OSC: Redefining Science Fiction
Science fiction authors produce "Star Wars" like
novels with no depth or philosophical meaning. Orson Scott Card
differs from this stereotype. Although he creates novels that
appeal to a wide audience using the usual science fiction appeal,
Card uses his novels to weave in his own religious and philosophical
beliefs. The teachings from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints provides the basis for the beliefs portrayed in his novels
(Collings, "Approach"). Although the problems the characters
face are fictional, they tackle real moral dilemmas (Mallory,
OSC). Card's books Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead deal
with issues of good and evil, ruthlessness and compassion, the
cycle of sin, guilt and redemption, and the damaging effect of
lies.
I:Cycle
Ender's Game is the source of all of Ender's sins for which
he later searches for repentance. The brutal tactics that he adopts,
and the "Xenocide" (term used in his novels meaning
the genocide of a foreign people) of an entire race heave Ender
into an inner struggle to reconcile his role as a "military
savior". Although in comparison, Game has less depth than
Speaker, Game still contains more underlying issues than most
other science fiction novels.
Ender's inner struggle is dealing with guilt that his actions
have caused. Although Ender was regarded as a savior for the destruction
of the bugger home world, he feels he is the greatest criminal
ever known, and has become even more ruthless and violent like
his brother, Peter. With the creation of his book entitled "Hive
Queen and the Hegemond", he proclaims himself a villain,
to the very people who tried to make him a hero. Ender then retreats
from the rest of humanity because he believes himself to be unworthy
of them ("Response").
The second book of the series, Speaker for the Dead begins here.
Speaker is a completely different book than its predecessor. Speaker
takes Ender through more of a spiritual and psychological journey
rather than a mainly physical one (Susan, SD). It rejects almost
everything that made the original so popular, lacking the action
filled, fast paced plot. Speaker transcends Game, dealing with
moral dilemmas, with the heart of the book not found in the plot,
but in the ideas that surface through the character's dialogue
and thought (Susan, SD). It is geared toward a more mature audience
who can relate to the isolation, the helplessness, and terrible
guilt that Ender felt ("Response"). Although Card has
adopted Mormonism, who's views on redemption are very close-minded,
his underlying theme that redemption, for even the highest of
sins, is possible renounces this aspect of Mormon beliefs. While
the term "guilt" is rarely used within this novel, it
is apparent that all of Ender's actions, since his military career,
are an attempt to find a way to live with himself (Collings, "Approach").
Card portrays the evolution of Ender, which is fueled by his seek
for atonement, resulting in a wiser, humbler, and more endearing
character.
II: Good vs. Evil
Card deals with the symbolism of good and evil in a somewhat
polarized way within Ender's Game. Ender represents all that is
good, and his older brother, Peter, represents all that is evil.
It is one of Card's most simplistic themes as well as one of the
most evident to the reader.
Ender is filled with remorse for any problems he causes and always
takes full responsibility for his actions and searches for a way
to correct them. After learning that he was responsible for the
Xenocide of the buggers, he takes it upon himself to reestablish
their race to correct what he had done. He is forgiving to anyone
who has acted against him because he is able to understand their
situation. When Colonial Rackham reveals that he has been manipulating
him in order to gain a military victory, Ender realizes that Rackham
was only doing what had to be done (Card, "Ender").
Ender is good because he seeks out other's problems and attempts
to remedy them. He discovers a family plagued with lies and reveals
the truth (Card, "Speaker"), thus solving their family's
problems. Although Ender is not without sin, he represents the
best any person could do, given the circumstances of life.
Ender's older brother, Peter, is the symbol of all that is evil.
He is violent, manipulative, and power hungry. He threatens to
kill Ender and his younger sister, Valentine (Card, "Ender").
Upon realizing that he would need Valentine's assistance in his
strive for power, he pretends to befriend her. He uses Valentine's
skill at oration to convince people of his views. Peter toys with
people's emotions, and uses their fears in order to gain their
support. He blames certain sects for the worlds problems and gains
support using this tactic. As chancellor of earth he secures his
power under a reign of fear (Card, "Ender").
