Garrett
Kitchen
March
5, 2013
“Lying is Justifiable if it's for the greater good.”
After reading Ender’s
Game my opinion on lying hasn’t changed. If anything, reading Ender’s
game has helped strengthen my arguments and opinions against lying.
Although if the only way to save the world, in Ender’s case, or to benefit the
greater good is to lie then it may be okay, but still no very justified. If one
lies they must be prepared for the anger of the people they lied to. “He began
to get angry…dodging their congratulations, ignoring their hands, their words,
their rejoicing.” (296-297) This quote is from the part of the book where Ender
kills the planet in the game, and Mazer tells him that he was actually
commanding the third invasion. The fact that Ender was lied to about such an
important even, even to save the world, angers and upsets him, and he pushes
away his peers and acquaintances.
“Sometimes violence is the only way to solve a problem.”
I rated this a
two for my last anticipation guide because “usually there is a way around
solving a problem using violence, although it is harder to accomplish your goal
and can take more effort to solve the problem nonviolently.” Reading Ender’s
Game has changed my rating to a four, because I agree with this statement.
In certain situations when an enemy is hell bent on destroying you, the only
way to solve the problem is to act violently. “If I’m to walk away from here, I
have to win quickly, and permanently…This time it will be my body that breaks,
unless I break him first.” (209) This excerpt from the book is when Ender is
realizing, after trying to talk Bonzo out of it, that the only way to walk out
of the fight is to brutally beat Bonzo, violently. The only time that one is
going to solve their problems violently (when that is the only way) and it can
be avoided. Is when the bullied or victim in the situation is going to confront
their enemy, and they’re the one coming to their enemy, they can talk to them
and try to remedy the situation in non-violent ways.
“It is okay to kill someone in self-defense.”
Before reading Ender’s
Game I rated this statement with a four, and after reading the book I rate
this statement with a four. In the past I rated this as a four because “…if
someone is trying to harm and maybe kill or molest you, and you can stop them,
they usually deserve to be killed and if you're okay with the moral and legal
consequences then it is okay.” My views and reasons for agreeing with this
statement haven’t change much, although another reason it is okay to kill
someone in self-defense is on accident, obviously if one accidently kills
someone then they were probably being pretty aggressive, and in their heart of
hearts they had the intention of killing their assailant. If anything Ender’s
Game has taught me this philosophy. “Ender knew that at this moment he
might be able to walk out of the room and end the battle. But the battle would
only be fought again…The only way to end things completely was to hurt Bonzo
enough that his fear was stronger than his hate…I didn’t want to hurt him!”
(211-213) Even though Ender was claiming to not want to hurt Bonzo, that
killing him was an accident, his heart’s true intention was to cripple and
possibly kill Bonzo. During the fight he knew he had to be brutal and vicious
towards Bonzo, it is simply the nature of human preservation.
“Words are stronger than fists.”
In the past I
rated this at a four, because I thought that fighting could be avoided in almost
every situation and replaced with words, but my opinion has shifted to the view
that the remedy to a problem really depends on the situation and the people
involved, therefore I rate this statement a three. For example when Ender sent
a message out that read “I love your butt. Let me kiss it.”(51) Using Bernard’s
name instead of fighting him, because Ender knew he could solve his problem
with sabotage instead of physical violence. Although during other situations
Ender acted violently because he knew that in that situation it was the only
way to solve his problem. “This would not have a happy ending. So Ender decided
that he’d rather not be the unhappiest at the end…Ender kicked out high and
hard, catching Stilson square in the breastbone. He dropped.”(7) This excerpt
from the book is when Stilson and his pack of cronies are harassing Ender, so
he decides the only way to solve the issue of never being bullied again is to
beat up Stilson, using violence.
“Bullies hurt others because they have low self-esteem.”
After reading Ender’s
Game my opinions on this statement haven’t really changed. I would still
rate this a three, the only thing that really has changed is that the book gave
me more alternative reasons to why Bullies hurt others. I rated the statement a
three, because bullies do hurt others because they have low self-esteem, but
they also hurt other for a plethora of different reasons. Bullies can hurt
others because they enjoy making others suffer, or because it is the only way
they know how to communicate with others, or the way they were raised could
have given them that nature, or because the bully has too much honor. “You’re
such a genius, you figure out to handle me.” (209) This quote is what the bully
character, Bonzo, said to Ender before they fought. It is an example of how
Bonzo has low self-esteem, so he is mocking Ender about how smart he is, when
really he is jealous of Ender. Bonzo also has copious amounts of honor, so
because Ender was four years younger than Bonzo, but still better in everything
he did, it threatened his honor. At one point in the book, at the part where
they are about to fight Ender taunts Bonzo and it really makes him angry. “Your
Father would be proud of you. He would love to see you now, come to fight a
naked boy in a shower, smaller than you, and you brought six friends. He would
say, Oh, what honor…Shut your mouth, Wiggin.” (208-209) Bonzo gets so angry
because Ender made him realize that the way he was acting gave him less honor,
and that his father would be ashamed of him.
