Enders Game - Influence Of Gender

Question 1

INTRO

Answer 1

• gender has a specific set of expectations/behaviours.
• impact how they act and interact in situations in everyday life.
• novel explores the idea that a character’s gender determines the details of the story.
• the character relationships and plot developments of ‘Ender’s Game’ are largely determined by the genders of Valentine, Ender, and Peter.

Question 2

THESIS

Answer 2

the character relationships and plot developments of ‘Ender’s Game’ are largely determined by the genders of Valentine, Ender, and Peter.

Question 3

AL1

Answer 3

• Valentine reminds him that there is good in humanity worth saving.
• he must protect Valentine and the rest of humanity to preserve that good.
• Valentine’s gender portrays her as the loving, gentle face of humanity.
• motivates Ender to Protect Earth due to the love he has for his sister.

Question 4

TS1

Answer 4

Valentine’s feminine qualities lead her to be a motivation for Ender through her role as his ‘mother figure’.

Question 5

Q1

Answer 5

Graff - “I may have used Valentine… it only works because what’s between you… that’s what you’re fighting to keep alive”.

Question 6

AL2

Answer 6

• Ender conditioned to believe: sadness = vulnerable, fragile = feminine weakness = must be denied, must be ‘masculine’ - hard, cold, strong, unbreakable.
• masculine = must remain unaffected and level headed, unless showing anger through violence
• Ender being male = ‘feminine’ emotions are suppressed = not be seen as breakable, weak, a target for ridicule.

Question 7

TS2

Answer 7

Ender = both masculine and feminine, yet his views on gender suggest he believes success is the result of suppressing femininity.

Question 8

Q2

Answer 8

“he could not cry…any sign of weakness would tell the Stilsons and Peters that this boy could be broken”

Question 9

AL3

Answer 9

• Both intelligent for their age, use powers of manipulation to control, persuade, and exploit others.
• Valentine - manipulating others by appealing to their positivity, flattery, what other like best about themselves = utilising feminine qualities of warmth, love, and kindness.
• Peter - manipulation by using a person’s negativity, what they hate about themselves, bullying them = displays masculine traits of aggression, violence, and ruthlessness.
• the way in which the act of manipulation is carried out is dependent on the gender of the character.

Question 10

Q3

Answer 10

Valentine - “she could convince them that they wanted what she wanted them to want. Peter, on the other hand, could only make them fear what he wanted them to fear”.

Question 11

TS3

Answer 11

relationship between Valentine and Peter = gender determines how traits are expressed, both genders possess same traits.

Question 12

CONCLUSION

Answer 12

• reword thesis.
• Valentine’s feminine softness with Ender + Peter’s masculine ruthlessness and manipulation + Ender’s need to be perceived as masculine and deny all feminine qualities in himself = shape the outcome of the final events of ‘Ender’s Game’.
• Using this understanding of the influence of gender on people in society, question if gender roles are harmless or if the restrictions are damaging.
• Does society truly need gender, something we cannot control, to have such a heavy influence on a person’s life?

Question 13

CONCLUDING STATEMENT

Answer 13

Does society truly need gender, something we cannot control, to have such a heavy influence on a person’s life?