Ender Wiggin:
Ender Wiggin is the third and youngest member of the Wiggin family. However, that doesn't mean that he is inferior to his siblings, for Ender is extremely intelligent. His intelligence is equivalent to, if not exceeding, that of his two siblings. Ender demonstrated his intelligence when he befriended Alai, for he used Alai as a bridge between Bernard's group and his own. Ender is undoubtedly a genius, but he is not limited to intelligence alone. He is also observant, strategic, forethoughtful, ruthless, and compassionate. Ender is certainly compassionate and loving, but at times he is also cold and ruthless. Ender does not enjoy causing pain, but when he is provoked he can cause a great deal of harm in a ruthless fashion. This was proven when Card wrote, "He hadn't meant it to be so public, but the boy was feeling exactly the pain Ender had meant him to feel( p.33)."
Ender fears and hates the fact that he has the ability to be ruthless, for he is somewhat of a pacifist. As stated in the text,"Ender didn't like fighting. He didn't like Peter's kind, the strong against the weak...( Card p.21)." This piece of text demonstrates how Ender neither enjoyed violence nor his brother's violent ways. Ender also hated the fact that he could be somewhat like Peter. This was proven when Ender stated,"I'm your tool, and what difference does it make if I hate the part of me that you most need( Card p.119)." This demonstrates how Ender hated the fact that he could be ruthless and violent like Peter.
Ender is very observant throughout the book, for he often makes mental notes on the weaknesses of his opponents. As a result, he gains a better understanding of his enemy and is able to win with ease. Ender is also very forethoughtful throughout the novel, so he is often able to avoid mistakes that could lead to violence. This was proven when Card wrote, "For a moment it occurred to Ender that by letting the others put him in the worst place, he was inviting later bullying( p.38)." Ender's forethoughtful side is only overshadowed by his strategic side. In one key part of the novel, Ender uses a strategy to prevent a bully named Stilson from ever attempting to harm him again. As Ender stated, " Knocking him down won the first fight. I wanted to win all the next ones, too. So they'd leave me alone(Card p.19)." Ender clearly knew that by winning all future fights, he would be left alone. Therefore, it is obvious that Ender is strategic.
Throughout the novel, Ender was ruthless, strategic, forethoughtful, and observant. However, compassion remained his dominant trait in the end. As a result, Ender promised to scour the universe for a place where he could revive the alien species he had nearly destroyed.
Valentine Wiggin:
Valentine Wiggin is the second youngest member of the Wiggin family. She is also the most compassionate member, for she comforts Ender whenever he is upset. Valentine Wiggin, unlike her brother Peter, loves Ender with all of her heart. This was proven when Card wrote, "Come back to me! I love you forever( p.26)!" This clearly demonstrates that Valentine's love for her brother Ender is unconditional. Valentine is very much like her siblings when it comes to intelligence, for she is just as intelligent as her brothers. However, she is different in the way she chooses to use her intelligence. While Peter uses his intelligence for cruelty and power, she uses her intelligence in a loving and compassionate way. Valentine is also persuasive and manipulative. She knows that she has the ability to persuade almost anyone to do almost anything. As stated in the text, " Valentine could persuade almost anyone to her point of view---she could convince them that they wanted what she wanted them to want( Card p.127 )." Valentine enjoys the power that comes with her manipulative skills, so she decides to help Peter dominate the world. However, Valentine does not succumb to Peter's ruthless ways, and in the end she manages to escape his influential grasp.
Peter Wiggin:
Peter is the oldest and cruelest of the three Wiggin children, for he enjoys causing pain. Peter is completely ruthless and undoubtedly sadistic, so it isn't surprising that both Ender and Valentine fear him. As it is stated in the text, "Peter threatens to kill people a lot. He doesn't mean it. But when we were little, Ender and I were both afraid of him( Card p.146 )." This excerpt from the text clearly shows how Peter struck fear into his siblings. Peter used this fear to control and torment his siblings, for he enjoyed how they became anxious when he threatened to murder them. Peter's intelligence matches that of his siblings, but it differs in use. While his siblings use their intelligence in humanitarian ways, Peter uses his intelligence solely for self-gain. Peter is also astoundingly deceitful, for he acts as if he is a kind and scholarly child. However, he is, in reality, a ruthless and sadistic boy. As written in the novel, "Valentine knew it was a fraud. Peter hadn't changed. He was just smarter than before( Card p.124)." Valentine knew that Peter was a fraud, yet she still helped him manipulate the public. As a result, Peter achieved world domination.
