Hatrack River Forum: Another connection between Ender and Novinha?

This is topic Another connection between Ender and Novinha? in forum Discussions About Orson Scott Card at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Julie (Member # 5580) on :

I was sitting at my soccer game yesterday when a connection between EG and SftD hit me. There are almost parallel cases between Ender and Novinha. There is a point during Ender's training when he becomes almost unable to maintain friendly relationships. That isn't the new revelation. During one of his evening practices Shen comes up behind Alai and shouts "Nova! Nova! Nova!" and the two laugh together. Once they realize Ender is there they stop laughing and apologize. Why? Because they no longer see Ender as someone with whom they can have a relationship with away from work. What I realized yesterday was that something similar happens to Novinha. When Ender first shows up in her house Miro and Ela started laughing at one point and she realized that they hadn't laughed where she could hear it in years because they no longer saw her as someone they could joke around or have fun with. There are parts of Ender's and Novinha's personalities that are obviously and purposely similar, but does anyone have an opinion as to whether these specific encounters correspond intentionally or if this connection is a stretch?

-Julie

Posted by Beren One Hand (Member # 3403) on :

I think you've made a good observation. Both Ender and Novinha are outcasts because their burdens would not allow them to interact normally with other groups.

Being an outcast means people will stop talking/laughing when you enter the room. So it is natural that both Ender and Novinha would have similar experiences.

Posted by Gosu (Member # 5783) on :

Baron I'm afraid you're wrong. Being an outcast means that people will start talking and laughing once you come 'into the room.' Think about it. If I were unpopular and a more unpopular kid came into the same room, would it be easier for me to become closer to the social group around me? And also, what you said about people becoming socially inactive is correct, but instead of being an outcast, you must be feared; people will either cease to socialize, or become extremely socialized.

[ October 08, 2003, 03:03 PM: Message edited by: Gosu ]

Posted by wieczorek (Member # 5565) on :

Julie, I assume (although I can't be sure [Wink]

) that these two ideas were not purposefully meant to connect. I'm sure that they were purposefully made to give the idea of Ender (in EG) being estranged and Novinha (in SftD) to be estranged from people who they both had loved at one time. But I'm not sure that OSC meant was thinking about making a connection with Ender's situation 3,000+ years in the past when he wrote about Novinha's situation. However, I hadn't thought of that connection and it makes sense to me. [Smile]

Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :

I'm fairly certain they were. OSC has said multiple times that his works are written so that they could be understood both with and without literary analysis.

Posted by wieczorek (Member # 5565) on :

yes, there seems to be plenty or analysis around here [Big Grin]

Posted by Beren One Hand (Member # 3403) on :

Welcome to Hatrack Gosu! [Smile]

quote:
Think about it. If I were unpopular and a more unpopular kid came into the same room, would it be easier for me to become closer to the social group around me?

I think your analysis is correct if we are talking about high school cliques, where the cool people attempt to gain prestige by mistreating the outcasts. (see e.g. all teen movies in the 80s). [Smile]

But that is not the case here. Ender was excluded from Shen and Alai because of his new leadership position and his obvious genius made them uncomfortable, not because Shen and Alai want to exclude Ender to enhance their own prestige. In Novinha's situation, Miro and Ela excluded Novinha because she always intentionally kept them at an emotional distance.