RISING ACTION

The rising action is what takes place at Battle School before Ender is transferred to Command School. This includes his troubles with the fantasy game, the struggle to learn new skills (whether it be as an army, with his Launchies, or coming up with new ideas), and the fight with Bonzo. Back on Earth, Peter and Valentine gain respect and power as Locke and Demosthenes. Together, the events establish the characters and set up events for the battle with the buggers.

FALLING ACTION

The falling action begins after Ender is told that the battle was real, that he has killed the buggers, and then he goes to sleep. Peter comes into power on Earth, and rules with little further comment on the matter while Valentine and Ender go to the first colony on a previous bugger world. Ender finds the hive queen and promises to find her a place to live again. The novel ends with Ender and Valentine in search of such a place. The falling action provides closure and sets up events for the sequel.

POINT OF VIEW

The novel is told from the third person point of view, which is effective in a number of ways. By switching focus between Ender and Valentine, Card is able to have two plots going on at once, and combine them at the end. It also ensures that Earth remains a setting, and Peter and Valentine, both major influences on Ender, are still central to the story. Having third person perspective at the beginning of the chapters when the (often unnamed) adult characters converse, allows the reader insight into the manipulation of Ender, thus establishing the adults as untrustworthy and Ender as a kind of innocent pawn. Finally, information on the buggers is minimized until the end when they tell their story through Ender, so that the reader is in the similar situation to the characters. We are led to see them as an enemy (for the most part), and only learn more about them until Ender himself does.

OTHER ELEMENTS

Historical Allusions

This includes the mention of historical figures such as Napoleon, Wellington, Caesar, and Brutus by the adults when they discuss how the Battle School children act, and those mentioned by the children themselves,- Pericles, Demosthenes, Thomas Paine, Ben Franklin, Bismarck, Lenin-which Peter uses to illustrate how he and Valentine can make a difference. Additionally, the events in Russia draw on Cold War feelings, leading to a polarized world view. These serve to ground the novel, making events seem more probable, by providing reference points familiar to the readers’ world.

Science Fiction Elements

Ender’s Game is a science fiction novel, as seen in the use of technology (gravity manipulation, primarily), space setting, and bugger enemies. Although no specific date is ever given, the novel is set in the future, removed from the present by two other bugger wars at least. Other ideas featured in the book often associated with science fiction include colonizing other planets, space travel (along with using that for life longevity), a united Earth or at least a global political/ military organization, and unlikely heroes.

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