charge of what goes on at the school. They know Ender is special, so they put something special into the game to draw him in and see how he reacts. The adults saw that he defeated the game when he shouldn't have, so now they are throwing knives in to make it interesting and test out any theories they may have about Ender.

6. The significance of the last paragraph of chapter 8 is Ender's inner turmoil. He feels used, like he wasn't created to live life he was created to be played and used for other people's will. He hates himself and what he has to do, and that could end up affecting his results in real life. He could end up not being able to accomplish what is necessary because he has not feeling of success or pride. He is starting to get deeper into this dark depression where he is not content with anything that happens or that he does. He hates everything: the game, his life, his abilities and their results. He does not care if he dies in the game because he does not care about most things "...when the little serpents killed me in the game, I agreed with them, and was glad" (119). At this point, he has lost the will to live.

CEJ #1: Technology

As Music Streaming Grows, Royalties Slow to a Trickle

(Sisario, Ben)
“The New York Times”
1/28/13
Technology
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/29/business/media/streaming-shakes-up-music-industrys-model-for-royalties.html?ref=technology

    It is a well known fact that most people these days listen to their music through online streaming sites. Spotify and Pandora are some of the primary ones in America, but there are many others internationally. What the common person doesn’t realize, though, is how the free streaming sites affect the artists whose music is being played. For example, a song played once on Pandora only brings in a half to 0.7 of a cent to the artist who recorded it (nytimes.com). Major artists can make millions off of that system through one popular song, but a little known artist can barely scrape by. One artist, Zoe Keating, received about $1652.74 for a million and a half Pandora songs (nytimes.com). Many small artists can have those issues. However, the owners and other big people in the corporations say that the systems will begin to work better when more people join and are paying. They are comparing the new system to how CD’s used to be, saying “Artists didn’t make big money from CD’s when they were introduced, either... as it became mainstream, the royalties went up” (nytimes.com). When Donald Passman said that, he meant it, but for some artists, that could be hard to see. Many people have complete faith in the new way of doing things, but for now it is difficult for some of the everyday people involved.
    The news described in this article did not surprise me. When I looked over the article for bias, I could find none. It was purely meant to inform people about this problem, and I don’t think it specifically supported the artists or the people. I was interested to read about this because I use some of those sights, such as Pandora, fairly often, and I would want to know if what I was doing was negative in the long run. I am not a paying user, so I feel a bit bad knowing that my listening is not good for the artist in the long run. On the other hand, it is good publicity for the artists because if I really like a song on Pandora I am more inclined to get it from iTunes. I think that eventually music will change and there will be money in having your song played on a streaming site, but I don’t think that will be for a while. For now, I think this problem will stay with us. I enjoy streaming music, even though I feel bad that it is not completely positive for the artists.

Ender's Game Questions Chapters 1-5

Chapter 1
1. The adults lie to Ender because they are cautious around him. They are not sure what he is capable of, so they are careful and make sure to tell him that things will not hurt so he will not freak out thinking that they will. They are correct to be cautious though, because he knows they are lying. He puts up with the pain, but I could imagine that if he did not want to he could control the adults fairly easily.

2. I think Ender being a "Third" means that he is a third-born child. I am guessing that maybe third-borns are typically illegal, but for some reason they are special so had an experiment going with one that they allowed to be born. To his parents, this is positive. They got to have a third child even though it is not usually allowed, so it was good for them. For his brother, it is negative. Everyone thinks that Ender is so special, so Peter never gets to have the spotlight and doesn't seem to be valued as much as Ender is. For his sister Valentine, it is also negative. She would not be compared to Ender as much as Peter would be, but she would still be in the shadow of Ender. That could possibly be a good thing if either of them did not want to be in the spotlight at a certain time. For his classmates, it would be positive. They could get away with things because everyone is watching Ender. They could pass normal assignments off as too hard saying that it was more aimed at Ender's abilities. They would have an immediate target, so the kids that would normally get bullied would be off the hook.