III:Lies
Card expresses his firm stance on lies and secrets within
his books. To many people, lying or withholding information is
sometimes necessary or beneficial. "White" lies are
commonly used in order to spare another person's feelings, or
to protect their best interest. Card's views that are portrayed
through his novels are exactly the opposite. He shows that all
lies and secrets have damaging effects on people in the long run.
In Ender's Game, the military lies to Ender about the true nature
of what he is doing in his war simulations (Card, "Ender").
They believe that the human race depends on Ender's destruction
of the buggers. It is decided not to tell Ender what he is doing,
believing his emotions would keep him from doing what he had to
do. Ender was informed that the last simulation he had played
was not a simulation at all. He had destroyed the bugger home
world. As a result, Ender is emotionally scarred when he learns
that the buggers had regretted their attacks, and their destruction
was not necessary. If the military had told Ender what he was
doing, he could never have done it. The buggers would still be
alive, and living in peace with the rest of humanity. In Speaker
for the Dead, Ender discovers a family with painful, deep secrets.
Although the lies and secrets the mother created were with the
best of intentions, they damaged the family and resulted in her
marring a violent, abusive husband. The husband is sterile due
to a disease that runs in his family (Card, "Speaker").
Her children were all born through adultery, of the man she wanted
but could not marry because of her lies. Ender assumes the role
of a "Speaker for the Dead", one who speaks the truth
of someone's life after they are diseased. Upon the death of the
husband, Ender decides to "speak" his death. He uncovers
the lies that the mother had told and the secrets she kept. At
first the family is thrown into disarray, but after time, the
uncovered lies heal the family. Using both books as a reference,
Card's exact philosophy on lies is uncovered: whether or not with
the best of intentions, individuals hurt both themselves and those
they love by not being truthful.
IV: Ruthlessness and Compassion
Ruthlessness and compassion are conflicting themes in Card's
novels (Swann). Compassion is a defining trait of Ender. His compassion
prevents him from becoming either a power hungry creature like
Peter, or a killing machine. His compassion is contagious to those
around him. His instructors, who have shown nothing but brutality,
evolve due to their proximity to Ender. Ender's compassion is
what allows him to correct the mistakes he, and others have made.
Ruthlessness is controlled by his compassion (Swann). Ender only
resulted to violence when there was no other option. Bozo and
Staleson's fatal confrontation with Ender was a last resort and
had meant to be avoided. Peter is the only character in the book
that is purely ruthless. Ender is able to contain this using his
compassion and understanding. If it had not been for Ender's compassion
there would be a second Xenocide on the colony of Lustina.
V: Suffering
Similar to many novels, characters in the fiction of Card
endure suffering. Card differs from many of these novels by creating
the problems solely around a certain group of people which is
not determined by race, creed, or gender, but by intellect. Only
the best and the brightest endure the real suffering. The "less
gifted" characters only suffer the shockwave of the problems
directly aimed at brilliant. Ender is portrayed as the single,
most gifted character in the book. He suffers because he is either
obligated, or forced into problems because he is only one who
can solve them. Ender was born a Third, a child monitored by the
government for possible elite military training (Card, "Ender").
The gifted children who had been selected suffered from isolation
by their peers, and were later separated from their families.
Once Ender destroyed the bugger home world, and wrote the "Hive
Queen and the Hegemond" (Card, "Ender"), all of
humanity suffered the guilt of his actions. While humanity felt
only indirectly responsible for the destruction, Ender took the
full burden of knowing he was completely responsible for what
he had done. In the second book of the Ender series, Speaker for
the Dead, problems and suffering, still target the most distinguished
individuals. During a plague that struck the colony of Lutinia,
the parents of an elite family of researchers, who traveled to
the planet in order to devise a cure, are able to synthesize an
antidote on the day they died of the same disease (Card, "Speaker").
Their daughter, Novhina, is the only surviving member of the family.
She is left isolated because of her intelligence, and suffers
their loses. The day that her parents died becomes a yearly celebration
that marks the day that the plague was defeated (Card, "Speaker").
