Enders Game Questions #2

1. The purpose of the Giant's Drink game is to challenge the students into thinking there is no way to beat it. Even though Ender did. This surprised Graff and Major Anderson greatly because Anderson rigged the game so it is unbeatable. There is no victory. The way Ender beats the giant is kicking over both of the drinks and when the giant gets angry, he jumped up and attacked the giants eye. It died but Ender felt bad about killing the giant. I don't think this makes him a murderer though because it's a game. If you were to look up the most popular games right now, I bet half of them involve shooting in some way or another and killing someone.

Chapter 7
1. The exchange of words between Ender and Alai is important because to Ender, he doesn't know what it means, but with Alai it means peace be with you. That is the important thing that Alai did to Ender. He blessed him with the meaning of peace that they would be friends forever.
2. I think by saying "just living" means that he hasn't been living, just doing what he has to do to survive. I also read a passage like this in The Alchemist, not the book we read in class but one that I read on my own time. Nicolas Flamel had been doing what he had to do to survive, not going out and living, taking joy out of being immortal, not taking sadness. So maybe that's what Ender has been doing when he is living like he is. If I were in his position I would be wanting to go home but also trying to be the best solider to prove myself that I'm worthy of being there.
3. Petra helps Ender by being his only friend in Salamander Army. She also taught him strategies on how to shoot and not be shot. She showed him the legs first attack and how it would help him in battle against other armies.
4. Ender learns the leadership tactics from Bonzo because Bonzo was mean to Ender mostly because he was the best solider in the battle school. That meant that Bonzo was trying to make Ender a tougher solider and also to teach him tactics. The tactics he learned from Bonzo were to make formations with different toon leaders and let the toon leaders have their toonsdo what they tell them to do. To teach their own group instead of having the commander teach them all. Ender reverses this and that is what makes him a better leader.

Chapter 8
1. I think what Graff means by saying "he is ten times smarter and stronger than I am" because since Ender is smarter he will know how to hurt him more than he would know how to hurt Ender. They also don't know what Ender's weaknesses are so they can't hurt him emotionally  but physically when Ender knows both.
2. I think the quote "so teach me" "so learn" is significant because it shows Ender is eager to learn from others when they expect him to teach himself tactics and how to be a better solider. They will refuse to teach him because I think they already know that Ender is a better solider than all of them so they won't teach him stuff he already knows.
3. His attack is so important because it shows the soliders from other armies are jealous that Ender is teaching the launchies tactics that they don't know. It is also important because it shows to Ender that he is like Peter for taking that kids ear off on accident by kicking him in the side of the head. This makes him sadder because he doesn't want to be like Peter. That is the one weakness Graff and Anderson don't know.
4. The scene with the snake and Peter is important because it shows that if he kills the snake he is like Peter. That is why the image of Peter is in the mirror after Ender kills the snake.
5. The last paragraph in the chapter pretty much represents that Ender is giving up and accepting that he is a killer like his older brother. That the part of him that Graff and Anderson want to shape Ender into, Ender hates. He agrees that even though they want him to be a killer for the buggers that he will never want to be one himself.