Chapter 2
1. I think Peter was joking when he threatened Ender. I think this because he had the opportunity to hurt them, and he didn't. He is afraid of the consequences. If he does want to be an elected official like Valentine said, then he can't do anything to kill them. Also, at the end of the chapter, he said "Ender, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I know how it feels, i'm sorry, I'm your brother, I love you" (15) when he thought no one could here. He is just bad on the surface; his heart is fine.

2. I think Peter's behavior at the end of the chapter is different from the rest of the chapter because he is not being watched. He is accustomed to having eyes on him all the time, so he has built up a hard, mean shell that only comes off when he thinks he is the only one awake. He probably would have strangled Ender if he did not think he was sleeping.

3. Ender: I think Ender is a good person who was put in a hard situation. The author made me feel like this by describing him being hurt by someone but then having him come home to be hurt himself. It showed me that he is vulnerable yet still capable of using his power to stand up for himself. I also think that he is very smart because of the way he disconnected in class yet was still following what was going on.
Valentine: I think Valentine is the peacemaker. She seems to know that Peter is capable of hurting her yet she does not appear to be afraid. She can see that Peter is not a real threat yet she still knows that Ender needs protection. I saw this because the author first said she had a soft voice, which portrays being gentle. Also, she stood up to him saying "And do you know why you don't mean it?... Because you want to be in government someday" (13). She knows how to control Peter.
Peter: At first I was afraid of what Peter would do to Ender and Valentine, but after his outburst where he said how he loved Ender, I think that he just acts mean, he isn't deeply mean. He seems like he has a lot of issues that he needs to work out, such as his violence toward Ender "I could kill you like this" (12). He seems violent, but because of how vulnerable he was when people were sleeping, I just can't believe that.

Chapter 3
1. What Graff meant about evolution working against girls is that time has not made them to be fighters. Girls grow into mothers, into gentle caretakers. Over the years that is what they have become accustomed to. In this story especially, it seems as if they were really meant to have kids and take care of things. Graff is pointing this out because it does not make good fighters. They are to gentle, to kind, and they care to much for other people to be good in battle.

2. OSC included the act of Ender taking Graff's hand because it showed more of what he was. He was a six year old little kid who was being taken away from his parents and his home, and him holding Graff's hand on the way out helped portray that. The way the story is told he could be 15, and that action helped show that he isn't.

Chapter 4
1. When Graff said that "Individual human beings are tools that the others use to help us all survive" he means that each person is just a tiny dot in the big picture, and that our purpose is to help the whole picture. If we only focus on our tiny dot, then humanity will end. He thinks that people are just the vessels for a greater power to be shown through. That greater power will eventually perform something for the greater good.

2. The quote "Isolate him enough that he remains creative - otherwise he'll adopt the system and we'll lose him" means that the people at Battle School want to keep Ender in isolation from the other kids in that they don't want him to make friends. They think if they let him become a part of the normal system and adopt the ways of everyone else he will not come up with battle strategies and solutions that are creative enough to have success. They think he will lose his potential if he integrates with everyone else.

3. Yes, Ender did mean to break the other boy's arm. He did not think he did, but then he realized "No, he had meant to hurt him, and had pulled with all his strength" (33). Deep down, he did want to hurt the boy. This incident shows us that Ender is not in control of his emotions. He knew that he should not do something that violent in public, yet he lost control of his power and ended up hurting the other boy. I think it is acceptable to do despicable things for survival, because sometimes life comes down to survival of the fittest. If you want to make it out on top, you have to do what is necessary to get there. However, Ender was not strictly in a survival situation, so I don't think he should have broken the other boy's arm.

Chapter 5
1. I think it is healthy that Ender does not show feelings in battle school. Some positive things if he did show feelings are that he would not build up a lot of sadness inside of him, and he learn better how to cope with different emotions without pushing them down or letting them run wild. Some negative things are that he would be made fun of by the other boys and that the adults would not take him seriously as a fighter. Positive things about not showing feelings are that he learns how to cope with emotions by himself, and he gets more respect from the people around him by being strong. Negative things about not showing feelings are that he may become emotionless and ruthless as a soldier, and he may forget about his family and his relationship with them if he tries to hide his feelings for them. I think in the long run it is good for him to not show feelings at Battle School.