While the whole town is rejoicing, Novhina mourns the death of
her parents. The most direct relationship between the gifted and
suffering is found in the practices of the alien race known as
the "piggies". Within their culture, it is required
that anyone who makes a profound contribution to society, must
be "honored". In order to "honor" this individual,
he is bolted to the ground, cut across the chest; his still functioning
organs are taken from his body and placed beside him.
VI: Religion
Religion is undoubtable one of Card's biggest themes. Most of
his other themes revolve around Religion. The cycle of sin, guilt,
and redemption probably sticks out the most. The suffering of
his characters is usually ended either when a truth is uncovered
or through their faith. Card does not simply state that religion
can solve problems. He attempts to tackle a larger question: Where
should one's loyalties stand when religion and government come
into conflict? Cards belief is clear regarding this dilemma. It
is conveyed in Speaker for the Dead where this same question is
asked. On the colony of Lustinia, government interaction clearly
violates the wishes of the church (Card, "Speaker").
To act in accordance with the government would be a renouncement
of their faith. To side with the church would be treason, a crime
punishable by death. The citizens of Lustinia decided with little
hesitation to support their church, and openly defy the government.
Card portrays Ender as a parallel to Jesus Christ (Collings,
"Image"). According to Mormon religion Christ is to
be a mediator between men and God the Father. Like Christ, Ender
acts as a mediator between the human race and the higher alien
beings (Collings, "Image"). Christ is to be the only
savior. It is through Christ that Mormons can reach the Celestial
Kingdom. By sacrificing his life in the crucifixion, Christ provided
the way for man to save themselves. Ender sacrificed his conciance,
and the lives of an alien race in order to save humanity (Mallory,
OSC). Many people followed Christ's teachings, but only twelve
men became the closest and most loyal to Christ before his crucifixion.
In the battle to save humanity, Ender is accompanied by twelve
of his closest friends. Like the emmortal Christ, Ender has lived
for over three thousand years (Collings, "Image"). The
similarities between Christ and Ender show that Card created his
character to be a symbol of God.
VII: Societal Flaws
Some of Card's beliefs that are portrayed in his books serve
as a warning to readers. The main influence on his work is that
he is dismayed, annoyed, or ashamed of most of the current trends
in American culture (Influence, Porschet). Current aspects of
our culture are portrayed years into the future. What we see to
be normal aspects of life evolve over the years in between the
time his books was written, and when they take place. Over one
thousand years consist of this time gap. Card predicts the evolution
of our society using basic trends that humanity has already followed.
Video games are a basic creed of todays youth. It is well known
that these games are becoming increasingly violent. Card takes
us a thousand years into the future where video games are used
for military training. His character, Ender, is recruited for
elite military training in order to save humanity from destruction.
The men training Ender realize that he is too compassionate to
preform the task at hand. To make Ender capable of destroying
the buggers, much of his compassion must be replaced by ruthlessness.
To do this, the military trains Ender through a series of video
games. These "role-playing" simulations deliver problems
and obstacles that Ender must defeat. The solution to all but
one of the situations is a specific violent action. When the correct
action is not taken, Ender is forced to repeat the same scenario.
By repeatedly enforcing that violence is the answer, their aim
is to pass this belief on to Ender.
Our political leaders are usually brought to power by wining
over the support of the people. Although leaders mainly gain this
support with new ideas, charisma, and by endorsing favorable policies,
our history has proven that many have come into power using more
corrupt methods. Less than sixty-five years ago, two men were
able too assume complete control of Germany and Italy. These men
assumed their power through the use of political propaganda and
by creating a common enemy to the state. From the actions of two
people, a world war was started. If this has happened before,
what actions have been taken to ensure it wont happen again? A
thousand years later, in the eyes of Card, one man is able to
assume complete control of earth using these corrupt tactics.
Peter, Ender's older brother, decides at a young age that he is
destined for power. Peter begins to create a following of supporters
by blaming the Russians to be the volatile link that will ensure
the collapse of peace. His views are spread through the internet
and the response to his writings is immediate (Card, "Ender").
By creating a common enemy to the state, Peter acquires a unified
support base that will eventually lead him to power. As chancellor,
Peter heads a harsh dictatorship, eliminating all who oppose him
through the use of "scare tactics".
Card's warning is clear. Humanity must correct it's faults now.
