Week 10 Blog: Ender's Game, Chapter 15

(Ends Sept 22)

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Chapter 15

1) What was really going on during Free Play, and the mind game involving the Giant's Corpse? Who's game was this? Who designed it? Who was a player to it?

2) What was the relationship between Ender and the Bugger Queen? How were they alike? How would you compare/contrast this relationship to the one between Ender and his brother Peter?

3) What is the relationship between winners and losers in a game? What is the nature of the enemy?

“It sounds nice. But I couldn't stand it. I've been offered the presidency of three different universities, on the theory that I'm an educator. They don't believe me when I say that all I ever cared about at the Battle School was the game.” (Card, 306)

Week 9 Blog: Ender's Game, Chapter 13, 14

(Ends Sept 15)

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Chapter 13

“They must talk to each other directly, Ender, mind to mind. What one thinks, another can also think; what one remembers, another can also remember. Why would they ever develop language? Why would they ever learn to read and write? How would they know what reading and writing were if they saw them? Or signals? Or numbers? Or anything that we use to communicate? This isn't just a matter of translating from one language to another. They don't have language at all. We used every means we could think of to communicate with them, but they don't even have the machinery to know we're signaling. And maybe they've been trying to think to us, and they can't understand why we don't respond.” (Card, 253)

1) What is the critical issue/concern revealed in this quote? Why is there a war between humans and buggers? What is it that has allowed Ender to beat all his enemies thus far, but is now missing as he considers the menace of the buggers?

Chapter 14

1) In chapter 14, Ender encounters “the most perfect video game he had ever played.” (Card, 258) Describe this game. What importance is graphical quality? What importance is interface control?

2) At what point does the strategy of the simulator become “pleasure” and “play”? What transforms this serious game into serious fun?

3) Who becomes Ender's new teacher? Why does the new teacher refer to himself as the enemy?

4) What do you think is “Ender's Game”, to which the book's title refers?

Week 8 Blog: Ender's Game, Chapter 11, 12

(Ends Sept 8)

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Chapter 11

1) In this chapter, we see how the game masters at the battle school intend to make the game “unfair” for Ender. How, then, do they make the game “unfair”? How does Ender respond?

2)Ender once again turns to study the strategy of the “enemy”. What enemy becomes his concern in this chapter?

3)What is Bean’s new role? Should every team have a team member like Bean? Why?

Chapter 12

1) What do the adults want Ender to think and feel about danger and escape? Does Ender eventually have the desired realization? Have you ever had this realization – in real life, or in a game scenario? Would you want to? How would this effect the way you play a game?

2) How neccesary is it to “win” a game? What is the point of winning? Why is winning a part of games?

Week 7 Blog: Ender's Game, Chapter 9, 10

(Ends Sept 8)

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Chapter 9

“The mind game is a relationship between the child and the computer. Together they create stories. The stories are true, in the sense that they reflect the reality of the child's life. That's all I know” (Card, 121)

1) What game is this quote referring to? What do you think of this kind of game? Would you want to play?

2) While Ender learns the ropes of Battle school, Peter and Valentine Wiggen have begun a game of their own. What is the nature of this game? What is the goal? The rules? Who designed this game, and who is playing? What are the game pieces?

Chapter 10

1) In this chapter, what sort of games does Ender use to teach? What is his role in these games?

2)Would you want Ender for a teacher? Why or why not?

3)If you were a teacher, would you want to be like Ender? Why or why not? Would you use his games? What kind of games would you use, in his position?