Ender's Game Questions Chapt. 6 - 8

Chapter 6 – The Giant’s Drink
1. I think that the purpose of this game is to see how well the students at the battle school solve problems. Although Ender made it to the End of the world, I think that he was a little violent. I don't think that he is a murderer but I do think that he has the possibility of becoming a murder. In the book Ender stabbed the giant's eye and through the eye was the passage way to fairyland. I think that the memory of Peter keeps Ender from becoming a murderer. 

Chapter 7 – Salamander
1.Alai said "salaam." I think that this was important because it showed that Alai and Ender were good friends and that Alai was willing to take the risk and show a part of Alai that not many others had seen. The book said that Alai had given Ender a "sacred gift." Alai had broken the rules that he said he couldn't have a religion, and he showed his religion to Ender. This exchange showed that Alai trusted Ender. As the story goes on, they become even better friends and help each other learn.

2. The "just living" mentioned in the chapter means the normal life that Ender could have if he wasn't a third or go to battle school. I don' think that Ender has ever "just lived." Ever since he was born he has has been a third and Peter and Valentine have had monitors. I think that Ender wants to be accepted and he doesn't want to be a murder like Peter. If I were him I wouldn't be very happy. I think that Ender will soon find out that he would rather be a normal boy but I also think that there us no "just living" for a but like Ender. I would much rather live a normal life than have all that pressure of killing the buggers.

3. Petra gave Ender friendship and made him feel at least semi accepted. Petra helped Ender learn how to shoot the guns. In the book Petra mentored Ender even though Bonzo didn't want her to. Petra's friendship made the other boys not like Ender as much. Because no one liked Petra, Ender was also shunned. This shows that people can be judged just for the friends that they have.

4. In the book Bonzo was a very harsh commander, everyone worked in unison and everything was decided before they got in a fight. However his way did get results.Ender learned that to be a good leader you have to be organized but I think that he also learned that good leaders have to be friends. I think that Ender learned that even though planning tactics works, sometimes you have to go with instinct and do the unexpected. 

Chapter 8 – Rat
1. I think that this quote means that Ender shows more potential than Graff. Graff is more of a teacher than the kind of person that actually saves the world. Ender is smarter and learns faster. In a way I think that Graff may be jealous and proud of Ender. Ender thinks of things in a different way then others and he is mentally stronger than other students at battle school, he shows this by not crying at with the launchies.

2. I think that this quote means that Ender is willing to learn. It shows that Ender is willing to get help from others. I think that this quote shows how independent Ender to take his education in his own hands. Dink is willing to teach Ender but he wants Ender to learn. This quote shows what kind of relationship Dink and Ender have. They will learn from each other. 

3. When endangered by the older students at the battle school Ender and his launchie friends did a counter attack trying to get the door. This response shows what Ender would do in the situation of a real war. If their was a real war Ender would hide he would take initiative and do what needs to be done. I think that the fact that Ender ripped someones ear shows that Ender is okay with hurting other people to survive. 

4. When Ender sees his brother, Peter in the mirror he breaks the mirror with the snakes that are trying to kill him. I think that it showed that Ender is turning into the murderous Peter. The mirror represents his reflection and his future of becoming a killing machine. I think the snake represents the people that Ender is leading to do the same.

5. The game knows what is going on in the players mind. It knows Ender's insecurities and fears. I think that the game is made to help the player deal with the worst emotional situation. The game may be preparing the kids to deal with having something bad happen to the people they love. I think that the game is also a way the measure the students as to whether their ready to move on. That is how Ender was promoted to the Salamander group.

6. I think that Ender is showing that he hates himself for being the kind of kid that teachers love and the kind of kid that could possible kill all the buggers. Ender is disgusted with himself and thinks that the snakes were right in killing him. He says that he is the tool that other will use to survive. I think that Ender wishes that he could go back to his normal life with his family. I think that the people in charge of the school and of Graff are keeping all the smartest boys in space so that they can take over the people on earth.

