Sorry I’m a week late. Being an author has two sides: the joy of writing and the torture of platform. After looking at my horrendous social media numbers, I needed to take a week to rethink my presentation and figure out the purpose behind my output. Who would’ve thought one week of plotting and studying would bring me closer to understanding Ender’s Game. If you’ve seen the movie, you have a surface-level understanding of the culture within the military. What the book provides is a scary picture of what people can become with the right post.
Peter and Valentine
The movie provides a brief overview of Ender’s older siblings, Peter and Valentine. We understand Valentine is loving and Peter is missing a few marbles. The book goes into greater depth. Peter and Valentine were in a similar position as Ender: highly intelligent, driven, and logical. Both were considered for the “savior of the human race,” but failed for opposing reasons. Peter was too malicious, Valentine too compassionate. Hence they allowed Ender’s family to have a third child in the hopes he’d be the balance of the two.
But Peter and Valentine wouldn’t stay quiet. In between tracing Ender’s trail through the Battle School, we get peeks at the endeavors of his siblings. Peter plays reformed psychopath for his parents, leaving Valentine vulnerable to his games. He convinces her to use their collective knowledge to create two personas, one that desires war and the other peace. Presenting themselves online as adults, they insert ideas into the public to create controversy and hearsay. All the while, these revolutionary ideas are coming from the minds of a twelve and ten year old.
Can’t say I understood a fourth of it, but I got the basic premise. Rumors are put online, people spread the rumor, the media parade it as truth, minds are shifted toward certain ways of thinking. Little did Valentine know this experiment would work.
The Social Contagion in Ender’s Game
I do need to give a little background here. After the aliens invaded and were destroyed, the world united under a common cause: prevent this from happening again. This mission was ingrained from the womb to adulthood. Education featured special testing so the military could discern who to recruit to Battle School. Propaganda about the aliens played everywhere. Stopping this extraterrestial threat was paramount.
Until people opened their eyes. This is where Ender’s Game jumps in, countries shifting troops and governments reconsidering the power of the military. This is also when Peter and Valentine input their two cents, speaking to the hearts and minds of humanity. Including their father. Normally I put “culture” in the title of these posts (because it’s about the culture), but what’s presented is an experiment. How powerful are two unknown voices?
Very, apparently. Valentine and Peter would present an idea under the pseudonyms Locke and Demosthenes. They wouldn’t be referenced, but their thoughts were discussed. Their reach grew, their names got referenced, and articles were requested. While neither believed what they wrote, they dictated with a radical passion that drew people toward their “causes.” I won’t spoil the ending cause the book goes more in-depth than the movie. It’s truly something to have to experience firsthand.
What We Should Gain
I remember this headache. Ender’s Game is the headiest book I’ve ever read, yet I enjoyed the complexities of the culture and how it affected the actions of the people. These same things, however, terrify me. I literally couldn’t comprehend how a twelve and ten year old could have such an influence on people. Actually, I couldn’t fathom how two fake profiles with zero history could impact a society.
Before you say this is only fiction, I direct you to the beast that is social media. Many attempt to tame it, a majority fail. The ones who succeeded purported an impression from their experiences. A lot of these people have since been found out as frauds in one way or another. Either way, every individual started as a profile with zero online history. Now, they present ideas to the world that shift the thinking of other people. Rumors spread, feelings circulate. Actions are taken.
To me, Ender’s Game is a warning and a reminder that our words matter. What we present and how we present it makes a difference in people’s lives. Whether we want it to or not. I’ve had moments online when I started to comment with gut instinct, whatever made sense at 7 in the morning in my pjs. But I stopped, reread the post, and thought critically about where I stood and if it needed to be said. And that’s the crux I believe. Think before you post, find your stance before you comment. And, most importantly, consider your motivation for responding.