“Only the best and brightest students should receive the best
education to become a nation's leaders.”
In the past I
rated this a four, but after reading Ender’s Game I rate this a three.
My views on this topic didn’t change because of what was in the book, they
changed because I had more time to consider how I felt about this, and to
realize my past opinion was a bit arrogant. I rate this a three, because I
think that the people who have proven themselves best fit to lead nations
should receive the education for it. It
seems as if a lot of the people fit to lead will be the best and brightest,
although there are always people who aren’t the smartest, but are some of the
best leaders the world ever has.
“Revenge is never justified.”
After reading Ender’s
Game I rated this two, just like before I read Ender’s game. I disagree
with this statement, because I think Revenge definitely is justified in many
situations. Although there are contrasts in every opinion, especially this one.
I
think that revenge isn’t always justified, and if one is taking revenge on a
relative of their tormenter just because the actual tormentor is gone, well
that is not justified or humane. In my first anticipation guide I said “A
Jewish person wanting to get revenge and hurt the modern day, 2013, Germans
isn't justified because they weren't there for the holocaust it was their
ancestors, so they didn't make that decision. They don't deserve the harm the
person might inflict on them.” In the book when Ender kicked Stilson in the
chest to get revenge for and make him stop making fun of him (7).
“Crying is evidence of weakness.”
I rated this
statement a one before reading Ender’s Game, because I strongly
disagreed with it. After reading the book my opinion hasn’t changed at all,
except that I disagree with this statement even more. One can cry out of joy or
sorrow, not because they’re week, but because crying is a way to express and
feel different emotions. If crying was evidence of weakness, then having
emotions and expressing them would be week. If someone one was close to died,
they cry because they want to show they cared about the person, and that
they’re sad that the deceased person is gone. “…tears seeping out of his closed
eyelids and disappearing in the water on his face… I didn’t want to hurt him!
Ender cried. Why didn’t he just leave me alone!”(213) Ender was crying after he
unintentionally killed Bonzo, because he needed to convey that he didn’t want
to hurt Bonzo, and he was sorry he did. Additionally, the crying showed that
Ender was unhappy that he cause more pain and suffering.
“Any action is acceptable in war.”
In the past I
rated this a one because I completely disagreed with this statement. After
reading Ender’s Game, I rate this a three because I think certain actions
that wouldn’t be justifiable in regular life would be justifiable in war, but
certain actions aren’t even justified during war time. If a solider goes to one
of the civilian’s homes of the enemy’s country and then tortures his family in
front of him because they’re enemies, that isn’t justified. It’s disgusting and
inhumane, and even if it’s war time and there’s chaos, that doesn’t make it
okay. “Of course we tricked you into it. That’s the whole point, said Graff. It
had to be a trick or you couldn’t have done it.” (298) I picked this quote,
because it is a good example of actions that are justifiable and not
justifiable in war. Lying to a teenager to get him to perform better during war
is justifiable. But lying to a teenager in war to get him to cause the genocide
of a race is not justifiable. This is because; stopping one from making the
decision that causes the genocide of an entire race is sickening and inhumane.
“Teenagers need discipline and rules because they can't control
themselves.”
In the past I
rated this a three, because “teenagers need discipline and rules, but not
because they can't control themselves. I think they need rules and discipline
because they're learning how to function in the world, and without rules they
would go crazy with their freedom.” And after reading Ender’s Game I
will continue to rate this statement a three, because it really depends on the
teenager’s personality and their intelligence. It can go either way. In the
book Peter beats up Ender and terrorizes him, which causes part of his life to
be miserable, but if their parents disciplined Peter, Ender’s life could’ve
been better. Also Ender doesn’t need very much discipline or very many rules
because he is son intelligent and controlled that he sets his own boundaries,
and doesn’t make amateur mistakes.
“Only through personal sacrifice can someone create positive change.”
Before reading Ender’s
Game I rated this a two, because I disagreed with this statement. After
reading the book I rate this three, because there are other ways to create
positive change. One doesn’t have to sacrifice very much to create positive
change, in some cases all they have to sacrifice is a little bit of personal
time. In other cases time, money, and emotional fire is sacrifice to create
positive change. In the cases with more sacrifice more change is created. In
the book Ender personally sacrificed a lot to create the positive change of the
Buggers being gone. This is an example of if you sacrifice more the change is
greater.
“Generating compassion for your enemies is the only way to create
peace.”
Before reading Ender’s
Game I rated this a five, because I strongly agreed with it. After reading
the book, I agree with my statement. As
long as your enemy is left over from a war, they will still be your enemy. The
only way to create peace with your enemy besides generating compassion for them
is completely killing every last one of your enemy, even the women and every
single child of theirs, and all their allies or semi-allies. After being the
major participant in the xenocide of the Buggers Ender generates compassion for
them. “..always Ender carried with him a dry white cocoon, looking for the
world where the Hive-Queen could awaken and thrive in peace.” (324) Ender hunts
for a place to rehabilitate the Buggers, to create peace with them.
