John Kessel Quotes

Orson Scott Card’s book Ender's Game, is a famous science fiction novel that makes everyone question who they perceive to be a hero. In the novel, Card creates a character capable of mass murder while staying innocent throughout the entire story. Not taking the blame for any of his actions, Ender convinced himself that his actions were necessary. However, many readers began to have their own opinions and believed that Enders innocence was questionable and that he deserved prosecution. One of these critics happens to be John Kessel, author of the essay Creating the Innocent Killer, published in Foundation, the International Review of Science Fiction, in Spring 2004. Kessel argues that while Ender did end up saving the world, he was ultimately responsible for the genocide of the bugger species. But, while many agree with Card’s belief that a killer is motivated by rage or selfish motives, Kessel’s argument actually proves to be quite effective considering the

In his article, Kessel introduced his critical essay with a quote from Card, where he explains how his morals are ever present in the novel. Kessel then goes on to list all the ways Ender was abused in the book and how that added with Card’s sympathy throughout the novel is seemingly used to victimize Ender. Lastly, Kessel outlines what a killer encompases and how Ender should be considered a killer even though his intentions were harmless. Throughout his piece, Kessel uses many points that suggest that Ender wasn’t as innocent as he appeared to be. He claimed that “Ender engages in this violence impersonally, coolly, and dispassionately…”(4) This violence could also be seen in the