Inference:
It is obvious that both Peter and Valentine influenced Ender's personality, for Ender is perfectly balanced between Peter's ruthlessness and Valentine's compassion. Therefore, I can infer that Ender would be a completely different person if one of his siblings did not exist. If Valentine had never existed, Ender probably would have been just as sick and twisted as Peter, for Valentine would not have been able to protect him from Peter's sadism. If Peter had never existed, Ender's personality would have certainly differed, for no one but Peter could bring so much sadism into Ender's life. Ender probably would have been a very kind and compassionate child instead. It is clear that Peter and Valentine played a major role in the development of Ender's personality, and it is also clear that Ender is unbalanced without both of his siblings. The novel would have been entirely different without the influence of both of Ender's siblings.
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Text to Self Connection:
Ender Wiggin's relationship with his brother reminds me of my own relationship with my stepsister. When I was seven, my parents divorced and I had to live with my mother. However, I was not the only one living with my mother at the time, for my mother also had a daughter. My stepsister was the result of one of my mother's previous relationships, so we never became close siblings. At the age of seven, I was more than willing to grow close to my stepsister, but she was always cruel to me. My stepsister would yell at me, slap me, and tell me that she hated me. In short, she was ruthless and cruel, so I began to fear her. Similarly, Ender's brother would torment him, physically harm him, and force anxiety upon him. As a result, he began to fear his brother. The similarities between Ender's experience and my own are clear, for the cause and the effect are almost exactly the same. Both Ender and I experienced the cruelty of a ruthless sibling. Therefore, it is not surprising that we both ended up fearing that cruel sibling. The fear of a sibling is the main similarity between Ender's experience and my own.
Ender Wiggin is the third and youngest member of the Wiggin family. However, that doesn't mean that he is inferior to his siblings, for Ender is extremely intelligent. His intelligence is equivalent to, if not exceeding, that of his two siblings. Ender demonstrated his intelligence when he befriended Alai, for he used Alai as a bridge between Bernard's group and his own. Ender is undoubtedly a genius, but he is not limited to intelligence alone. He is also observant, strategic, forethoughtful, ruthless, and compassionate. Ender is certainly compassionate and loving, but at times he is also cold and ruthless. Ender does not enjoy causing pain, but when he is provoked he can cause a great deal of harm in a ruthless fashion. This was proven when Card wrote, "He hadn't meant it to be so public, but the boy was feeling exactly the pain Ender had meant him to feel( p.33)."
Ender fears and hates the fact that he has the ability to be ruthless, for he is somewhat of a pacifist. As stated in the text,"Ender didn't like fighting. He didn't like Peter's kind, the strong against the weak...( Card p.21)." This piece of text demonstrates how Ender neither enjoyed violence nor his brother's violent ways. Ender also hated the fact that he could be somewhat like Peter. This was proven when Ender stated,"I'm your tool, and what difference does it make if I hate the part of me that you most need( Card p.119)." This demonstrates how Ender hated the fact that he could be ruthless and violent like Peter.
Ender is very observant throughout the book, for he often makes mental notes on the weaknesses of his opponents. As a result, he gains a better understanding of his enemy and is able to win with ease. Ender is also very forethoughtful throughout the novel, so he is often able to avoid mistakes that could lead to violence. This was proven when Card wrote, "For a moment it occurred to Ender that by letting the others put him in the worst place, he was inviting later bullying( p.38)." Ender's forethoughtful side is only overshadowed by his strategic side. In one key part of the novel, Ender uses a strategy to prevent a bully named Stilson from ever attempting to harm him again. As Ender stated, " Knocking him down won the first fight. I wanted to win all the next ones, too. So they'd leave me alone(Card p.19)." Ender clearly knew that by winning all future fights, he would be left alone. Therefore, it is obvious that Ender is strategic.
