Is Battle School a Fake?

In Chapter 8, Dink reveals his idea to Ender about a conspiracy in Battle School. Dink tells Ender that there is really no buggers and that the I.F. only pretend there are buggers to stay in power. He is saying that the Battle School teachers are "just screwing around" with the kids there. Dink claims that the buggers are gone forever. He is appalled Ender still believes that he is there to save the world. Ender does not fully believe this theory because he knows lies don't last long in America. Therefore, Ender keeps a seed of doubt against Dink's theory. I do not think Dink is correct. One thing that he said to convince Ender that there was a conspiracy is, "If the buggers were coming back to get us they'd be here." (110). Although this may be true, the buggers might be biding their time and preparing a larger army. Also, Ender is a brilliant child and I feel that he is right in having a little bit of doubt in the back of his head. Throughout the book Ender will, most likely, closely observe everything happening at Battle School and try to figure out the truth. I think he will eventually succeed.

Ender's Game Chapters 6-8

In the next two chapters of Ender's Game, Ender is just starting to get the hang of Battle School. I think one very interesting thing we learn in these chapters is that Ender is only going through Battle School so that buggers won't kill Valentine. This shows how much Ender cares about Valentine and that he doesn't really want to be at Battle School. In this chapter, Ender shows his tactical genius side once again, by outsmarting just about every army commander. We also meet Bonzo in this chapter. The interactions between Bonzo and Ender are another thing that fascinated me. Bonzo seems to be a very incompetent leader and Ender knows it. When Ender stands up to Bonzo about letting Ender practice with the other Launchies, Ender shows an unmatched confidence. What I didn't understand is that Ender was respectful of Bonzo's leadership and pretended that he had lost the argument,     so that he did not weaken Bonzo's control of the Salamander Army. Ender did this even though he did not think Bonzo was a good commander, at all. I guess this might be part of Valentine coming out in Ender.

Ender's Game Chapters 4-6

In the next couple chapters of Ender's Game, a lot happens. In chapters 4-6 we see how smart Ender really is. Ender showed this by breaking into the desk's security system and showing the ability to double large numbers in his head. We also see how Ender really is a tactical genius when he easily beats one of the older kids at a game they play. When Ender breaks a kid's arm on the shuttle, I think he fears he is becoming more and more like Peter and doesn't like it. There are also many scenes where Ender thinks about his family and misses them. When he is eating lunch by himself he imagines his parents and siblings eating with him. Ender thinks to himself that he is stupid for coming to Battle School and that he should have stayed home. I think this uncertainty about his decision may prove to be a flaw in his training, later in the book.

Ender's Game Chapters 1-4

I have just started reading Ender's Game. So far, it has been an interesting book. Because of the way Ender acts and talks in the very beginning of the book, I was surprised to learn that he is only six years old. He seemed much older to me. Although not much is explained in the first couple chapters, I still really enjoy this book. It appears that most families choose to have only two children or are not allowed to have more than two children, so it seems as if the population of this time and place is trying to be controlled. Ender is one of a small amount of exceptions of this two children rule. He is called a Third and is not as accepted as the other kids. In this time period every child born has a monitor implanted into them. This monitor is used to see if the child has the potential to go to Battle School. Since Ender's brother and sister showed promise of going to Battle School, his parents were allowed to have a third child. Ender's brother acts as if he is very jealous of Ender and seems to not like being in Ender's shadow. I assumed that Ender's sister would act the same way, but I was mistaken. His sister acts lovingly towards Ender and doesn't like the way Ender's brother treats Ender.

Reflection on TKAM movie PART 3

In response to your comment on my previous post, I think I would have kept in the scene when Ms. Maudie's house burns down and the scene when Jem and Scout have to read to Ms. Dubose. In the scene with the fire burning down Ms. Maudie's house, Boo Radley shows up. Apart from the end of the book, this is the only scene where we see Boo Radley's kindness. It is an important part of the plot, because the children describe Boo as a very  nasty person, when in reality he is kind. When Jem and Scout read to Ms. Dubose and we find out she had a drug addiction, two big things happen. One is that Jem is taking another step to becoming a man. Another is that we realize how understanding and considerate Atticus is. He says that she is the bravest person he has ever met, because he knows the trouble she is going through. Although I would have liked these two scenes in the movie, they didn't really make a huge impact on the plot. Overall, this movie was a great interpretation of the book and I really enjoyed it.

Reflection on TKAM movie PART 2

I think all the actors in this movie do a good job of displaying the emotions of the characters described in the book. When Mayella is at the witness stand in court she looks very nervous and you can tell that she is lying. It also shows Atticus' certainty and conviction toward the Ewells. Also, when Atticus stares down Mr. Ewell after Mr. Ewell had spit in Atticus' face, you could clearly see the fear in Mr. Ewell's eyes. 

It was interesting to see that the movie completely cuts Dolphus Raymond out. I thought he was a good character to use to explain to Dill, Jem, and Scout how most of the citizens of Maycomb County thought and acted. I believe it was a good idea to not put Aunt Alexandra in the movie. She added very little to the main plot and was not needed. Another thing I thought was interesting was the fact that the movie gets straight to Tom's death directly after the trial. Overall, this movie does an exceptional job cutting out what should be left out and leaving in parts that are crucial to the plot. 

Reflection on TKAM movie

In the To Kill a Mockingbird movie, I think Atticus Finch is portrayed perfectly as he is described in the book. You can tell that he is confident, wise, and considerate of most, if not all, of the people in Maycomb County. During the trial, I could see that Atticus was thinking hard and trying to piece all the evidence together. Scout is also a very accurate character. Her curiosity and innocence is conveyed perfectly.
The movie's plot is fairly different than the book so far. The movie, for the most part, cuts out unimportant parts that were present in the book. One part of the book that I believe was important that was omitted from the movie, is the scene with Ms. Dubose and her drug addiction. This scene shows why Ms. Dubose was always so cranky and shows the reader how compassionate and understanding Atticus really is. It also seemed as if it was a big part in Jem growing up. Other than that, the movie has been exceptional.