CEJ 1

Heavy Rains in Australia Leave 4 Dead

Sydney Australia

Siegel, Matt
New York Times
Published January 28, 2013
World
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/world/asia/deadly-rainstorms-ravage-eastern-australia.html?ref=world&_r=0

In Sydney, Australia a rainstorm has left 4 dead, homes flooded and many people having to be evacuated. This large amount of rain is due to the tropical cyclone Oswald which hit Northern Australia early last week. The rain is hitting from north of Brisbane in Queensland state to Sydney. This weather continues to produce bizarre and destructive weather in Eastern Australia. On Tuesday winds of mph his Sydney. In the city of Bundaberg about 300 miles north of Brisbane 1000 people have to be airlifted from their homes by military helicopters. Four people died due to this disaster. The state premier warned of rapid floodwaters that could carry buildings away. Virgin Australia, the countries largest airports canceled dozens of flights on Tuesday. Luckily by Tuesday mid afternoon the storm started to clear.

This natural disaster is a horrible thing. I don’t think that there is a bias. Even if there was a bias it is either that the rainstorm is good or bad. Why anyone would think that this is a good thing escapes me. From my extensive research on weather I know that hurricanes are deadly rain storms that can ruin cities. In a way this event can be compared to a lot of distopian novels, it starts with a little rain and before we know it the rain is so bad that the whole world becomes a soggy mass of dirt and human corpses. Realistically speaking the storm will probably pass, and the cities will repair the damage. Most of all I feel bad for the family members of the 4 dead people. This is a horrible thing and I hope everything turns out okay for the people involved.

Ender's Game Chapter 1-5

Chapter 1-Third
1. What attitude motivates the adults to lie to Ender?
They lied to him because they didn't want Ender to be scared. Even though it was going to hurt Ender realized that the adults were just trying to make the removal of the monitor less dramatic.
2. Explain what it seems to mean for Ender to be born a "Third". Show whether this is
a negative or positive fact to:- his parents,- his brother, Peter,- his sister, Valentine, and- his classmates.I think that being a "third" means that Ender is a third born child. In that time having more than 2 children is illegal but Ender's parents got permission to have Ender. For his parents being born a third means that they are coming back to what they ran from originally, growing up with multiple siblings they didn't want to be outcasted. Although they love Ender and are happy that they were able to have a third, they also resent him because he represents what they have spent their lives getting away from. For Peter, Ender being a third means that Peter wasn't good enough to go to battle school. Being a third is a negative thing to Peter. Valentine thinks that Ender being a third means that he is special, I think that Valentine thinks that Ender being a third is a positive fact. To Ender's classmates being a third is shameful, everyone picks on him and he is excluded.
Chapter 2 – Peter
1. Was Peter joking when he threatened Ender and Valentine?  Support your answer
with evidence from the novel?
I think that deep down Peter would never kill Ender. Although he hurts Ender and he is mad i think that  Peter really does tolerate Ender. At the end of chapter 2 Peter whispered to Ender at night "Ender, I'm  sorry, I'm sorry, I know how it feels, I'm sorry, I'm your brother, I love you." (page 15)

2. Why is Peter’s behaviour at the end of the chapter so completely different from the
rest of the chapter?
At the beginning of the Chapter Peter was being really mean to Ender and Valentine, he threatened to kill both Ender and Valentine. At the end of the chapter said that he really does love Ender. It was defiantly a surprise that Peter said that but it also showed that there is more to Peter than his rough exterior.

3. How do you feel about each of these characters (Ender, Valentine, Peter)?  What
did the author do to help create these feelings?  Give examples.
I feel sympathy for Ender he gets beat up by bullies and by his brother. Even his parents aren't as invested in him. The author makes him out to be a weak boy who can't stand up to his brother. I think that Valentine is a really nice girl who looks out for the underdog. She is kind of like the mediator between Peter and Ender, or Ender's new "monitor." The author writes that Valentine tries to help Ender when Peter beats him up. Peter is made out to be the ruthless older brother who resents Ender. Peter threatens Peter but in reality Peter actually loves Ender.
Chapter 3 – Graff
1. What did Graff mean about evolution working against girls?
Girls have been taught to be nice and solve their problems peacefully. Graff meant that most girls that go to Battle School are not nice, they are okay with things/people dying and they are just as mean as the boys. Valentine is to nice and sweet to go to Battle School.