Throughout the novel, Ender was ruthless, strategic, forethoughtful, and observant. However, compassion remained his dominant trait in the end. As a result, Ender promised to scour the universe for a place where he could revive the alien species he had nearly destroyed.
Valentine Wiggin:
Valentine Wiggin is the second youngest member of the Wiggin family. She is also the most compassionate member, for she comforts Ender whenever he is upset. Valentine Wiggin, unlike her brother Peter, loves Ender with all of her heart. This was proven when Card wrote, "Come back to me! I love you forever( p.26)!" This clearly demonstrates that Valentine's love for her brother Ender is unconditional. Valentine is very much like her siblings when it comes to intelligence, for she is just as intelligent as her brothers. However, she is different in the way she chooses to use her intelligence. While Peter uses his intelligence for cruelty and power, she uses her intelligence in a loving and compassionate way. Valentine is also persuasive and manipulative. She knows that she has the ability to persuade almost anyone to do almost anything. As stated in the text, " Valentine could persuade almost anyone to her point of view---she could convince them that they wanted what she wanted them to want( Card p.127 )." Valentine enjoys the power that comes with her manipulative skills, so she decides to help Peter dominate the world. However, Valentine does not succumb to Peter's ruthless ways, and in the end she manages to escape his influential grasp.
Peter Wiggin:
Peter is the oldest and cruelest of the three Wiggin children, for he enjoys causing pain. Peter is completely ruthless and undoubtedly sadistic, so it isn't surprising that both Ender and Valentine fear him. As it is stated in the text, "Peter threatens to kill people a lot. He doesn't mean it. But when we were little, Ender and I were both afraid of him( Card p.146 )." This excerpt from the text clearly shows how Peter struck fear into his siblings. Peter used this fear to control and torment his siblings, for he enjoyed how they became anxious when he threatened to murder them. Peter's intelligence matches that of his siblings, but it differs in use. While his siblings use their intelligence in humanitarian ways, Peter uses his intelligence solely for self-gain. Peter is also astoundingly deceitful, for he acts as if he is a kind and scholarly child. However, he is, in reality, a ruthless and sadistic boy. As written in the novel, "Valentine knew it was a fraud. Peter hadn't changed. He was just smarter than before( Card p.124)." Valentine knew that Peter was a fraud, yet she still helped him manipulate the public. As a result, Peter achieved world domination.
Inference:
It is obvious that both Peter and Valentine influenced Ender's personality, for Ender is perfectly balanced between Peter's ruthlessness and Valentine's compassion. Therefore, I can infer that Ender would be a completely different person if one of his siblings did not exist. If Valentine had never existed, Ender probably would have been just as sick and twisted as Peter, for Valentine would not have been able to protect him from Peter's sadism. If Peter had never existed, Ender's personality would have certainly differed, for no one but Peter could bring so much sadism into Ender's life. Ender probably would have been a very kind and compassionate child instead. It is clear that Peter and Valentine played a major role in the development of Ender's personality, and it is also clear that Ender is unbalanced without both of his siblings. The novel would have been entirely different without the influence of both of Ender's siblings.
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Text to Self Connection:
Ender Wiggin's relationship with his brother reminds me of my own relationship with my stepsister. When I was seven, my parents divorced and I had to live with my mother. However, I was not the only one living with my mother at the time, for my mother also had a daughter. My stepsister was the result of one of my mother's previous relationships, so we never became close siblings. At the age of seven, I was more than willing to grow close to my stepsister, but she was always cruel to me. My stepsister would yell at me, slap me, and tell me that she hated me. In short, she was ruthless and cruel, so I began to fear her. Similarly, Ender's brother would torment him, physically harm him, and force anxiety upon him. As a result, he began to fear his brother. The similarities between Ender's experience and my own are clear, for the cause and the effect are almost exactly the same. Both Ender and I experienced the cruelty of a ruthless sibling. Therefore, it is not surprising that we both ended up fearing that cruel sibling. The fear of a sibling is the main similarity between Ender's experience and my own.