Ender's Game (Style)

Style

Narration/Point of View

Card believes that a breakthrough occurred for him when he discovered that fiction allows the writer to reveal a character's thoughts, whereas play writing does not. Card tells Ender's Game primarily from a third-person ("he/she") point of view, where the narrator can describe scenes involving different characters. Nevertheless, the story most often uses a "limited" point of view, focusing solely on Ender's character. This is useful in creating a greater identification with his character. At times, the narrative very easily slips into a first-person viewpoint by dropping into Ender's thoughts. For example, when Ender first arrives at the Battle School, there is a scene where he is eating with an older boy. The scene begins in the third-person narrative, then switches to reveal Ender's thoughts. "Ender shut up and ate. He didn't like Mick. And he knew there was no chance he would end up like that. Maybe that was what the teachers were planning, but Ender didn't intend to fit in with their plans. I will not be the bugger of my group, Ender thought. I didn't leave Valentine and Mother and Father to come here just to be iced."

Setting

Setting is vitally important in the genre of science fiction — not just because it might involve the future or another galaxy, but because it usually involves great social changes. Ender's Game begins on Earth sometime in the future. There are several social changes that are important to Ender's story: the Population laws that restrict the number of children in a family; the technological developments that permit space travel; and, of course, the existence of an alien civilization which has attempted to conquer Earth. These changes form the social setting for Ender's story.

The physical settings spring from these changes as well. Although the story starts on Earth, it continues on space stations both inside and out of Earth's solar system. When the International Fleet comes for Ender, they take him via space shuttle to the Battle School, located in the Asteroid Belt. Next, Ender attends Command School on the planetoid Eros. Eros is a spindle-shaped planet with a smooth surface that absorbs sunlight and converts it to energy; the gravity is one-half that of Earth's. The planetoid was originally developed into a space station by the Buggers during one of their invasions. The final physical setting that has significance is on the bugger planet that Ender and Valentine have helped to colonize. There, Ender finds a landscape that resembles the dead giant from his computer fantasy game. This resemblance leads him to discover the queen egg that will communicate the history of her people to humanity.

Structure

The structure of Ender's Game is fairly straightforward, relating events in a fairly linear fashion. Although told in third person, most of these events are portrayed from Ender's perspective so that the reader does not know more than he does. An interesting complement to Ender's story is the conversations between Colonel Graff and his associates that preface each chapter. These conversations provide additional perspective, providing more information to the reader than can be found from Ender's limited point of view. The chapters on Valentine and Peter's efforts bring additional background to the eventual conclusion, involving the adult Ender's new career as a Speaker for the Dead. Some critics, however, have faulted the structure of the novel, in particular the rapid finale. Michael Lassell even goes so far as to say in his Los Angeles Times Book Review that Card "has not mastered structure. His tale is too expansive and detailed throughout — too fascinated by his own hardware — but foreshortened in its conclusion."

Climax

The climax of a novel is the point at which the major conflict is resolved. Ender's Game has a particularly dramatic turning point, as Ender not only wins his final "battle" in Command School, but learns that it is actually the victorious conclusion of the Third Invasion. Up until this point Ender, like the reader, believes that he has been playing yet another battle game. While some critics have faulted this climax as a "trick," others find it a logical resolution to the ethical dilemma of the novel. All throughout, Ender has questioned whether his nature is good or evil; his empathy most likely would not have permitted him to annihilate an entire species. Only by remaining ignorant can he perform the task that has been set before him. In revealing the truth at the moment of victory, Ender's Game addresses both the physical and moral conflicts of the story at the same time.

Dialogue

Card feels that his ability to write believable dialogue, developed during his years as a playwright, is another skill that strengthens his writing. Not only does the dialogue allow Card to take different points of view, but it creates tension in scenes and provides the reader with a strong sense of character. For example, in the scene where Ender first meets Bonzo, Bonzo's vicious nature emerges through his speech. The dialogue between Ender and Bonzo sets the stage for their impending battle. Petra's contributions to the conversation establish her character and also add to the tension between Ender and Bonzo.