Interlude: Lit Circle Letter 1

After reading through the first third of Ender's Game, I have many mixed feelings. Based on my observations and the hype others have given me about the book, this is not what I expected. Given that it is a science fiction book written in the 70s, the past illusions of the future seem imaginative at best.

As we get to know Ender early on in the book, it becomes amazingly obvious that children in this semi-totalitarian society have been forced into servitude of the higher governmental command of the International Fleet (IF). Children are selected for their aptitude through careful surveillance via monitors that are not removed until early adolescence.

The major themes in the book relate to an early and now cliched version of a dystopia. Examples include the observation of children through spinal monitors, the classification of children (Ender is referred to by his older brother as a Third), the prohibition of religion, and the focus of a military in society.

The spinal monitors are an obvious sign of future monitoring, where technology advances to the point that invasion of privacy is undetectable and unavoidable. This is in league to the 1984 "Big Brother" scenario where somebody is always watching what you do. This is the main factor of a governmental control scheme, where fear is the primary variable. Fear easily becomes an identifiable and recurring theme early on in the book. This is further reinforced by the dialogue of two officers at the beginning of each chapter. They comment on Ender's progress, but we do not know who they are.

The classification of children also infers that this society is burdened by overpopulation. As Ender is selected for Battle School, it is revealed that children are bred and monitored to determine their eligibility for battle. This automatically makes the military a primary purpose of life for the IF. This is also briefly mentioned by Dink (p.110) as a form of control to prevent civil war among the countries of the alliance. Although their focus is to defeat the "Buggers", an alien threat to humanity, there is no direct evidence to support that the IF are fighting direct battles.

The prohibition of religion is also a testament to the power of the IF. Since religion is banned in this world, Ender's recruiter, Colonel Hyrum Graff, comments on Ender being a "badge of cowardice" (p.23), in an attempt to sway him to enter Battle School. Obviously, religion would cause doubt to the IF's domination over peoples' lives.

Lastly, the military is present to explain the sole purpose of the IF. It is used for control and force deterrence against any possible rebellious attitudes. With children trained to be officers from the early age of six, the military complex and efficiency of the IF is unquestionable. Their idol and hero is Mazer Rackham, who defeated the Buggers in a decisive battle before Ender was born. He is mentioned frequently, symbolizing the "people's hero" role in the IF society. Through this, it becomes obvious that violence is the solution the IF infers is the only plausible instrument for resolution to adversity.

Most of the themes in the book are possibly accidental. As with any analyzation, interpretations are left to the reader. However, it should not be accidental that Ender's Game shares many ties with popular science fiction novels such as The Forever War and Starship Troopers. It is too early on to tell whether the book's purpose is to criticize military dependent governments, praise them, or just to simply tell a science story.