Monday 30/5 Tecnological Advance

Do you think that the story presents technological advance as being positive or negative? It appears in the first 3 chapters that the technological advance in society has benefited humans and made life much easier.

They have developed the desk, which was a personal computer like a laptop. Enders game is set for a majority of the novel in space, humans have obviously extended there space knowledge and understanding.

Battleschool is set on a gravity controlled platform in outer-space. The ability to control gravity in space and have sustained life in space is very positive.

Laserguns have been created, this is a piece of technology that will strengthen earths war capacity. The war capacity of earth is very important to the security against the buggers.

Humans have also developed the appropriate technology to discover and explore other planets. More advances in medical supplies, procedures and education.

What part do humans play in this advancement?  

Wed 25/5 Characterisation

In groups: Who are the important characters of the first 7 chapters?

1. Who are they? 

 Ender- Ender is the main protagonist in the entire book. He is the person the book is based around. He is the backbone of the plot. 
Peter- Peter is Enders brother. He is shown in the chapter (peter) as the antagonist, he is a sub character and gives the story more depth and detail into enders life.
Valentine- Valentine is Enders sister.
Graff- Graff is the commander of battleschool and is responsible for the development of leaders for the fleet. 
Alai- Alai is Enders best friend after Ender spreads his influence as top dog in the launchies group.
Bernard- Bernard is the boy who irritates ender and gets his arm broken on the shuttle on the way up to battleschool. He plays as the antagonist when they reach battleschool and are on the ship in the first few weeks. 
Shen- Shen is Enders first friend.

1. Give me some important details based on the important characteristics we have discussed at the start of class.

1. You've got half the class to get to some 'wider conclusions' about the figurative role of these characters.

 (I was away)

Quiz

1. What person is the narrative told in?  The narrative is told in 3rd person by an omniscent narrator.
2. What is a 'Third'? A third is a 3rd born baby into a family, They are often outcasts and a constant disturbance for various reasons in the Wiggin household. Thirds dont get free education.
3. What game does Peter want to play with Ender? Buggers and Astronauts, like cops and robbers 
4. What are two reasons why Ender doesn't want to go to battle school? He does not want to leave valentine and he doesnt want to leave his family.
5. What type of irony is used when the audience knows more than the characters? The omniscent narrator gives the reader the ability to listen to the soldiers talking in the start of every chapter. Dramatic Irony
6. How does Graff treat Ender when he first gets to battle school? He speaks highly of him towards the other kids and this makes them hate him
7. Who is Ender's room leader at battle school? Ender is the room leader
8. What happens when Ender goes to the games room for the first time? He challenges an older boy and defeats him in the game, this gives him higher self esteem.
9. Who is Bernard and what is Ender's relationship to him? Bernard during the launch chapter is disliked by ender. He is the boy who gets his arm briken by ender.
10. What role is Alai voted in to? What role does he now play for the group? He is a good friend of ender
11. What mistake does Ender make immediately upon joining Salamander Army? He makes friends with the least popular member of the army.
    What happens to Ender in the battle against Condor that gets him recognition? He freezes the other soldiers and is not frozen himself and has a perfect score.

Chapter 6- Giants Drink

1. What is happening to Ender’s launch group? And what role is Ender playing? Ender and the other launchies are taken to the practice room to use the suits.
2. Ender gives the special suit a trial. It makes him able to do things that he couldn’t normally do. The special suit gives him the ability to float around and shoot the laserguns, these freeze enemy soldiers.
3. How do Bernard and Alai move in the suits? Bernard does not pick up how to use the suit quickly but Alai learns from Ender and they work together.
4. Ender makes a connection with Alai.  Ender makes friends with the once friend of Bernard, Alai.
5. What role is Alai voted in to? What role does he now play for the group?
6. Describe the sequence of events when Ender plays the game. What is revealed to Ender and about his personality at the conclusion of the game? Ender continuely tries to win the game against the giant, and he always loses. After many tries he attacks the giant and stabs it in the eye. The giant falls dead to the ground. Ender believes he is a murderer.

Chapter 5- Games

1. Who is the room leader?  Dap is the room leader and caretaker. 
2. What role does Dap play to the boys? Dap explains that he is their mum, and is responsible for them while they are launchies.
3. (44) Who is Mick and what advice does he give Ender? Mick is a 12 year old boy that he meets in the dining hall, he tells ender not to end up like him, and to avoid being a social outcasts at all costs.
4. (45) What does Ender miss his first night? He already starts missing valentine and his family.
5. (48) What happens when Ender goes to the games room and plays an older boy for the first time? He challenges the older boys to a game,  and he wins. He finds that at least he's better at somebody at something and this gives him self confidence. 
6. (49) Who is Bernard? How is his relationship with Ender? Bernard is a launchie who tormented Ender on the shuttle and has influence on the other launchies which makes Enders life at battleschool difficult. Ender dislikes him for the majority of this chapter.

