Title: Ender's Game Characters - eNotes.com
Headings: Ender's Game Characters
Ender's Game Characters
Characters
Ender Wiggin
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Peter Wiggin
Valentine...
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Content: However, though these traits lead to victories in battle, they also contribute greatly to Ender’s personal unhappiness, for he can only defeat an enemy after he has come to truly know and “love” them. Ender is repulsed by conflict and aggression, which he associates with Peter, and he is wracked by guilt on the occasions where he is forced to become violent to “win”—as shown after his confrontations with Stilson and Bonzo. The tension between Ender’s natural desire for peace and the violence he is forced to enact eventually comes to a head in the final battle, the aftermath of which devastates Ender to his core. As the novel closes, Ender learns to accept that though he can’t change the past, he can take ownership over his own destiny and try to make amends for the wrongs he has committed. Peter Wiggin
Peter, who is ten years old at the beginning of the story, is Ender’s intelligent and manipulative older brother. The eldest of the three Wiggin children, Peter is a bully who enjoys torturing his siblings and those weaker than himself—particularly Ender, who is the primary object of Peter’s jealousy and resentment. Though his natural inclination is toward violence and cruelty, Peter can be remarkably polite, persuasive, and reasonable when occasion demands. Indeed, most of the adults in his life are convinced Peter is the perfect child. Peter is constantly in pursuit of power, which is his main motivation in crafting a plan with Valentine that will allow them to become political leaders and shape global affairs. In many ways, Peter is a foil for Ender, as the novel traces each brother’s individual path to power and leadership.