Because I won't let them do it to me. I can't belive you haven't seen through all this crap yet, Ender. But I guess you're young. These other armies, they aren't the enemy. It's the teachers, they're the enemy. They get us to fight each other, to hate each other. The game is everything. Win, win, win. It amounts to nothing. We kill ourselves, go crazy trying to beat each other, and all the time the old bastards are watching us, studying us, discovering our weak points, deciding whether we're good enough or not. Well, good enough for what? I was six years old when they decided I was right for the program, but nobody ever asked if the program was right for me
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker argues that the real enemy is the system manipulating students into fighting each other.
- In plain terms
- The teachers control the game, not the other students.
- What can you take from it?
- Watch out for who benefits from your competition.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Who benefits from your competition?
- Is the game fair?
Another view
It assumes the speaker's view of reality is correct.
More from Orson Scott Card
Remember: the enemy's gate is down.
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