Ch.8- Ender's Game

      In this chapter, Ender finally gets his chance to fight in an actual battle and does not have to just stand there and watch.  Ender is a classic example of how hard work does indeed pay off.  Dink Meeker, a toon leader for the Rat army, has watched Ender practicing with the Launchies and then asked Rose to get Ender for him.  Also, Ender's feet-first attack position is new to Dink's toon, but they soon realize how advantageous it is.  Dink was the one who asked Ender to show this to his toon and made sure they kept practicing it.  I think that Ender should be happy and I find it impressive that Dink likes Ender's idea this much.  In Ender's first battle, Rose forces him to commit suicide by just running towards the enemy door once the battle begins.  However, I found it interesting how Ender turned that from horrible to actually be a great move.  He was able to surprise the opponents and shoot about ten of them, freezing three.  Later in the chapter, Dink and Ender have a pretty intriguing conversation about the teachers and Dink turning down the chance to become commander.  Again, Ender, even though he does not seem to like it, is becoming more like Peter.  Ender thinks that he is a killer and hates this.  In his fantasy game, when Ender looks in the mirror, it shows Peter with blood on his chin and a snake hanging out of the corner of his mouth.  Beforehand, he had caused some older boys a broken nose and a torn ear.  However, looking at this differently, Ender did show some skill when he defeated a few of the older boys on his own.

Ender's Game- Chapter 7

     Chapter seven of Ender's Game explains Ender's transfer to Salamander Army and how he deals with Bonzo Madrid and the soldiers.  Ender is very upset that this has happened to him and it is right when "things were finally coming together." (Card 69)  When Ender goes back to playing Giant's Drink, at one point he is at a playground and the children are laughing at him.  Also, further in the game he is attacked by wolves with human faces.  This symbolizes how things are going to be with the Salamander army.  He is going to feel like an outcast and not be treated seriously.  When he enters the army barrack, he pictures the laughing soldiers as the wolves with "...teeth pointed for tearing." (Card 76)  However, I like how Ender takes it upon himself to get better since Bonzo does not let him participate in the practices.  He also receives help from Petra, who is the only Salamander soldier to act kindly towards Ender.  I agree with his idea to practice with the Launchies on his own time so that he can improve and still spend time with his former friends.  Clearly, Ender is not happy that Bonzo does not include him, but he does agree with Bonzo in that he is not ready.  However, he has already learned new things he can do in the battleroom.  Also, he figured out ways to disrupt Bonzo's formation, which make perfect sense.  I do not understand why the administrators chose the time when all the Launchies were getting along to transfer Ender.  It is surprising when Bonzo does not thank Ender for saving his team in the battle against the Leopard Army.  Instead he beats up Ender and gets mad at him.  It seems that the people in the Salamander barracks realize this and say that Bonzo is destroying discipline.  I especially like what Ender says at the end of the chapter, "He didn't plan to get vengeance on Bonzo for hitting him.  But he did intend that no one would be able to do that to him again." (Card 96)  He is showing that he will not take any rude statements made to him and will not let anyone beat him up anymore.

Ender's game- Ch. 6

         This chapter was great in explaining the battleroom and how the kids responded to being in it.  Ender was the first person to leave the handholds and start soaring through the air.  All the other boys stayed holding onto the handholds until some eventually did leave.  Except for the boys who left after Ender, the other boys did not work on controlling their drifting.  Ender was able to figure out before everyone how to use his feet to control the rebound angle.  The only other boy that showed good maneuvering skills in the battleroom was Alai, Bernard's best friend.  Basically, this is showing again how Ender can quickly realize how to do things.  Another example was when he learned by himself what the two buttons on the gun near his thumb were used for.  I liked how Ender becomes friends with Alai even though he knows Alai is best friends with Bernard.  Also, I liked when Ender said that Alai was the bridge between Bernard and Ender's different groups.  As we have already learned, Ender continuously shows his intelligence at the Battle School.  He does it again in chapter six when he defeats the Giant in Giant's Drink, which is extremely difficult to defeat, almost impossible.  At the end, I'm not sure if Ender is mad that he killed the giant.  He also says, "Peter would be proud of me," (Card 65) which I do not know if he is saying this as a good or bad thing.  In my opinion, he says this to be a bad thing because Ender "...hadn't meant to kill the Giant," and he states, "I'm a murderer, even when I play." (Card 65)

