Symbolism In Ender's Game

The Ender of the Games
A symbol is a thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract (Dictionary.com). Symbolism in literature is commonly used as a means by the author to change or deepen the meaning of the text. This forces the readers to think and make connections that lead to the creation of a new meaning to the story. As any novel that has been the holder of numerous awards, Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card, is loaded with various symbols that assist us in interpreting the book and understanding the characters from different perspectives. The symbols all help us interpret things helps us identify manipulation as a commonly recurring theme in this novel.
One of the first things noted when reading this book was the peculiarity of the protagonist’s name–Ender. When Ender is traveling on a spaceship to Battle School, Colonel Graff addresses Ender as ‘Ender’
The mind game was yet only another way of manipulating Ender’s mind, teaching him that he should never trust anybody. Ender heads towards a castle when he passes a playground with young children playing in it. At first the children ignore Ender, and then when they begin to taunt him, he becomes angry and walks away. Suddenly, the children who were playing on the playground turn into wolves and kill him. This is symbolic of how no one is trustworthy in the eyes of Ender Wiggin, even innocent children. The mind game was yet only another way of manipulating Ender’s mind, teaching him that he should never trust anybody. This also seems to be foreshadowing how Ender will be forced to forget his sympathy and kindness when he fights against the children in other armies. The mind game was yet only another way of manipulating Ender’s mind, teaching him that he should never trust