Student Question
What three technological examples did the author create in Ender's Game?
Quick answer:
In the question above, the student was asked to describe three examples of technology that were created by Orson Scott Card in his novel. The student did a great job with this question, providing all three of the examples requested. A lot of futuristic technology shows up in Ender's Game. Four specific examples are seen in the laptop-like computers the students use, the "Giant" mind game, the fight simulators, and Internet-style blogging employed by Peter and Valentine. After getting on Bernard's bad side on the way to Battle School, Ender finds himself an outcast early on. Ender, however, is not Bernard's only target, as Bernard also criticizes Shen for how he walks.
A lot of futuristic technology shows up in Ender's Game. Four specific examples are seen in the laptop-like computers the students use, the "Giant" mind game, the fight simulators, and Internet-style blogging employed by Peter and Valentine.
After getting on Bernard's bad side on the way to Battle School, Ender finds himself an outcast early on. Ender, however, is not Bernard's only target, as Bernard also criticizes Shen for how he walks. Ender decides to retaliate using the available technology - "electronic desktops," similar to today's laptop computers. He writes, "COVER YOU BUTT, BERNARD IS WATCHING," and signs it "God". He then sends another message with Bernard's name attached. Many of the students suspect Ender is behind this, but they cannot prove it.
Even before this, Ender is introduced to the mind games at Battle School and quickly challenges an older student. He learns quickly and ends up winning two...
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out of three games. He quickly becomes obsessed with trying to win the "Giant" game, a kind of modern-day, multi-level simulation game, and finally discovers that he can only do so by breaking the rules. His obsession becomes a concern to his teachers, and he only stops playing the game after looking in a mirror and seeing Peter's face, fearing he is becoming like Peter.
A primary form of technology running throughout the novel is the various battle simulator "games" the students play. In his final battle, Ender does not realize he is no longer playing a simulated game but is instead leading an attack against the buggers, ending in the destruction of their planet and nearly complete destruction of their race.
A fourth type of technology that plays a key role in the novel basically anticipates the abilities of the Internet - and that is the kind of "blogging" that Peter and Valentine do as Locke and Demosthenes through their computer. Through this technology, they are able to spread their ideas to the world - despite the fact that they are still children.
Orson Scott Card showed a lot of foresight in the various technologies he emplyed in his novel. Computers - through the use of the internet, various types of simulations, and social media/blogging - now allow for much of what he talked about in his novel.