2.  Ender beat Bernard by taking away the respect everyone had for him. He made anonymous jokes about Bernard so that everyone else would not take him very seriously, so Bernard would not have a group supporting him. Now Bernard is just the jester who everyone makes fun of. This is an unusual solution to his problem because usually he fixes his problems with physical violence, but this time he learned a better method. I think that Ender is starting to see that he gets better results if he wins with his mind rather than his body.

3. Coping Mechanisms Ender Uses:
Violence: He will fight to solve his problems. In the end violence is harmful for Ender because it makes his victims want to retaliate and get revenge against him.
Hiding: He will hide his feelings and try to deal with his problems on his own. In the end hiding is good for Ender because it means that he does not face the problems that come from showing what he is really feeling. For example, hiding his homesickness prevented the other boys from making fun of him for it.
Outsmarting: He will solve problems by outsmarting his opponents and doing things that hurt them without literally hurting them. Overall, this is a good method because he does not get the backlash and remorse of physical violence but he still gets the satisfaction of success that does not come with hiding.

Ender's Game Anticipation Guide

Lying is justifiable if it's for the greater good.
I ranked that statement as a 4, because I think that it is okay to lie as long as it does not hurt someone else and there is purpose to it. I don't think random, compulsive lying is acceptable, but if there is a rational reason then it is fine.
Sometimes violence is the only way to solve a problem.
I ranked this one as a 4 because I think that is fairly true. Most of the time there are ways to avoid violence, but sometimes people just need to let their physical anger out. Sometimes pushing down the urge to fight will just make it boil over later.
It is okay to kill someone in self-defense.
I said that statement was a 3, because it is not all right to kill people, but sometimes it may come to that in serious combat. I think that it would be okay to do that if you knew they would do the same to you if put in that position. If it really was a fight to the death, then you would have to kill them if you did not want to be killed yourself.
Words are stronger than fists.
I ranked this statement as a 2, because I think that words can be stronger, but in some senses fists would work better. If it is in a civilized setting, words would be the best course of action. Sometimes in war, primal instincts beat the idea of words solving problems.
Bullies hurt others because they have low self esteem.
I said that this statement was a 4, because I think that is the reason most of the time. I think that some people are just genuinely mean, with a bad heart. The real mean people are not doing it because of self esteem issues.
Only the best and brightest students should receive the best education to become a nation's leaders.
I ranked this statement as a 2, because I think everyone should have equal opportunity. It makes sense that the brighter students would be selected more often for leadership placement, but everyone should be able to try for leadership positions. Just because everyone has the opportunity to try for a spot doesn't mean it will be given away to someone unsuited for a job.
Revenge is never justified.
I said this statement was a 4 because most of the time it isn't justified. Sometimes, revenge is a good thing though. Getting even is not always a bad thing, because all people are supposed to be equal on some level.
Crying is evidence of weakness.
I said this statement was a 2, because I think it does show weakness, but that is a good thing. When people cry it is a release of fear or tension, and people have to do that. I wish I cried more often, but I just don't cry very much.
Any action is acceptable in war.
I said this statement was a 5 because I think that makes sense. "All's fair in love and war" is a common saying that I think is pretty reasonable. If a person commits to fighting a war, then they are smart to expect anything.
Teenagers need discipline and rules because they can't control themselves.
I ranked this as a 3. I think that some teenagers can be completely crazy and unreasonable, but I don't think that applies to everyone. Some teenagers "rebel", so I think discipline is needed there. Some people thrive off of discipline, but it is not always needed.
Only through personal sacrifice can someone create positive change.
I said that was a 2. I think there are lots of times when change comes because of personal sacrifice, but that is not the only way change is created. Change can happen because of chance, or overtime without sacrifice. That is merely one way to do things.
Generating compassion for your enemies is the only way to create peace.
I rated that as a 4. Creating compassion is a primary way to create peace. It is hard to have peace when you don't understand someone else or their motives. Once their is mutual understanding, peace can come much easier in a situation where there is strife and war.

