Title: Ender's Game Themes - eNotes.com
Headings: Ender's Game Themes
Ender's Game Themes
Themes
The Abilities of Children
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Empathy and Alienation
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Content: The children at Battle School have never been exposed to the horrors of a real war and are thus able to see battle strategy as a game. In this way, their innocence is precisely what makes the children ideal soldiers and commanders: they are creative, ruthless, and courageous, unafraid to take risks that would make adults hesitate. Empathy and Alienation
Of the three gifted Wiggin children, only Ender is selected for Battle School. Instructors felt that Peter lacked the empathy necessary for leadership, while Valentine lacked the aggression and ruthlessness necessary for military command. The Wiggin family is allowed a third child precisely because the government hoped a “third” might possess the perfect balance of empathy and ruthlessness, a wish that is fulfilled in Ender. As Ender tells his sister, Valentine: In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him. This statement not only identifies the reason for Ender’s success but also demonstrates the challenge confronting Colonel Graff: empathy is necessary for victory, so he must find a way to turn recruits into killers without destroying their empathy.