Effective Technique in Enders Game

In the first 4 chapters in Enders game there is a 3rd person omniscent narrator. At the beginning of each chapter the Author lets you eavesdrop on the conversation of the soldiers. This helps give the reader a more all-round view on what is happening, and is more imforming. The 3rd person omniscent narrator also demonstrates the ability to read the characters thoughts and emotions.  This is shown in the fight against stilson, how ender attacks stilson and then you read his thoughts and get a view on his perspective.
 
At the end of chapter 1 after he has fought stilson- Ender put his head on the wall and cried and Ender thought- I am just like Peter. Take my monitor away and I am just like Peter. This shows his regret of the fight.

The main reason the Author would use 3rd person would be to give the reader multiple views and perspectives. This is more imformative on the plot and mental status on the protagonist and gives the plot more depth and twists.

The Science Fiction Genre

The first traces of science fiction books were discovered in the 1600's and developed over many centuries. It was the second half of the 19th century when science fiction really began to emerge as a recognizable genre.
People found interest in the future when many new technologies were evolving, such as astronomy, physics,electricity and mathematic theorys.
 People also got the idea of science fiction from fantasy fiction and just typical fiction that were narratives and tales. People wanted to take a more scientiific aproach to a narrative because science was a high interest point.

There are a high variety of science fiction types. But there 3 main Types that are the basis for all others. These are/
-Hard Science Fiction/Particular Emphasis of Science Fiction, (realistic)
-Soft Science Fiction  Focuses on humans feelings, emotions and relations
-Social Science fiction Less concerned on space and technology and more on society.

There are also many other science fiction genres, which are focused on something in particular. such as/

-Apocalyptic Science Fiction/ Focuses on the end of civilization due to a catastrophic event such as nuclear warfare, Pandemic or a Cybernetic revolt ( A perfect example of a Cybernetic revolt is in the terminator series where machines go to war against humans).

-Biopunk Science Fiction/ Based on biology and a hobbiest whos interest lies in DNA and genetics.

-Dying Earth Science Fiction/ This sub-genre is similar to apocalytic science fiction because it is based on the end of life on earth or the ent of time where the laws of the universe themselves fail and colapse. e.g the film 2012 is based on dying earth science fiction.

-Military Science Fiction/ This genre is based on principal characters experiences in a conflict usually in space or in a foreign country.

Chapter 4- Launch

1. How do the updates from the soldiers at the start of the chapter represent dramatic irony?  They explain how they will set him up to be a leader.
2. (28) How do we know that this society is capitalistic? The setting is in america and america is capitalistic. capitalism is for private economic power.
3. (29) Is there censorship? If so, how do you know?
4. (31) What does Ender do while Graff is speaking to the boys? How does he react to Ender? Why does he react this way?  Ender Laughs when Graff is speaking to the boys, He tries to make the other boys hate hims so that Ender would have to defend himself. (This would aid his preparation of being a leader).
5. (35) How does Graff view humans? Individually humans are all tools who are all used by the government for the benefit of mankind.
6. (36) What does Graff say about ‘doing bad things’ as soldiers? He says that violence can be used for good in some cases and that enders actions are positive.
7. What role has Ender been given for the survival of the human species? To be the great leader of the fleet and lead them to victory against the buggers.

Chapter 3- Graff

1. (19) What does Ender get chosen for in the end? Why does he get picked? He is chosen because he is deemed suitable due to his reaction to the bully stilson. 
2. What reservations does Ender have? He wanted to stay with valentine
3. (22) What does the soldier say about religion and large families? So is this a religious or secular society? Why? It is a secular society because it is not effected by religion and he said that having a third child is a drawback for families.
4. What does ‘Third’ mean? Why is this such a big deal? A third is the third child born into a family, it is a big deal because nobody wants a third because only the first 2 born children get free education. And him being in their house is a constant disruption.
5. (22) What do we learn about the ‘society’ what countries on earth make it up?
6. What big decision does Ender have to make? What are the reasons against it/for it? What does he decide? Why? What would you decide? He has to decide weather he wants to go to battleschool and not see his family for several years. For- It is for the overall benefit of mankind/ and not going would be selfish/ Against- He will not see his family for several years.  He decides after thinking about it that leaving would be the best option. He felt that he did not belong.