2. Ender is leaving to learn how to fight a war, yet he takes Graff’s hand. Why does
Orson Scott Card (OSC) include this action?\
OSC included this because even though Ender is about to go to Battle School he is still a little boy and he need to be cared for.
Chapter 4 – Launch
1. Explain the meaning of the following statement: “Individual human beings are tools
that the others use to help us all survive.”
This means that people will use other people skills to help them survive. Some people will use an army of people to help them survive. In the book the people are using the brilliant children to create an army for others to survive.

2. Explain the following quote: "Isolate him enough that he remains creative -
otherwise he'll adopt the system here and we'll lose him." Your answer should
include the terms: isolation, creative, adopt, lose.
Keeping him in isolation will make sure that he doesn't lose his creativity and the way he thinks about problems. He wont adopt the other persons way of learning and thinking. By lose him they mean that he is no longer qualified to be the person that end the war between the buggers and the human. 

3. Did Ender mean to break the other boy’s arm?  What does this incident tell us about
Ender?  Is it acceptable to do despicable things for survival?  Why or why not?
Ender didn't mean to break his arm, this shows that Ender tries to solve his problems on his own. Personally I don't think it is acceptable to do despicable things for survival because I wouldn't want to throw my morals and values out the door. I think that no matter what you should always treat others how you want to be treated.
Chapter 5 – Games
1. Ender works hard to express his feelings in private and not show homesickness in
front of any other person. Is it healthy for him or not?   What is positive and what is
negative about showing feelings?  What is positive and what is negative about not
showing feelings?
I think that given the situation it is okay to hold back his feelings, although it would be better to confront his feelings there is really nothing he can do about it. If he shows his feelings someone may feel sympathy for him and "take care" of him, but if you shows his feelings Bernard might make fun of him and he will be the target of  a lot of bullying. If he doesn't show his feelings he won't get ridiculed and he can be the "tough guy." If he doesn't show his feelings he may keep it inside of him and at the wrong time he may get extremely sad and embarrass himself even more.

2. How did Ender beat Bernard?  Is this an unusual solution to his problem?
Ender beat Bernard by making everyone not take him seriously. He sent the fake message on the desk. This is definitely an unusual solution but it seemed to work and he avoided conflict.

3. List the different coping mechanisms (ways of dealing with difficulties) Ender
shows. For each one describe whether the overall result of each is helpful or
harmful to Ender.
One coping mechanisms he used was beating people up, in a way this was helpful to Ender but some people got hurt. He also uses his brain to solve his problems and that worked out really well for him. He also hid from his problems by not showing that he was homesick and he avoided being beaten up. 

