posted
A few days ago, I bought a copy of the Author's Definative Edition of Ender's game (the oversized one) because my copy from the late 1980s was falling apart from overuse.
I'm still (re)reading it, but I noticed several things that made me doubletake. I think the new layout of the words has me paying closer attention as I go through it.
I thought I'd throw these out there for discussion. No one needs to tell me I'm being too nitpicky, I already realize that.
First, regards the use of the "n" word in the conversation between Ender and Alai. In the Q&A section of the website, OSC says that he changed the passage, (http://www.hatrack.com/research/questions/q0071.shtml) yet it's still in the copy I just bought. Is there a more definative edition out there? The section never bothered me, I'm more curious from a timeline standpoint of revisions.
Then, I thought I found a few small errors, but it might just be me putting my mental image onto characters.
In the beginning of Chapter 10, when Ender is getting promoted to commander of Dragon Army, it says, "...it was beyond hope for them to give him Phoeniz Army - no one ever succeeded to command of the same army he was in when he was promoted." Yet, toward the end of Chapter 9, it says, "Dink Meeker had finally accepted command and succeeded Rose the Nose in Rat Army's command."
I don't think Dink would have had time to go to another army and come back.
Also, when Alai finds Ender playing the children's games after the special practices are ended, Ender says, "I miss you already, you circumcised dog."
Obviously, it's not just jews who are circumcised, but in context, it seems like a followup reference to jews having the aura of being great military commanders.
Of course, Alai is Muslim, so in context, I'm not sure what to make of it. Is it a throwaway, or some deeper meaning?
Everything meant with greatest respect. Objectivity
Posts: 50 | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
I'm not sure about a deeper meaning in the circumsision reference, but as for the former concern, I always assumed that the teachers had to make an exception to get Dink to be a commander. He wasn't famous for trying to fit in
There is, however, one error that sticks out in my mind. I don't have the book in front of me, but in the Bonzo fight, Ender says that he's nine while Bonzo's thirteen. However, Ender was six when he entered Salamander, while Bonzo was 11 when he became commander and had clearly been in charge of his army for a good while already. So Bonzo managed to age two years, tops, while Ender aged two and a half, bare minimum.
(When I noticed that, I decided that I'd read the book too many times and read the others )
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posted
I always tried to figure out the number of army commanders graduated. Bean guesses the number correctly, but I've never figured out how it works mathematically. Posts: 1547 | Registered: Jan 2004
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posted
If I had my book with me, I'd check for sure. Does Bean say 7 or 9? Either way, I'm pretty sure Card was just wrong about it. *shrug* He's human Posts: 162 | Registered: Dec 2004
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posted
Midnight Blue brought up a good point. In Ender's Shadow, Bean guesses that the number of commanders who graduated was nine, and Itu agreed. He makes the guess based on every toon leader and assistant in Dragon Army being transferred to command.
Since most armies had four toons with a leader and an assistant, that would make sense, because four toons times two is eight, plus Bean in nine.
But Dragon had five toons, so the number should be 11. Five toons, times two, plus Bean.
At first, I thought nine was correct because Dragon and Rat would be the two armies that Bean wouldn't be counting as graduating commanders, but later, we're told Dragon was disbanded.
posted
Any age confusion you can just chalk it up to the kid not knowing for sure or getting it wrong. Since it’s the kid who is thinking, it’s not OSC who is wrong!
Posts: 2845 | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
Don't forget Bonzo and Ender... 13 graduated
Also, as far as the age thing, the back door out is that there's no official spoken graduating age. Yes, Graff refers to the fact that Bonzo's old enough but doesn't have the merit, but that doesn't explain the two-year discrepancy. Not many people of Ender's intelligence mess up age by two years, especially in that situation
However, the battle that Ender saves is against Leopard Army, led by Pol Slattery. The battle in which Badger Army does not stay frozen unless completely frozen is against Pol Slattery's Badger Army. Now, I knog Pol Slattery is a common name, but didn't Ender, when he's describing his squadron leaders, also list him with the best of Battle School who fought with and against him? You'd think he'd have the skill to be graduated by then Posts: 162 | Registered: Dec 2004
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quote: Don't forget Bonzo and Ender... 13 graduated
No, Bonzo was mentioned at the beginning of the discussion between Bean and Itu, and would have been counted in the total, and Ender's graduation hadn't been announced yet.
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