Peter

1. (9) Who are speaking at the beginning of the chapter again? Graff and Administration at Battleschool
2. From what these voices say what can we speculate the ‘monitor’ allowed these people to do with Ender?  It allowed them to feel what ender felt and see what ender saw. It gave them an insight on how ender behaves.
3. How do the soldiers react to Ender attacking the bully? They embraced his actions and knew that he was the one they needed.
4. What effect do the soldiers admit that they had on Ender’s brother Peter?  They thought that he was the one to become the great commander, But he was decided to be unsuitable.
5. What voice do we switch into when the soldiers section of the text is through?  The 3rd person narrator and enders thoughts.
6. (10) What is Ender’s sister’s name and what is implied by her name? Valentine/ her name sounds comforting.
7. What are the two sides of Peter? Jealous and Sarcastic
8. (11) What do we learn about the greater world from the description of the game that Peter forces Ender to play called Buggers vs. Astronauts? Its a game like cops and robbers.
9. (13) What information does Valentine have that she uses to keep Peter under control?  She says that if peter ever wants to get elected in a government position he could not have murdered somebody or be a suspect.
10. (15) Who tells the Enders to have 3 children? What does this tell us about the power of the government? The government
11. What does Ender do at the end of the chapter? What emotional state is he in? Why? Enders brother comes to his bedside and says that he loves him and he knows how it feels, Ender cries.

Setting

Earth
At the beginning of the novel he is on a more futuristic version of earth today. (Possibly 2100) There are new types of technology, and due to the way they are speaking, example- Astronauts and Buggers, and talking about the galactic fleet,  They are further into space travel. 
Monitors
Desk computers

Space
-Ender is taken there for combat training on the buggers. It is where he kills his first bugger. At battle school he is either at the spaceship or the station. Laserguns and Jumpsuits are mentioned a few times which shows the furturistic technology in space. Sustainable life in space. Handprint locks. 

Child, training and encouraging their development in leadership. Unlike now.

Why does setting matter-
Imformation on what its about.
Genre
Mood

Chapter 1- Third

1. Strange that the first chapter is called ‘Third’ It is ironic, because you expect it to be something else.
2. What can you tell about the story through the use of two different fonts?/ There are 2 different point of views to the story.
3. What person is the narrative told in?/ It is in 3rd person.
4. We learn about a ‘special’ family. Peter and Ender had monitors on and were treated differently than other people, Ender is watched and is called a third
5. What is the goal of the speakers at the start of the book?
6. What are they watching and what do they decide about their subject? What type of irony is used by the audience having more information than the main character?
7. What is interesting about the surname of the title character? What does it say about his role in the story?
8. What perspective is the narration for the other section of the opening chapter (not the starting bit)?
9. “Sometimes lies were more dependable than the truth.” (2) What is a possible central theme of the book?
10. What does the title ‘Monitor’ represent to the other boys?
11. (5) What connotations does Ender being a ‘third’ have ?
12. What does Ender know about his intelligence in regards to the other boys?
13. (7) What does Ender do to the bullies?
14. The narrator is sympathetic to Ender: ‘This would not have a happy ending. So Ender decided that he would not be the unhappiest at the end.’
15. (8) While Ender seems emotionally stable on the exterior how would you describe his emotional state on the inside?
16. How has the perspective of the narration changed in this statement: ‘I am just like Peter. Take my monitor away; and I am just like Peter.’ What does this imply about Peter?

My life in science fiction

Going to school- I wake up and there was my own personal robot standing by my bedroom door, "here is your breakfast sir". He appeared to be carrying a tray with bacon and eggs on it. I brush my teeth with my plasma powered toothbrush,  and catch the magic flying bus to chatswood station On my arrival there are many robots that are designed to serve humans and make life as easy as possible. I arrived at the trainstation and immediately 4 robots run over to me. The robot said "can I take your luggage sir". "No thanks" I replied. Making my way towards the platform their are LCD tv screens everywhere that are advertising the latest electronics and  other items. 

As I walked across a glass bridge towards the ticket gates there was police officers standing near the booths. They were wearing the latest in technology, deathproof suits and laser ray guns. As I walk through the gates he stops a teenager who was riding a hoverboard into the trainstation. "Dont you see the sign!" he said. The police officer was pointing at a sign which said NO HOVER VEICHLES.