Enders's Game Anticipation Guide

Lying is justifiable if it's for the greater good.
I ranked this as a three because sometimes lying is okay. For example you have to lie for a surprise party and that's not a bad thing. Lying can also have some bad effects too. If you lie people's feelings may get hurt.
Sometimes violence is the only way to solve a problem.
I ranked this as a 2 because i don't think that violence is ever an answer but in some rare situations violence might be useful. What I mean by violence is more physical compromise meaning that they use there body's to talk things out.
 It is okay to kill someone in self-defense.
I would give this a 4 because when you or someone you know is in danger I think that it is okay to kill someone. It's ideal that you don't have to kill them but in some rare situations you may have to.
Words are stronger than fists.
I strongly agree with this because when someone says something really hurtful you can feel it in your heart and brain but if someone punches you then you don't feel it emotionally but physically.
Bullies hurt others because they have low self esteem.
I gave this a three because sometimes bullies hurt others because they think its cool or it gives them a thrill to do something bad. But also there are some cases where bullies do have low self esteem and the only way to have higher self esteem is to put others down.
Only the best and brightest students should receive the best education to become a nation's leaders.
I strongly disagree with this because with the best education and support anybody can become the nation's leader.
Revenge is never justified.
I ranked this as a 2 because, although revenge never helps anything and only leads to more revenge sometimes it can help you let go of anything you hold against someone. In general I think that revenge just leads to more revenge and it can grow into something much bigger.
Crying is evidence of weakness.
I gave this a one because sometimes you just need to cry. I think that crying could even be considered a sign of strength. This is because you have to have strength to ignore other people's criticism.
Any action is acceptable in war.
I strongly disagree with this because everyone gas morals and values. Just because your in war doesn't mean that you can forget about your morals. So for example if you see a hurt soldier in war you are not going to shoot him to make sure he dies. I would help him or make his death more pleasant.
Teenagers need discipline and rules because they can't control themselves.
I gave this a four because without rules and discipline who knows what teenagers would do. On the other hand too much discipline can make them want to break the rules even more.
Only though personal sacrifice can someone create positive change.
I gave this a 3 because i think that you can create positive change through personal sacrifice. That is what Gandhi did when he fasted. In contrast you don't have to give up things to make a positive change.
Generating compassion for your enemies is the only way to create peace. 
I strongly agree with this because if you want to get along with your enemy you have to have empathy and compassion for that person. You have to understand their motives.

My Learning Styles

I am Visual-Spatial Learner

Your mantra: What you see is what you get.
Visual-spatial intelligence allows you to see and modify things in your mind. With an understanding of the visual world and its relation to physical items, you are good at solving spatial problems, designing, and doing crafts. Interior designers have remarkable spatial abilities, as do painters.

  I think that this result is moderately accurate. At first I thought that my results didn't describe me but as I read I realized that it does apply to me. In all my results were pretty even across the board. I think that i am a little less organized but I definitely like to rearrange furniture. For a while i was even thinking about being an interior designer.

 I am a Musical Learner

Your mantra: That sounds good to me!
You probably sing to yourself while walking down the street. Keep it up! Musical intelligence is associated with enjoying music, singing (vocalists), making music (composers), and playing an instrument (instrumentalists). You are sensitive to sounds and the emotions music conveys. You have a unique ability to know when something is off key.

I think that this is really accurate. I am always singing and I love music. When I am doing my homework I always listen to music and I am always singing some sort of song. When I am doing my math homework I sing myself the problem and it helps in some way.

  I am a Bodily-Kinesthetic Learner

Your mantra: Movement is fun-damental.
Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence means you think in movements. The fundamental ability to use movements for either self-expression or precision to achieve a goal is crucial for surgeons, athletes, mimes, choreographers, and directors.
The best way for you to retain information is to associate it with an activity. Dance, acting, and sports are easy for you to master. Relate what you are trying to learn to one of these activities, and you will retain information and gain understanding.

This sort of surprised me but it does apply to me. I seem to always be in motion and I like playing sports and being active. I don't know that I retain information actively or through movement but I do think that movement plays into learning things. 

  I am a Interpersonal Learner

Your mantra: I understand what you mean.
Interpersonal learners thrive on social interaction. Friends often ask you for advice because you are understanding and in tune with the people around you and their motives, emotions, perspectives, and moods.
Your ability to manage relationships helps you understand situations and take a leadership role when necessary. You enjoy teaching and sharing your thoughts.
Careers that require insight and the ability to read what someone else is thinking or feeling -- such as teaching, psychology, or sales -- would be a great match for those with interpersonal intelligence.

I was really surprised that I didn't score higher as a Interpersonal Learner. I think of myself as a leader and I do thrive on social interactions. Although not many people ask me for advise. I think that I do take leadership in many situations with my some of my friends.

The Immortal Goat

“Goodbye Teaspoon” I said as I tried to hold back my tears.