If not acted upon, these problems will evolve until their consequences
can not be ignored. Cards theme regarding video games should not
be interpreted to narrowly. It is not his main intention to warn
society about the dangers of violence in games, rather to provide
an example of how society's flaws will evolve.
Conclusion
Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead are both very enjoyable
books to read. They contain many underlying themes that express
Card's views on a variety of subjects all revolving around religion
and understanding. The cycle of sin, guilt, and redemption portrayed
in his books stress that salvation is always possible, regardless
of the action. Good and evil, and ruthlessness and compassion
are seen as contesting entities that are within every person.
What separates us from one another is the balance we find between
them. Card indirectly shares his philosophy on lies within the
book. If every lie that is told among the characters was compiled
into two lists, one containing the lies that motivated by greed,
hatred, and envy, the other containing the lies told with good
intentions, Card's belief would be uncovered: no matter what the
motive, any lie that is told hurts those who create it, those
it is told to, and anyone who is even indirectly connected to
it's effects. Although, Card's books clearly depict that the majority
of suffering is held by the best and brightest, it is hard to
say whether this is a belief he holds to be true. Card's other
themes are regarded as his beliefs, because they have been shown
within both his fiction novels, and personal statements. The examples
that show suffering is aimed directly at the best humanity has
to offer, could simply be a coincidence, and not a belief held
by Card. This is possible because the book revolves around Ender,
the single most gifted human in the universe, who is dealing with
problems that require the interaction with the best people from
various fields. The example regarding the culture of the piggies
is much too blatant to hold a true belief behind it. All of his
other themes, which he supports, are not directly exposed. If
the "piggy" example was used in order to portray his
idea, he would be basically saying that our society draws some
parallel to the piggies philosophy: if your smart, your going
to get gutted alive. Another example that would weaken the argument
that this theme holds true to Card's beliefs is the evidence within
his books that enduring hardships creates a stronger person. An
example of this would be Ender overcoming his guilt. Through this
guilt, Ender became a stronger person. It seems unlikely that
Card would believe that both overcoming hardships creates a stronger
person, and that strong people, many of whom were singled out
as "gifted" from birth, endure the most hardships. Aside
from this reoccurring issue, most themes found within Card's novels
can be taken as one of his beliefs. The reader can make this assumption
because of Cards motivation to write his books. Card does not
write with intent of simply telling a story, he writes to convey
his beliefs, using his stories as nothing more than a way to share
them. Intentional or not, art always carries a message. Good artists
sustain that which is good through there art. Art that is destructive
to the values of society deserve no privilege or protection within
that society (Beliefs, Card).
Works Cited
Card, Orson Scott. Ender's Game. New York: TOR Books, 1985.
Card, Orson Scott. Speaker for the Dead. New York: TOR Books, 1986.
"Response" Fantasy Review. June 1987: 13-44, 49-52
Collings, Michael R. "An Approach to Mythopoeic Fiction" Dr. Michael R. Collings Director of Creative Writing. 1995. 27 April 2003 <http://Arachnid.pepperdine.edu/humteachered/faculty/collings/myth.html>
Collings, Michael R. In the Image of God: Theme, Characterization, and Landscape in the Fiction of Orson Scott Card. Greenwood Publishing Group, May 1990
Swann, Christopher, "Orson Scott Card: Overview." Contemporary Popular Writers, Literature Resource Center. Gale Group. 29 April 2003 <http://www.galenet.com/servlet/LitRC?locID=beth42944>
Porschet, Martha. "What Influences this Science Fiction
Writer." Hatrack River. 29 April 2003
<http://www.hatrack.com/research/student-papers/porschet.shtml>
Susan. SFFWorld. 2002. 28 April 2003 <www.sffworld.com/authors/c/card_orson_scott/reviews/speakerforthedead.html>
Mallory, Logan. "Religious Parallels in the Writings of
Orson Scott Card" Hatrack River.
2002. 22 May 2003.
<http://www.hatrack.com/research/student-papers/logan-mallory.shtml>
Card, Orson Scott. "Statement of Belief" Hatrack River. 2003. 22 May 2003 <http://www.hatrack.com/research/beliefs.shtml>