Ch. 5 of Ender's Game

     Chapter five of this novel includes Ender's settlement into Battle School and how he handles the beginning struggles of it.  Ender once again exhibits his intelligence by beating a bigger kid at one of the games as well as hacking the security and sending false messages.  I also found it interesting how quickly and easily Ender was able to figure out the game, which the older kids played and he knew nothing about.  I believe this manifests Ender's future success in Battle School.  With his intelligence and ability to comprehend things he has not learned yet on his own, he will prove to be very successful in this school.  One major problem Ender faces is the bullying from Bernard and his group.  Bernard can be considered as the Peter or Stilson of Battle School.  However, I feel Ender came up with a smart way of handling this problem with Bernard.  He used the idea of sending false messages to everyone in their dormitory to hurt Bernard.  This way he gets rid of the problem without physically injuring Bernard.  Also, what Ender does will end his isolation at the end of the chapter.  Another issue that Ender experiences is the sadness of being away from home.  I found it interesting that even though Ender dislikes Peter, he thanks him at the Battle School.  This is because from all the cruelty Peter has given Ender, he has been able to hide his tears and what he feels.  Thus, Ender says, "more than ever, I need that now." (Card 45)  I also liked how Ender is able to beat the isolation that was sort of forced upon him by the administrators.

Ch. 3 and 4

      Chapters three and four focus on Ender's decision to go to Battle School and what happens on the shuttle, including the launch.  Peter again shows his jealousy towards Ender in chapter three.  When Colonel Graff comes to the Wiggins' house, Valentine looks at Ender, thinking Graff came for Ender.  This hurts Peter's feelings and thus, he acts rudely.  Also, I think it is strange that they call Ender, who is a third child, a Third.  I felt that is was sad when Graff told Ender that no one wants a Third and his parents will not miss him long.  By saying this, I think he was trying to force Ender to come with him.  Ender thinks he is becoming more like Peter and definitely does not want to be like him.  After Ender hurts the boy on the shuttle, he says, "I am Peter.  I'm just like him." (Card 33)  He "...hated himself," (Card 33) for acting like his older brother.  I found it interesting that Graff keeps on favoring Ender, even after he knows that the boy hit Ender on the head several times before.  It is almost as if he wants the boys to hate Ender.  Ender's character is pretty awesome.  I like how he is able to manage his own problems.  I also like Graff's character because he acts nicely towards Ender.  Also, I find it interesting how he purposely puts Ender into difficult situations.  I am not sure if this is good or bad for Ender, but I'm leaning towards it being good.

Ender's Game- Ch. 1 and 2

       Chapters one and two of Ender's Game were interesting.  These chapters consisted mainly of how Ender copes with losing his monitor.  Peter, Ender's older brother, seems jealous that Ender kept his monitor longer.  Also, I feel, he is sort of a weird character because of how he beats up his little brother and then laughs and says it was just a game.  At first, the reader thinks he is a cruel person.  However, towards the end, he tells Ender that he is sorry, he knows how it feels, and that he loves him.  This shows a compassionate side to Peter.  I found it strange that the government had to put monitors on kids and by doing this could feel their expressions.  They could tell if Ender felt pain, could see what Peter did to him, and listen to what Peter says to Ender.  The government can see how Ender acts as well.  For instance, they saw Ender beating up Stilson who was bullying him.  They are also going see how Ender acts when he faces Peter.  Even though this takes place several years in the future, there are some similarities to today.  For example, as Mr. Calvin explained, the desks are similar to iPads.  After hurting Stilson, Ender states he is just like his brother.  I could tell he is ashamed of this because he is crying as he says it.  I think it can also show that Ender feels bad after he beats up someone.

