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Resources for Language Arts Classrooms
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As usual, the chapter opens with the two unnamed men talking about Ender. Now, however, they begin addressing each other by name. It is revealed that one of the men is Colonel Graff and the other man is Major Anderson.
The two men are addressing changes that they are going to make to the training games. As Anderson points out, the training system has been in place for what sounds like decades; and it has thus been fair, uniform, and unchanged. Now, Graff is forcing changes to the training to make the Battleroom more like an actual war scenario. War is unfair and lawless, so Graff wants to make changes to the simulations to better mimic a real war. He wants to challenge Ender enough to bring him to his full potential.
Anderson is not too happy with the idea of changing a fair system that has been in place for so long. He doesn’t want to change everything just for the sake of one boy, Ender; consequently, Anderson is going to run the proposed changes by the Strategos and Hegemon.
The scene turns to Ender who has now officially become a member of the Rat Army. He is greeted by Rose the Nose who makes it very clear that he is Jewish. It’s explained that Jews were in just about all of the positions of power during the Second Invasion. Consequently, being a Jew comes with a certain degree of reverence; however, Jews also face a bit of jealousy from others.
Rose tells Ender that he cannot use his desk until he freezes a few people and that he cannot practice with the Launchies anymore.
Rose puts Ender into a toon that is led by Dink Meeker. Later when Ender meets Dink, Dink tells him that he saw the potential that Ender has and that’s why he asked for him to join his toon. He also recommends that Ender directly disobey some of the things that Rose has obeyed him to do. Dink suggests that Ender continue using his desk and continue practicing during his free time.
When Ender begins to train with Dink’s toon, Ender teaches them a bit about his own Battleroom technique. One thing that Dink is interested in is how Ender attacked the enemies by coming at them with his feet pointed towards them. It’s almost as if Ender lied down then came at them. This technique made it hard for the enemy to shoot at him since he became a smaller target. Soon, the whole toon is practicing this technique and they absolutely resent Ender for bringing it upon them since it’s so difficult to do.
One day, Rose approaches Ender about his use of his desk. He tells Ender to stop using the desk and when Ender refuses, he changes the subject and mentions that Ender’s Battleroom statistics are going down. Ender explains why his statistics were so high when he joined the Rat Army (Bonzo never let him participate in the Battleroom simulations). Rose is clearly annoyed. Ender then mentions how well he did by disobeying Bonzo’s orders.
Later, Rose gets his revenge on Ender. During Ender’s first fight in the Battleroom as a member of the Rat Army, Rose has Ender make a dangerous move. When the skirmish first begins, Rose forces Ender to move alone towards the enemy. Many people of the Centipede Army have little time to react before Ender unexpectedly freezes them. Eventually, though, Ender is frozen too.
Later, Ender learns just how well he did during the skirmish. He hit twelve guys. Because of his actions, Ender gained the respect of Rose.
One day, Dink opens up to Ender on his true opinion of the armies and their skirmishes. Dink lets Ender know
that he has been promoted as an army leader before; however, he realized how pointless it is to fight among other boys. He knows that the teachers toy with their emotions and get them to battle each other in futile, pointless fights. Dink is not at all fond of the teachers and how they use and manipulate the boys in Battle School. Furthermore, Dink realizes that they are only children who are being taught to be anything but children.
BROWSE CONTENTS
ENDER'S GAME -- CHAPTER 8: RAT
Dink unleashes one final theory that Ender finds hard to believe. He tells Ender that a future invasion by the buggers is something that the International Fleet has lied about. According to Dink, the International Fleet made up such a story to keep their power.
Ender has grown up in America where lies are quickly unveiled. He knows that the bugger threat is not made up. On the other hand, Dink is from the Netherlands, which is controlled by Russia. There lies are more common place. Although Ender understands why Dink might have his doubts about the buggers, Ender does not agree with Dink’s thoughts.
Later, during practice with the Launchies, Ender notices that he has fewer and fewer Launchies to practice with. Ender learns that the commanders are not accepting Launchies who have been practicing with him. Ender wants to give up on some of his practices with the Launchies, but Alai convinces him otherwise.
One day as the Launchies practice with Ender, older boys from other armies come by to make fun of those practicing. At one point, the older boys decide to attack Ender and the Launchies. Ender is able to command the Launchies to maneuver towards the door. Ender, himself, though must face an onslaught of older boys who want to physically hurt him.
Ender is able to plan things out and maneuver in ways that deem him victorious against the older boys. Some of the boys even end up injured due to Ender’s moves.
Later, Ender is shocked to find out that the injuries that the older boys sustained are simply deemed an accident. There will be no punishment or consequences for neither his actions nor their actions.
Now in the barracks, Ender decides to get back to where he left off in the desk game. Once he logs in, he makes his way back to the snake that he last encountered. Ender is able to defeat the snake without much of a battle. He then finds a mirror where his reflection is that of his brother Peter. Startled, he shatters the mirror and from behind it, many small snakes appear and kill him. Ender decides to log out of the game immediately.
That night, the game haunts Ender’s dreams. He believes that he saw an image of Peter in the game because he is just like Peter. He is a killer.
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by Orson Scott Card
