Ender's Game Questions Chapters 9 - 11

Chapter 9
1. I think that in the battle between Peter and Valentine,  Peter has the power and is manipulating his sister. At the same time, Valentine knows what she is doing and is fairly in control of herself, if not the full situation as she wants to be. The power is in both of them, but primarily in Peter. As Valentine realizes, "By having her write Demosthenes, it meant he also had some empathy, just as Locke also could play on on others' fears. But the main effect was to keep her inextricably tied to Peter" (136). Peter set up his master plan so that Valentine would help him, but that so she is still his servant operating under his ideas and purposes.

2. To me, Peter seems to have a lot in common with Locke. They both get their power through writing, they both had difficulties being accepted by the people in charge, though Peter's main problem was that he was a child so he could not go public with his work early on. They also both want to shape government for the greater good of the people. Peter seems to have a more evil side than Locke, though Peter eventually caused a greater good. Demosthenes and Violet seem to have some things in common, but Demosthenes seems more mean that Violet. Demosthenes was radical and not afraid to speak against others, and Violet seems to be too compassionate for that. They both are very influential to others, and have a great way of speaking their mind.

3. Ender is still angry because none of the people around him are close enough to him to relate to him or be friends to him; it makes him mad that they all look up to and honor him so much. He hates how having the respect of everyone means that all his peers are bland and uninteresting. When he first came to Battle school, he had to work to make friends, such as with Alai and Shen. Now that he is the best at everything and revered by everyone he has less to work for.

Chapter 10
1. Ender is a smart leader. He is like that because he took his experience with other commanders figured out a happy medium between being too gentle and too mean, or being to easygoing and too strict. He is smart and responsive because he is not stuck in his ways as the other commanders are. He was not good to Bean the first day, but he acknowledged it and Bean grew from the experience.

2. Ender singled Bean out and made him work the hardest to get him to his full potential. He separated him from the other kids because he saw a bit of himself in Bean; he could tell that Bean was smart and had abilities similar to him. He knew that Bean could one day do great things, so he wanted to get him started and make him work for his successes. For example, when Ender makes Bean explain how to use your knees when all of the other boys are confused, he is acknowledging that the boy knows something, yet making him think it through and be able to explain it.

3. Salaam means "peace be unto you". The 'salaam' said between Ender and Alai shows the power of religious identity is very strong. Alai was only willing to share that word with Ender because he trusted him and that was how he wanted to be seen. Alai saw the meaning of 'salaam' as a part of his past and who he was, and he wanted Ender to see that depth of his being. 'Peace be unto you' shows how when it is said to someone else, the person is very meaningful to you; you care deeply about their welfare and want them to stay in a happy place.

4. The last two sentences of chapter 10 are important because Ender decides that he should be fighting against the teachers, not the other students. I think that this reaction was the one the teachers wanted, whether they knew it or not. It seems like the adults in the Battle School wanting a strong reaction, without realizing what reaction that might be. The teachers want Ender to keep working hard and fighting for success, and now Ender will definitely continue to do that because if he doesn't win the teachers do. As he knows, "I wish, and they deliver" (176). He wants to show them that he can't be broken, and therefore triumphs in the battles they give him as they hope he will.

Chapter 11
1. The computer does know Ender very well, but the adults in Battle School do not know how it does. I think the computer has found things out about Ender through his extensive playing of its games and through searching through their internet. As some of the adults said, the computer would have to do a lot of digging around to find the picture of Peter that was put in the game to manipulate Ender, yet somehow it did and it knew that that would provoke him. I also think it could figure out plenty of things from his school files and the way he played the game. Ender is very violent and resourceful in the game, and I think the computer takes note of that.

2. When Ender says "Yes. That's the worst that could happen. I can't lose any games. Because if I lose any-" (198). He means that he has to be absolutely rock solid and perfect. If he loses a game, then the teachers and the other armies know that he can be broken and that there are ways to stop him. If he loses one then it may become a pattern and he may start losing many games, and he would lose all of his stature and credibility as the best. If he is not the best then he might as well be the worst.

3. The teachers are pushing Ender very hard because they think he is the chosen one, the one who will win against the buggers. As they say "I have heard him described modestly as our only hope of victory in the upcoming invasion" (201). They know that he can be the best, but they want more than the best so they are pushing him bast the limits of normal people and practically making him crazy. At the same time, their methods appear to be working because Ender is becoming great at what he does. The teachers are also afraid of the buggers, so they want to make Ender the best in the least amount of time possible.

4. In the last two sentences of the chapter, it talks about how Bean fell asleep thinking of stupid ideas of things to do with his toon. This is important because that is, in a way, Ender's battle strategy. He thinks of things that no one else would even consider because no one else is smart enough to make them work, yet he does them in a way that makes them appear genius. Ender is so smart that he realizes that when everyone around you thinks like a genius, you have to think in a different way. For example, Ender instructs his army to always be moving and not to be stuck in formations; everyone else wouldn't do that because it might turn out disorganized.

5. 'Veni vidi vici' is an appropriate chapter title because Ender did exactly what it said. He came, as in he rose up to the challenge, he saw how to beat his opponents, and he did that, he conquered them. Every time he is in a battle setting he does that and sees through his opponents plans to win easily. For example, when Bonzo's army sets an at first glance unbeatable trap for Dragon Army by surrounding his door against the walls, Ender outsmarts the other team to triumph.