Elements of Narrative in Ender’s Game: Narrative voice and point of view: The narrative voice is third person, subjective to Ender, revealing his feelings throughout the novel. The point of view switches to Valentine on Earth and reveals her subjective feelings. Most chapters start with a conversation between two unidentified characters, usually Colonel Graff and Major Anderson, discussing current events. The story mostly follows Ender Wiggin.
Conflict:
- Character vs. self: Ender’s internal fear and struggle to not become like Peter, a killer.
- Character vs. self: Ender’s self-doubt.
- Character vs. character: Ender is forced to fight and kill Stilson.
- Character vs. character: Ender hates Peter.
- Character vs. Society: The bugger war is being alerted.
- Character vs. self: Ender must decide whether to go to battle school for the society or stay at home.
- Character vs. character: Ender hates Bernard (launchies).
- Character vs. character: Ender vs. Bonzo (rivalry).
- Character vs. Other: Ender finds it difficult to beat the Giant’s drink.
- Character vs. self: Ender wants to just be a normal kid but knows the world is depending on him to save the human race.
- Character vs. society: Ender learns that the IF and Adults are the real enemies and when he needs them they won’t be there to help EVER.
- Character vs. Society: Demosthenes takes down Warsaw Pact on the nets.
- Character vs. self: Valentine hates that she’s helping Peter.
- Character vs. Others: Ender is hated by all the army commanders because of his new tactics for victory.
- Character vs. character: Ender hates Mazor Rackham.
- Character vs. self: Ender suffers from horrible dreams.
- Character vs. self: Ender cannot forgive himself for all the deaths that he caused.
Plot:
Narrative hook: Ender’s monitor is removed. Main exposition: After Ender’s monitor is removed, he goes home and finds his brother who hates him. Ender is a third who was only made by the command of the IF. He has a loving sister, Valentine, but his brother wanted him dead. After Ender’s monitor is removed, he is forced to fight Stilson and nearly puts him out for good.
The next day, Colonel Graff offers Ender the opportunity to join the battle school, and they leave together after saying their goodbyes. Rising Action: Ender is isolated from other launchies and is hated by his fellow companions. After all of Ender’s hard work in making some friends by overcoming Bernard the bully, Ender is promoted very early and transferred to the Salamander army with Bonzo Madrid as the commander.
Ender finally defeats the Giant in his personal mind game. Bonzo hates Ender because he had to give up a good man for an early launchie with no battle experience. Bonzo sets a strict standard with Ender, so he cannot take part in any battles, and he must enter 4 minutes late and stand by the entrance until the end.
Petra Arkanian, one of Ender’s army members, teaches Ender how to shoot with precision. During a battle, the Salamander army is about to be defeated, and Ender disobeys the rule by entering the battle and resulting in a draw. Ender is then transferred to Rat army with Rose the nose, a Jewish boy, as the commander.
Ender makes friends with Dink Meeker, his toon leader. Soon after, Ender is traded to the Phoenix army led by Petra. After reviewing different strategies, Petra and Ender lead the Phoenix army to number one in the rankings. Then, Ender is promoted to commander of his own army.
He leads the Dragon army, with no veterans. Ender is forced to cooperate with kids fresh out of their launch groups. After creating a strong relationship between him and his army and gaining their trust, they have gone undefeated with strategies that the battle school has never seen before. After Ender humiliates all the other armies one by one, the commanders start to hate him.
The teachers begin to throw almost impossible battle situations at Ender, but he still manages a great victory. He is now being pressured more than ever by battles every day with other team advantages and also being bullied by other commanders led by Bonzo. Ender’s final battle in battle school is 2 armies vs. Dragon army.
It is very unfair, but Ender manages to sneak through and get the victory. Bonzo wanted Ender dead! Crisis: the commanders, all of whom hate Ender, want to kill him. Led by Bonzo, they all surround Ender while he is in the shower and prepare for a beating. Ender, using his psychology, convinces Bonzo to fight him one on one.
Ender outsmarts Bonzo in the fight, beats him, and accidentally kills him. Falling action: Ender is graduated to command school but is sent home before takeoff. He sees his sister who convinces him to go to command school for the sake of the human race. Ender is being trained by Mazor Rackham for the bugger war.
He beats all the challenges thrown at him with his fleet leaders: Petra, Dink, Bean, Alai, Crazy Tom, and others. Finally, Ender is told that the final war is the humans attacking the bugger world. False climax: Ender defeats the base bugger fleet by destroying their home planet, killing every single bugger queen in existence.
Climax: Ender finds a Pupa, the only remaining bugger queen. He could destroy it, wiping out the bugger race for good. The queen communicates with Ender through his mind, forgiving him and apologizing for all the past events. The buggers want to live in a world of peace with humans.
Ender finally forgives himself for the deaths he caused. Denouement: Ender becomes the Speaker for the Dead and writes a book about the buggers and their feelings. He travels with Valentine to newly discovered bugger planets to find a home for the Pupa and restart the bugger race.
Characters:
- Ender: Third child, genius, aggressive, responsible, heroic, great leader, determined, committed, quick thinker, not a killer, loves Valentine, hates Peter, ashamed of his actions, cannot be defeated. Ender doesn’t procrastinate; if he has a problem and is forced to deal with it, he will END IT. Wants to be a normal kid. Complex child.
- Peter: Violent, power-hungry, ruthless, hates Ender because Ender was chosen over him to get sent into battle school, manipulative, genius, the bad side of Ender, cruel, cold.
- Valentine: Caring, kind, loves Ender, protective, genius, peaceful, understands others, empathic, gifted writer.
- Alai: Ender’s best and first friend, trustworthy, good leader, the next best thing to Ender, a great friend, responsible.
Setting:
- Who: Ender Wiggin
- What: War between the humans and the buggers
- Why: Lack of communication, caused by the first and second invasion by the buggers (almost wiped out all of China)
- When: In the future
- Where: The Earth and also at battle school in outer space
Atmosphere:
- Mood: Very emotional towards Ender’s feelings.
- The story is very serious because of the intensity of the problem.
- Tone: The story is in much detail in describing violence and the result in the story.
Themes and Messages:
- Theme: Bildungsroman, it is a self-discovery novel.
- Message: All conflicts can be resolved through communication.
