The Theme of Big Government in "Ender’s Game" by Orson Scott Card

A big government can create dangers in people's lives by taking away their rights. In Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, a young boy is taken away from his family at the age of 6 and is sent to a battle school in space that is controlled by the people of the military. Ender is from the US but in battle school, the students are from all over the world. Throughout the book, Ender is put into various armies that train the children in the battle school to one day be able to command an army to defeat the enemy buggers, who they have had previous wars with two to be exact. Ender was thought to be the next war hero and was very early on recognized as a threat to others in battle school. This recognition was brought on by the military professionals manipulating and isolating him. Therefore having a big and controlling government is dangerous.

I chose this theme because in the story there are various clues on how the government has been using this “battle school” to take away the essential rights of a human being. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They have taken away life by making the maximum number of children a family could have to be two. Ender is what you would call a Third. For example, in the text, it states “It was not his fault he was a Third. It was the government’s idea, they were the ones who authorized it- how else could a Third like Ender have got into school?”. Even if a family wanted more than two children, they would have to run it by the government talk about controlling. They have also taken away liberty aka freedom. While in the battle school everything is monitored including the letters they get from home. Children are also taken from their families and used for military use which is ludicrous considering the things they put them through. Any and almost every conversation can be taped and used against them. During the early stages of childhood, the government puts a monitor inside the necks of kids. Those monitors record everything that the child would hear or see, to find out if they would be the right fit for the battle school. So everyone in that household would have their freedom limited because of a walking talking military recording device. Finally, the military took away their pursuit of happiness, each one of those children had their childhood ripped from their hands and had to start developing their own identities early on in life. Ender’s feelings were toyed with by the teachers who were supposed to make him feel safe at school. He is also supposed to develop rapidly and not at the age he is supposed to he was the youngest commander while in battle school and given insane tasks to accomplish with no previous knowledge he was going to get them.

I chose to do a PowerPoint explaining what the government is doing. They are caging up these people's rights and emotions and values. The book states “These other armies, they aren't the enemy, it’s the teachers”. In the students mind the only reason they go to this school is to get better at fighting but slowly Ender starts to see the bigger picture thanks to his friends Dink who starts to help him realize what the adults a.k.a military professionals are up too. I also chose this because the government is taking over, and in my mind turning everyone into their robots destroying any relationships and real human emotions they had left.

One thing I learned from this book is to never give up and to wear your courage on your sleeve because it's nothing to be ashamed of. Another thing was don't try and grow up to fast because Ender did not have a choice he kinda just got thrown into the situation he was in and was stripped of his youth and forced to grow up. Overall reading Ender’s Game was a lovely experience it taught me an important life lesson which I will never forget, I will try and savor my youth for as long as I can and try never to rush or push anything. I will allow it to always go at its own pace.

Ultimately the result of the government and pressure of others does not allow Ender to experience all of his rights. The fact that the government can't fight their own battle and have to bring kids into the equation is cowardly and selfish. These grown adults can't even give them dignity and freedom. Everything is taken away from him and he is put into a world that is not his learning to fend and fight for himself. His life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness were taken too fast. If only the poor boy had a chance to revel in his childhood and not sit thinking about the past.