Hatrack River Forum: Ender's Series, Charactor names, meanings.

This is topic Ender's Series, Charactor names, meanings. in forum Discussions About Orson Scott Card at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Kcamsdog (Member # 6985) on :

I get the "Mother" Theresa and "Pope" John Paul references.

Valentine seems to be for love, of which she has and Ender has for her.

Ender's could be for the xenocide of the buggers or because he was the end of his parents having children, the last one. Andrew however I don't see.

Achilles, bad leg..and his role in always a pain and at the heels of bean.

Peter I also don't understand. If it is a biblical reference then I think to when I think peter denied knowing Jesus 3 times when jesus was to be persecuted, but i don't see how that could tie in.

Any other names or explantions? Any input is appreciated and a possible explanation by Orson Scott Card or a link to where there is one would be most excellent.

Thanks!

Posted by Sid Meier (Member # 6965) on :

Umm... read the introduction to Ender's Game. Card wrote that he wrote the book to be simple and understandable to everyone. But... to follow your line of though. Wasn't there a Peter who slew a dragon?

Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :

I think you're just reading too much into the names of the characters. OCS has repeatedly spoken against stories that aren't really stories, but a puzzle of symbolism to be deciphered by the reader.

His stories are about the stories he tells, and about the characters -- not about what they might symbolize.

Posted by Brian_Berlin (Member # 6900) on :

>>Wasn't there a Peter who slew a dragon?

Peter captured a wolf.
George killed the dragon.

Posted by St. Yogi (Member # 5974) on :

quote:
I think you're just reading too much into the names of the characters. OCS has repeatedly spoken against stories that aren't really stories, but a puzzle of symbolism to be deciphered by the reader.

His stories are about the stories he tells, and about the characters -- not about what they might symbolize.

No, he's said that you don't need to decipher the story to enjoy it but that the symbolism is still there.

Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :

Where has he said that there is symbolism in his stories? I don't believe he has.

But if I'm wrong, please show me that I'm wrong. [Smile]

Posted by AmryllisLorelei (Member # 6974) on :

Card himself said it, in the forward to one of the Ender books (I believe it was Ender's Game. The edition with the black spacelike cover and spacelike things on it. And now that the previous description has made me sound *extremely* intelligent, on with the comment [Smile]

) As I remember it, he said something along the lines of his stories were just stories, straightforward for the average reader, but that the classic literature stuff was there for those who wanted to look for it. Just my two cents. Or maybe it's three cents, since I did read that forward just under a month ago. I just remember something like that being in it. Have a good day!

Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :

I'm sorry, but if you want to convince me that I'm wrong, I'm going to need a quote. [Razz]

Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :

I don't remember reading it in my 9th edition preface, but it's five states away, so I can't exactly check. [Smile]

[ November 02, 2004, 02:32 PM: Message edited by: sarcasticmuppet ]

Posted by trance (Member # 6623) on :

I remember reading all that stuff at the beginning of an Ender's game book as well. What I remember is how Mr. Card explained that the story of Ender's game was something that he had wanted to do for quite a while but just couldn't keep the pen to the paper. Meanwhile he was securing a writing career by script writing and eventually he wrote up the short story of Ender's game and then made his long sought after dream of making it a full length novel. At the beginning of the novel he explained all this in greater detail than what I can currently remember and he also stated that the book can be enjoyed but for those who are into breaking down a book and searching for all the crap that literacy nuts look for, it's all in there. I remember him mentioning something like that. (Just not so ill manered as how I put it obviously!) And Mr. (something) hEaD-if you don't believe this, I'm sorry that I don't have a quote to prove it. But if you arn't as stubbern as you reveal yourself to be then maybe you can do some research and see for yourself that some of us are indeed correct. You'll get nowhere in life by having the answers thrown at you-it's best to look into things yourself and find out what's going on first hand. So I won't hand you a "Quote" nor will I bother looking for one though I know it's of no challenge to me but encourage you to find out for yourself. That's all I gotta say.

Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :

[ROFL]

quote:
But if you arn't as stubbern as you reveal yourself to be

Trust me -- I'm much more stubborn than I reveal myself to be. [Big Grin]

[ November 02, 2004, 05:17 PM: Message edited by: mr_porteiro_head ]

Posted by Sweet William (Member # 5212) on :

I don't know if this helps, from the Author's Definitive Edition, introduction, page xvi, fourth paragraph:

quote:

...I deliberately avoided all the little literary games and gimicks that make "fine" writing so impenetrable to the general audience. All the layers of meaning are there to be decoded, if you like to play the game of literary criticism--but if you don't care to play that game, that's fine with me. I designed Ender's Game to be as clear and accessible as any story of mine could possibly be....

Posted by cochick (Member # 6167) on :

I had a quick look in Uncle Orson's Writing Class to see if he had anything to say on this subject there and in "More in Naming Characters" he has this to say:

quote:
Within that system, I then choose names that will either suggest by sound or meaning something about a character. Of course, much depends on whether he chose the name himself, it was applied to him by others, or it was given with the normal randomness of naming, and whether it's a birth name or a nickname or an honorific, etc.

So yes he does often choose character names for what they will say about the person.

[ November 02, 2004, 08:19 PM: Message edited by: cochick ]

Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :

Sweet William (you know, it seems really odd to call a guy that), I stand corrected. Thank you for proving me wrong.

Posted by cochick (Member # 6167) on :

Hey, I helped prove you wrong mr-portiero-head - why don't I get some credit.

Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :

You are correct.

I was wrong.

Again.

*hangs head in shame*

Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :

quote:
Sweet William (you know, it seems really odd to call a guy that)

You'd feel more comfortable calling a girl Sweet William? [Razz]

Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :

Probably.

Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :

Maybe we've stumbled onto Porter's pet name for beverly?

Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :

Probably not.

Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :

[Big Grin]

Posted by trance (Member # 6623) on :

Hay, uh, Mr Portiero Head, sorry about the post I made. Just kinda venting, bad day....and I kinda got into the post while righting it. My bad.

Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :

That's OK.