Movie Reflection 3- TKAM

      The entire movie was very well done.  We watched the final scenes of it today, which were intriguing.  I felt when Mr. Ewell spits in Atticus's face, it seemed like it was just thrown in.  Nothing really led up to it, such as Mr. Ewell threatening Atticus and saying rude things to him.  However, Atticus's response to Ewell's action was awesome.  By just wiping his face, not saying anything, and then walking away proves further the goodness of this man.  Also, he shows that he is not the kind of person to retaliate when someone does something disrespectful to him.  Regarding Boo Radley, I agree with the perception they show off him.  I could tell how he still is a child inside.  For instance, Arthur (Boo) Radley holds onto Scout's hand when walking to the front porch.
      Reflecting on the movie as a whole, it did well in describing the major events of To Kill A Mockingbird.  I liked the way the trial was portrayed.  I knew exactly how the people were feeling based on their reactions and by the way they acted.  Of course I think some parts should have been added.  However, a movie cannot include everything from the book.  Thus, I feel the movie did a good job in keeping the events that were most important and removing the ones not needed.  Throughout the movie we see Arthur Radley's kindness toward the Finches.  He gave Jem and Scout little gifts, such as soap dolls and a broken watch and chain, that he had put in the hole of an oak tree.  Also, he saves Scout and Jem's lives when the kids are attacked by Mr. Ewell.  I think it was nice to see how someone can be so compassionate to people that he is not really acquainted with.

Movie Reflection 2- TKAM

       The part of the movie that we saw today was mainly about the trial of Tom Robinson.  I agreed with how this scene was portrayed in the movie, exactly how I would picture it.  Based on their actions and posture, I could tell how the witnesses were feeling.  For instance, Mr. Ewell seemed calm and relaxed on the stand, quite the opposite of the way Mayella acted.  Mayella looked nervous and at times unsure of her testimony.  When asked if Mr. Robinson hit her in the face, she seemed uncertain if Tom ever hit her at all.  Tom Robinson's actions, such as his crying, proves his testimony was truthful.  I could tell he meant it unlike Mayella.  Also, he seemed like he was a nice person since he helped Mayella previous times and said "suh" after his answers.  This shows that possibly Mayella and Mr. Ewell made up their testimonies.  I found it interesting that Bob Ewell never really sat close to Mayella during the trial, especially during Tom Robinson's testimony.  It was as if he was ashamed of her.  Some characters were left out in this portion of the movie.  For instance, Aunt Alexandra, Dolphus Raymond, and Link Deas were not included.  However, not incorporating these people did not hurt the movie or ruin it because these were not important roles.  The way they explained Tom Robinson's injured left arm was different from the book, but was still interesting.  Even though there was lack of evidence towards Tom as well as his contradicting testimony to Mayella's and Mr. Ewell's, he was still found guilty.  Also, the man who did beat up Mayella was most likely left handed since her right side of the face was beaten up.  Tom Robinson could not use his left arm due to his injury.  I think this further shows the racism that was going on during this time period.  The facts show Tom Robinson did not hurt Mayella, but being an African American living at this time, his testimony would not stand a chance of beating a white person's.

Movie Reflection- To Kill A Mockingbird

           The portion of the movie we watched today had interesting as well as confusing parts to it.  I did not understand clearly the reason why the scene of Atticus visiting Helen Robinson was placed in the movie.  This is also when Bob Ewell sneaks around Atticus's car with Jem and Scout in it.  I felt that there was not a real significance to this part except for what Mr. Ewell says to Atticus.  Mr Ewell's derogatory comment toward Atticus could be easily placed in another scene.  For example, it could have been added to the part when Atticus encounters Bob Ewell during the first courtroom scene.  Thus, there was no need for that scene with Helen Robinson.  I liked how the connections to the book were, for the most part, similar.  For instance, the mob scene outside the jail Tom Robinson is in was exactly like the book.  I think that a couple parts could have been added to the movie.  The scene when Aunt Alexandra comes to live with the Finches should, if possible, have been included.  It is important to know that Aunt Alexandra wants Scout to become more lady-like.  This is one of the major topics discussed in the book, not the most important, but important nonetheless.  Otherwise, the movie did well in keeping the unnecessary information out and including the significant scenes.  Overall, I agreed with how the movie portrayed the important scenes of the book.  I felt the characters in the movie were pretty much how I pictured them to be from reading the book.