Orson Scott Card weaves an intricate tale of a boy who is born to save the Earth in the novel, Ender’s Game. Ender Wiggin is born a Third in a world where only two children are allowed per family. Ender’s older brother and sister, Peter and Valentine, were not what the government needed to save the world, so Ender was born in hopes that he would be somewhere in the middle of their extremes. Peter is too violent, whereas Valentine has too much empathy.
Ender is the right combination for the Battle School’s needs. Although both Ender and Peter have power, only Ender has respect; both boys are instinctive killers, but Peter relishes the act while Ender regrets the act after he does it; Both boys become heroes, but both will not remain heroes when the historians begin to examine the events. Although Peter and Ender both have power over other people, the means of obtaining the power and the way each boy uses his power is different. Peter obtains power by terrifying people. Everyone knows he is capable of cold-blooded murder, so they do as he says because it is in their own best interest.
Also, he has the power of influence on the nets (networks similar to the internet), which he uses to sway the public. Once Peter has gained power, he uses the power to benefit himself. He uses people as pawns to accomplish what he wantsto rule the world. Ender, however, gains his power by simply being superior at all the games.
He becomes commander of an army, but doesn’t use the army to gain anything for himself, except to be number one in the standings. He makes the people in his command better soldiers by teaching them what he knows. He allows the toon leaders to make decisions in battles, so that the whole army doesn’t rely on him, entirely. Both Peter and Ender kill throughout the novel. Peter kills innocent squirrels and animals.
He threatens to kill Ender and Valentine if they do not do as he says. It is quite clear that he enjoys these activities. He shows no remorse for the dead animals he leaves in his wake. Ender, however, kills out of defense and feels great remorse. He never intends to kill anyone that he kills. All the deaths he inflicts are accidental, yet justified at the same time.
These deaths are hidden from Ender because of the pain he would feel upon knowing what he had done. He tries so hard throughout the novel to not become what Peter isa cold-blooded killer. Through the Locke Treaty and the Third Invasion, Peter and Ender become heroes to society. Peter saves society from self-destructing, and Ender saves the world from the buggers. The difference, however, is that there was no real threat from the buggers, and when people learn of this in the future, they will not be as understanding. There was definite threat where Peter was concerned.
A world war was about to break out. The buggers, however, had realized that they were wrong in attacking Earth, and had decided to keep their distance. They wanted to co-exist in peace. Although no one knew this at the time of the Third Invasion, the truth will still hurt Ender in the future.
Also, Ender was tricked into killing the buggers. He didn’t know he was commanding the fleets. He thought he was simply playing a simulator, or a game. So in Ender’s mind, he was no hero. The two brothers in Ender’s Game who seem to be so similar are shown to in fact be very different.
They both have power over other people, but Ender doesn’t use his for bad things or to help himself, like Peter does. Also, both are killers and heroes, but their opinions on the matters are opposite. While Ender regrets every death he causes, Peter is never remorseful. These differences, which are shown throughout the novel, provide a contrast between characters that is highly noticeable to the reader. .
