Ender's Game Isolation Quotes

Partial Success

"We train our commanders the way we do because that's what it takes – they have to think in certain ways, they can't be distracted by a lot of things, so we isolate them. You. Keep you separate. And it works. But it's so easy, when you never meet people, when you never know the Earth itself, when you live with metal walls keeping out the cold of space, it's easy to forget why Earth is worth saving. Why the world of people might be worth the price you pay" (243). In Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game, isolation plays a key role in the development of Ender’s character. Compelling Ender to think for himself, the International Fleet tactically separates Ender from his friends and family. Ender's isolation is excruciating. “Thank you for this, Peter. You taught me how to hide everything I felt. More

It was to each other that they became close; it was to each other that they exchanged confidences. Ender was their teacher and commander, as distant from them as Mazer was from him, and as demanding” (282). Graff’s plan of isolating Enger half worked: The International Fleet, under the command of Ender, defeats the Buggers. However, he broke Ender, who will never be the same. No longer confident or trusting, Ender becomes a shell of a human due to the loneliness and isolation he endured. He may be the savior of the world, but the loneliness he feels outweighs any compensation that being the hero might bring. “I told you. His isolation can’t be broken. He can never come to believe that anyone will ever help him out, ever. If he once thinks there’s an easy way out, he’s wrecked” (38). Isolating him from the adults, Ender is forced to think critically and not rely on others for simple solutions. Using isolation, the I.F. invents an atmosphere of creativity by confining Ender to his own ideas. In conclusion, although the isolation of Ender was successful in training him, the loneliness and loss of friends causes him to mentally fall apart and never