Ender\'s Game -- From Being

Ender's Game -- from being human to being dehumanized

Society has made it possible for people to focus on a series of values that are more or less moral and that influence them in putting across particular behavior. The idea of a game is the main point of attention in Orson Scott Card's 1985 novel "Ender's Game," considering that the protagonist is actively engaged in playing and winning a series of games without actually realizing the significance of these respective games. The science fiction novel is meant to reflect humanity's behavior in the recent decades and people's inability to maintain some of their most important values. In his determination to employ tactical thinking in winning games, Andrew 'Ender' Wiggin loses touch with his humane side and ends up acting similar to a machine.

The central character is taken from his family at a young age and he is introduced to a program meant to assist individuals in becoming the perfect warriors. However, Ender's experiences desensitize him and gradually make him less able to feel human emotions. The fact that he is under an enormous amount of stress makes it difficult for him to develop accordingly and he soon starts to have trouble expressing even the simplest of emotions.

This novel says a lot about humanity and about the general human character, considering that it presents Ender and his siblings as they go through several episodes during which they are practically forced to choose between being human and being perfect. One might be inclined to consider that the fact that the book is about children makes the storyline less mature. However, the concepts in the novel are actually very philosophical in nature and one is likely to do a lot of thinking while reading it. The subplot involving Ender's brother and sister is also significant in providing more information regarding human personality as a whole because it shows their determination to impose their authority. In contrast to them, Ender is used as a tool and his perfection is not necessarily beneficial for him.

In spite of the fact that Ender keeps most of his attributes throughout the plot, he is unable to differentiate between right and wrong when he encounters critical circumstances. He is influenced in believing that the best solution available depends by his personal satisfaction consequent to performing an action. The author most probably wanted to emphasize the human condition by relating to how some people are willing to make great efforts in order to achieve some goals, even if this means that they have to abandon many of their principles in the process.

While one might be inclined to perceive dehumanization as a process during which a person loses his or her self-esteem, it is likely that it is actually different. The individual actually grows to be more confident as he or she performs more and more acts perfectly and he or she eventually ends up expressing little to no interest in concepts that were previously important. Traditional values are no longer significant in the face of progress and this is reflected by Ender's character, considering that he loses his appreciation of human lives and starts to do everything in his power in order to achieve success in his endeavor.

James Rogers perfectly paints a picture of the concept of dehumanization and of contemporary attitudes regarding the process: "These days, dehumanization envelops planet Earth like a crushing, constricting spherical boa constrictor. Unlike our life-sustaining atmosphere with its molecules of oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen, dehumanization is unnatural and consists of anti-life ideas" (Rogers 5). What is even more aggravating is that many people are inclined to believe that ideas are innocent as long as they are not put into action. However, an idea can gradually poison people's minds to the point where they are no longer able to differentiate between right and wrong. This makes it difficult and almost impossible for them to realize when they do something immoral. These individuals come to believe that there is nothing wrong with committing a crime as long as the benefits that it generates are more important than the crime itself.

The expression "you can't make an omelet without breaking eggs" perfectly describes the thinking of an individual who allows his or her behavior to be governed by dehumanized attitudes. People who believe that it is perfectly normal for them to behave this way are actually unable to understand the general character of the situation that they are in. They see matters from their own perspective and they express little to no interest in wanting to show sympathy in regard to concepts that they do not identify with.

Trying to be a perfectionist comes with a great deal of risks and it is actually very detrimental for an individual to focus on achieving the best results possible. The respective person is no longer able to see matters from an objective point-of-view and ends up concentrating all of his or her resources on performing acts that are in disagreement with humanity's traditional values. One of the first steps in the process of dehumanization is the moment when one loses interest in wanting to know the truth. Dehumanization is a set of concepts that are identified as people's desire to destroy humanity. Ender's success in his field of work persuaded him to focus on his self-interest instead of concentrating on the bigger picture. This played an essential role in having him express lesser and lesser concern in the well-being of individuals whom he considered to stand in his way to victory. Ender's dedication knows no boundaries, as he no longer wants to have a personal life and constantly tries to perfect his position in the International Fleet. "In my army we're always on duty" (Card 3). This character sees no reason for which he would have to ignore his military principles during his free time. This stands as proof that his teachings shaped his personality and influenced him in adopting an approach that he believed to be particularly fruitful for him.

Nature is typically an environment where balance stands as the primary force assisting the world in experiencing progress. However, when people attempt to act in disagreement with its system, they come to create a false image of the concept of 'right'. This is one of the main reasons for which people fail in a series of endeavors: they fail to look at the bigger picture. While trying to be perfect provides individuals with the feeling that they found their personal identity, it also influences them in losing touch with reality. The individual loses most of his or her qualities in the process of wanting to be perfect and he or she is also likely to hurt most persons that they interact with during this development.

By being dehumanized, an individual is gradually excluded from the community of people who promote moral behavior. He or she is influenced to abandon moral principles in favor of allowing himself or herself to be guided by thinking meant to provide him or her with success in particular actions. "Ender's Game" relates to the concept of humanity on a series of occasions and it emphasizes the fact that in order for dehumanization to be effective it needs to occur at an early age, when the individual is getting acquainted with the surrounding environment and when he or she is exposed to outside influence. It is especially difficult to determine whether or not Ender is right at the point when he decides that it is not wrong for him to sacrifice his people. He is faced with an ethical dilemma and he tries to choose the best solution available as a result. It is not necessarily that he is less laudable because he takes this decision, but that he is condemnable because he most probably does it with the purpose of demonstrating his more advanced strategy. The fact that his superiors congratulate him for his acts further contributes to his dehumanization, as he learns that it is always normal for one to act on account of the best outcome available, regardless of the consequences that his actions have on particular individuals.

Ender is more than just a fictional character, as he represents numerous historical figures. In spite of the fact that it achieved significant progress in the recent centuries, humanity still contains examples of individuals who sacrificed other individuals in order to achieve their goals. Concepts promoted by certain political ideologies actually stand as proof that people are yet to express interest in wanting to be moral. It practically appears that there is no place for morality in a society where individuals are primarily concerned in their personal well-being. Individuals start to put across interest in regard to a particular concept consequent to being influenced in believing that it is essential for them to behave in a certain fashion. "For example: In 1095 a.C.E., when Pope Urban II stood on a platform in a field in central France, surrounded by thousands of people, and exhorted them to Crusade for Christ to take back Jerusalem from the Infidel, it was the mass that moved, not the individual" (Rogers 6).

History makes it possible for one to understand how the masses can be persuaded to adopt particular attitudes by being provided with manipulative information. People lose the ability to discover when they are being controlled as they are provided with more and more false information. One's inclination to act similar to a typical human being can thus be destroyed as the respective individual becomes entangled in a greater scheme. This is basically what a dehumanizing process consists of: waves of false information meant to influence people in thinking that it is in their best interest to put across a certain type of behavior.