She won’t die right?

“I love you Teaspy” Elia wasn’t holding any of her emotions back. The red heat lamp was shining on her face making her look and odd shade of red. I was lying in my old sweatshirt and boots next to Teaspoon on one end of the small rectangular barn as Elia gave her a big hug. Lying on a pile of hay was my miniature Nubian goat. Her brown and white fur was bald  in some places and because of bad dehorning one horn was shorter than the other. She was like a goat version of a wiener dog, with short legs and a long body. At five years of age she was getting kind of weak. Nonetheless the thought of not hearing her shriek bleat in the morning was extremely painful. Teaspoon was our baby, the one that would come up to us, the one that was bullied by the other goats.

My mom pulled Elia and I into a hug and told us that we had done everything that we could. Elia was being as dramatic as ever.

“What will I do without Teaspoon!” Elia exclaimed dramatically

We walked out of the barn and stepped onto the muddy ground. My foot sank a little into the mud. I could smell an overwhelming scent of manure. My dad was shining the flashlight at the ground in front of us.Through the cracks in the walls of the barn we could see the red heat lamp.

“Maybe teaspoon won’t die.” my mom said hopefully as Elia cried in her arms. As I solemnly walked back into the house I thought of the past three days. Two days before Teaspoon was lying on the ground unable to get up. I remembered how we tried to put a sweatshirt on her to keep her warm. It turns out that goats can't walk in a sweatshirt very easily. To this day the sweatshirt is still on the ground where we took it off to save Teaspoon from perpetually tripping on her own feet.

The previous day Diane Dishner, a goat breeder in the area, told us that we needed to get a special medicine and deworm her. Throughout the day we took turns feeding her molasses water through a syringe. Considering I was ten and very attached to my animals I am surprised I didn’t cry as much as I thought I would. Despite our care throughout the day she didn’t seem to be getting any better.

As I went to bed that night my head was filled with terrifying thoughts of what we would find in the morning. Though the window I could see the other goats yellow rectangular eyes. I remember that as I drifted off to sleep I thought I hope teaspoon doesn’t die.
In the morning I heard my mom say to Elia “Teaspoon is still alive!” Both Elia and I shot out of bed like a rocket going to the moon. After we got our boots on we went to the barn to see her.

“s” Elia pointed out as we walked to the barn.

“If Teaspoon dies can we have a funeral? We can invite everyone.” Elia kept going. As a attention seeking fourth grader, she wouldn’t let a minute go by without somehow bringing her misfortunes into the conversation.

“I don’t care Elia!” I said because I was sick of her whining. Thinking back I could see how this was uncalled for but Elia always seemed ruffle the wrong metaphorical feathers.

We talked with Teaspoon until it was time to go to school.

“See you later, Teaspy” I said as I left the barn

I heard Elia’s muffled voice say from the barn “See you later.”

When I got home from school I went outside to see Teaspoon. I sat and talked with her, which is a big deal  because the ground had poop all over it. Ironically we had just finished building the barn and Teaspoon, being the goat that she is, pooped all over it. Anyways it didn’t look like she was doing better and I was getting more worried as the day went on. Over dinner that night we talked about putting her down because she was so old. We threw this idea out the window hoping that it wouldn’t come to that. That night we said goodbye to Teaspoon again.

“Bye bye Teaspy” I said as I gave her a hug around the neck. Everyone else said their goodbyes and went inside for another worrisome night.
In the morning we found that Teaspoon was okay and looked significantly better. After school that day I did my homework in the barn. I thought about Teaspoon’s failing health. She had balds spots and was beginning to look like an anorexic model. I reminisced about the the trips to the beach where we put surfboard leashes on the goats and took them for a walk. I remembered the previous fair where she was the center of attention.
The next day Teaspoon was still sick but she was holding on. Over the next few days we said goodbye to her at least once more. A year later Teaspoon was healthier than before and and every
morning when I went out to feed the animals I heard her shrieking bleat saying that she was happy to see me.