I recently read Stone Tables and I was struck by how Ender's life seemed to relate to Moses'.
Both are forbidden children, taken away by the government that forbade them, and made to be great soldiers by that government. Both have two older siblings who live in their shadows, with the eldest one, a male, being resentful about it. The parallels in personality of Aaron, Miriam, and Moses with Peter, Valentine, and Ender are striking as well. Both go into exile and return revive the people/species that the government had made them oppress/destroy.
Because Card wrote the play Stone Tables before Ender's Game(I think), it would seem that Ender's Game is partially allegorical of the Exodus story. Of course, allegorical may be the wrong word. As Tolkien says, it is more likely that Ender's Game is highly applicable of the Exodus story. I wonder, though, if Ender's Game is an intentional retelling of the Exodus story in science fiction.
Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
No allegory. The "portentous birth" myth is a cultural universal - every culture has myths about some heroic figure or other who follow such patterns. Ender is equally based on Mormon from the book of Mormon - meaning not at all, consciously, but there are parallels if you want to find them.
Posted by Obi-Zahn Kenobi (Member # 8036) on :
Another one bites the dust.
I guess I'm just a victim of high applicability/coincidence.
Posted by Occasional (Member # 5860) on :
I don't really see the whole Mormon thing. I suppose he wrote a book about a destroyed civilization in hopes of reviving it, and saving those who caused the genocide. Other than that, I don't see what the similarities might be. From what I have hear (as I have never read the book myself) "Hot Sleep" is closer to the Mormon/Moroni paradigm.
Posted by alluvion (Member # 7462) on :
*thunk*
Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
No, the similarity with Mormon is that he was made leader of his people's army at the ripe age of ... 16, was it? A child general, like Alexander. So ... similar to Ender that way.
And remember, Ender ALSO wrote a book that was a record of a destroyed people. Even though none of this was in my mind as I wrote EG, you can find such similarities and make much of them - and I think that's a legitimate game to play, especially if you're trying to get a grade for an English class. As long as you don't assume conscious intention on the part of the author, cause it just isn't there. But since it was a motif available in the author's culture, it's fair game and go for it.
Posted by mothertree (Member # 4999) on :
I just realized I don't feel like I know Mormon that well, even though he put together the Book of Mormon. And there are a lot of parts where he is recounting what is happening, though it kind of melds in with what is being said.
One time I wondered whether he could have been the one speaking in the "O that I were an Angel" psalm, though closer inspection revealed that it was... whoever it turned out to be. I'm up too late again.
I guess his ability to disappear into the narrative could be similar to Ender's empathetic quality.