My Learning Styles

#	%	Type	Summary	Response
1	56%	Interpersonal	Interpersonal learners thrive on social interaction. Friends often ask you for advice because you are understanding and in tune with the people around you and their motives, emotions, perspectives, and moods. Your ability to manage relationships helps you understand situations and take a leadership role when necessary. You enjoy teaching and sharing your thoughts.	I was surprised that this was my top type of learning. When I read the summary I was surprised because I thought I was more of an intrapersonal learner, who keeps to herself more and works to set goals for herself.
2	42%	Verbal- Linguistic	Verbal-linguistic intelligence (along with logical-mathematical intelligence) is often associated with doing well in school. You have the ability to use words effectively for reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The poet has been described as the epitome of verbal-linguistic intelligence.	This category and the math category are interesting to me. I did not think I would be much of a linguistic learner because I often cannot understand when someone tells me instructions rather than showing me instructions.
3	38%	Logical- Mathematical	Logical-mathematical intelligence is often what we refer to when we call someone -- such as a mathematician or an engineer -- smart. You possess the ability to understand complex problems, both logical and mathematical. This intelligence asks questions, finds solutions, and reflects on the problem-solving process.	I like math, so I see how this category would relate to me. I enjoy problem solving and logical thinking, so this category fits me.
8	0%	Naturalistic	Naturalistic learners often understand the patterns of living things, and they apply scientific reasoning to the world. You recognize (and can classify) different types of plants or animals. You also empathize with animals. Some well-known careers for those with naturalistic intelligence are farmer, naturalist, animal behaviorist, and scientist.	I understand why I did not rank high in this category. I am not a scientifically oriented or outdoorsy person. Its not that I don’t like nature; I just don’t like doing very outdoor specific activities. I like sports and things but am not big on hiking, camping, etc...

The Blonde's Attack

     My teacher Nancy excuses us and we go to grab our lunchboxes from our little wooden cubbies. I pick mine up and head outside to the corner under the tree where my friends and I usually sit for lunch. I look up and see a glint of shiny blonde hair walking toward me with a head of curly brown hair beside. As my friends approach, I move over to make a spot beside me. Zaliah with curly hair sits down, Mia next to her. Zaliah fills me in on their conversation.
    “We were talking about how in P.E. yesterday Jacob kicked his shoe off in kickball,” she laughs. This was not all that funny, but for immature us at that time, it was.
    “Haha I know that was sooo funny..... it went like ten feet in the air!” I jump right in. Mia is silent on Zaliah’s other side, snacking from a bag of pretzels.
    That was my life in the fifth grade. My friends and my school, all so small and sheltered. I vividly remember those uneven wooden benches under the huge drooping tree, wood chips piling by our feet. I had one group of friends for six years, but things slowly changed. The sun and the rain and the courtyard in between classrooms was my social playground. My best friends were Zaliah and Mia, but my class was so small that I was friends with and played with everyone. I had never made enemies, but Mia turned into one, her t-shirt and jeans stabbing me in the back. She was nice but in a way that had greed and a sour taste underlying all that she said.

So many funny things happen in P.E.! I wonder why Mia is so quiet.....

    “You want some pretzels, Zaliah?” Mia butts in, changing the subject.
    “Uh....sure, I guess....” she replies hesitantly, grabbing a handful. Zaliah tries to be fair, and doesn’t want to cause a problem between anyone.

Why wasn’t I offered any pretzels? I don’t like pretzels, but still. It would have been nice if she shared them with both of us. Mia goes back to a brooding silence, her blonde hair swishing to cover her face. Zaliah fills the quiet:

    “We should make a video of all of the funny things that happen in P.E.,” she gushes innocently, still giggling.
    “Yeah, that would be so funny,” I reply half heartedly.
    I take another nibble at my peanut butter and jelly sandwich, my appetite lessening by the minute. Mia looks up at Zaliah, her eyes avoiding me like oil in water. The teacher on lunch duty suddenly says we can be released to go to recess so we stand up and walk toward the classroom. I trail behind, the annoying murmur of their conversation buzzing into my ears like bees. After setting down my lunch and going outside to find them, I am confused. We always meet on the four-square court and play there for most of recess, but they aren’t there. They are on the swings, the chains clinking back and forth. Incidentally, there are only two swings. I approach to see what is going on.
    “Hey, I thought we were going to play four-square?” I question shrilly.
    “No, I don’t want to,” Mia replies, bossy as always.
    “OK...Can I have a turn swinging?” I am unsure of what to do, trying to be fair.
    “No. Not right now,” Mia immediately counters, her snarky voice biting my ears.
    “You can use mine if you want,” Zaliah adds, wanting me to stay and play with them.
    “No, thanks anyway.... I’ll just go do something else,” I quietly respond, not having the energy to stick around and fight with Mia.
    My thoughts are swirling around my head in random, incomprehensible patterns. I don’t know how to counter Mia’s original task of ignoring me, and now the passive aggressiveness.  She is obviously trying to get rid of me. I slowly walk away, trying to keep my dignity intact.
    Union Street Charter, my school, was always a very mellow and kind place, where everyone treated each other with respect. Even a fight or blowout was fairly gentle. I wasn’t accustomed to this weird attitude from my friend.

I walk onto the blacktop and jump into a game of foursquare with Kaela, Brenna, and Kirsten. I laugh and try to ignore the nagging mass in the back of my mind as the game progresses and Mia and Zaliah are nowhere to be found. Out of the blue they walk up and my joyful words die in my throat. I imagine shrinking, getting smaller; that view makes everyone else seem awfully big. Brenna gets out in the square next to me and I move up, Mia jumping into the now open space. Kaela starts the ball loudly bouncing around, and it goes to Mia. She smacks it at me hard, the noise stinging my ears. I barely make it, hitting it over to Kirsten. The ball circles around, every now and then an attack coming from Mia. The sun glints off of her hair, stinging my eyes.

    “Here, Kaela,” she feigns left then sends the ball back to me, and I am caught off guard. I reach to hit it, but to no avail. She laughs, adding, “You’re out,” a devilish smile staring me down. Having successfully gotten rid of me, she calls for Zaliah and they make their way up to the tire swing, leaving me in the dust. The buzz of mindless recess noise fills my ears, and I sigh.
    I had been friends with Mia forever, and I didn’t want to lose her. I could remember playing dolls in her loft, and sleeping over at her house. She was pushing me away, and trying to take Zaliah with her. She didn’t want to be friends with me, but she did want Zaliah. Because of this, she decided that I shouldn’t get to be friends with either of them. Mia always had to get what she wanted. Sometimes, it seemed like Zaliah was our glue, our common denominator. She was pulling herself, and our glue, apart.
    “Your turn,” Brenna’s inviting voice brings me out of my thoughts, back into the glaring sun and the wet smell of the puddles on the field.
    “No thanks, I’ve got to go,” I say sadly, slowly traipsing up the playground toward the tire swing. I reach it and clench my fists, imagining a diplomatic resolution.
    “Hey, can I have a turn? I’ll push the swing first,” I offer, jutting into their exclusive conversation.
    “No, I just want to push, but only one person right now,” she says crankily, and I feel a mental slap. I take one step backwards then turn around, walking away.  
    In the end, Mia did get to be friends with Zaliah. A few months later, she invited Zaliah and a few others to go shadow at Laurel Tree School, and she didn’t ask me. She and Zaliah ended up going to Laurel Tree for sixth grade, leaving me to fend for myself. I suppose eventually that turned out as a good thing. I went to Trinidad School alone, and made lots of new friends without them. Dealing with Mia taught me a lot about people. She showed me that sometimes, a turn for the worse can lead to a turn for the better. I was always nice to her, and she was one of those frenemies that just couldn’t reciprocate. There are some people that act like that, but oftentimes they lead to people who are better and show how valuable the good people are.

Walking away from the playground, wood chips in my shoes bite into my feet; I don’t stop to get them out. I sit down on a bench, out of the bright glare, waiting for recess to end. I turn to face away from the playground, anger welling up inside of me. My last glance of the hustle and bustle yields nothing more than the sun glinting off of her shiny, blonde hair.