Ender’s Game Reading 2015
Menlo-Atherton AS English I
Ender and the Hero’s Journey
Background: Joseph Campbell was an American mythologist, writer, and lecturer. In his study of the
myth of the hero, Campbell posited the existence of a monomyth (a word he borrowed from James Joyce):
a universal pattern that is the essence of, and common to, heroic tales in every culture. Below is an outline
of the basic stages of this mythic cycle.
SEPARATION/DEPARTURE
1. The Call to Adventure - Something happens to send the hero in a new direction
2. Refusal of the Call - Sometimes s/he refuses to go (might be afraid, feel like s/he can’t leave
responsibilities, or might not feel strong enough or smart enough to start an adventure)
3. Supernatural Aid - A guide/magical helper/special “other being” appears to provide help
4. The Crossing of the First Threshold - The hero leaves his/her familiar life and goes into places with
new, unknown rules
5. The Belly of the Whale - The hero is in transition; s/he is aware of challenges to come, but anticipates
potential
INITIATION
1. The Road of Trials – The hero undergoes a series of tests, tasks, or ordeals
2. The Meeting with the Goddess - A great love (romantic, divine, friendly, or familial) provides
strength and well-being
3. Woman as Temptress - The hero loses focus and/or is tempted to quit the journey
4. Atonement with the Father -The hero must face whatever holds ultimate control and power in his/her
life (center point of the journey)
5. Apotheosis - The hero enters a god-like state; a period of rest and reflection
6. The Ultimate Boon – The hero achieves the goal of the quest
RETURN
1. Refusal of the Return - Sometimes the hero refuses to return to normal life (maybe the adventure has
been satisfying or s/he is concerned that his/her message will not be heard)
2. Magical Flight - Sometimes the hero must steal the boon and make a daring escape
3. Rescue from Without - A guide/magical helper/special “other being” appears to provide help (maybe
s/he is wounded or weakened; maybe s/he doesn’t realize it is time to return, that s/he can return, or that
others need the boon)
4. The Crossing of the Return Threshold – The hero’s task at this point is to remember what was
learned during the quest, and to use it to make life better for him/her and others
5. Master of the Two Worlds - The hero has learned how to be comfortable with the external world and
the spiritual, internal world (s/he may be ready to be a guide for someone else)
6. Freedom to Live – The hero has learned to accept him/herself, to “live in the moment,” and neither to
anticipate the future nor to regret the past
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Menlo-Atherton AS English I
Ender’s Game Reading 2015
Directions: As you read, outline the hero’s journey for Ender on this graphic organizer. Use the questions
provided to determine which moments in the text apply to each stage.
As you complete the chart, keep in mind the following turning points in Ender’s Game:
 "...he no longer had the panicked feeling that he might be out of his depth, that Battle School might
be too much for him" (80).
 "Ender's isolation was over. The war was just beginning" (86).
 "He walked down the corridor smiling. He may be short, but they knew his name" (115).
 "That's how they think of me, too. Teacher. Legendary soldier. Not one of them. Not someone that
you embrace and whisper Salaam in his ear. That only lasted while Ender still seemed a victim. Still
seemed vulnerable. Now he was the master soldier, and he was completely, utterly alone" (176).
 "When I thought you were about to kill me, and I decided to kill you first. I guess I'm just a killer to
the core. But I'd rather be alive than dead" (348).
SEPARATION/DEPARTURE
1. The Call to
Adventure
What inciting incident sends
Ender in a new direction?
2. Refusal of the Call
How does Ender hesitate /
refuse to go?
3. Supernatural Aid
Who appears to guide Ender
and provide help?
4. The Crossing of the
First Threshold
At what moment does Ender leave
his familiar life and go into a place
with new, unknown rules? Where
does he go?
5. The Belly of the
Whale
What textual evidence suggests that
Ender is in transition, that he is
aware of challenges to come, but
anticipates potential?
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Ender’s Game Reading 2015
Menlo-Atherton AS English I
INITIATION
1. The Road of Trials
List the series of tests, tasks,
and ordeals that Ender has to
endure.
2. The Meeting with the
Goddess
Who is Ender’s great “love”
(romantic, divine, friendly, or
familial)? How does s/he provide
strength and well-being for him?
3. Woman as
Temptress
When does Ender lose focus
and/or consider quitting the
journey?
4. Atonement with the
Father
Whom/What does Ender face
that holds ultimate control and
power in his/her life?
5. Apotheosis
At what moment is Ender in a
god-like state, a period of rest
and reflection?
6. The Ultimate Boon
What is the goal of the quest
that Ender achieves?
RETURN
1. Refusal of the
Return
How does Ender refuse to
return to “normal life”?
2. Magical Flight
What is the boon that Ender
has to steal and make a daring
escape?
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Menlo-Atherton AS English I
Ender’s Game Reading 2015
3. Rescue from Without
Who appears to guide Ender
and provide help?
4. The Crossing of the
Return Threshold
At what point does Ender have to
remember what was learned during
the quest, and use it to make life
better for him/her and others?
5. Master of the Two
Worlds
What textual evidence suggests that
Ender has learned how to be
comfortable with the external world
and the spiritual, internal world?
6. Freedom to Live
What textual evidence suggests that
Ender has learned to accept himself,
to “live in the moment,” and neither
to anticipate the future nor to regret
the past?
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Menlo-Atherton AS English I
Ender’s Game Reading 2015
Ender as a Hero
Keep in mind that just because a character embarks on a hero’s journey does not mean he is necessarily a
hero. In The Writer’s Journey, Christopher Vogler asserts:
“The word hero is Greek, from a root that means ‘to protect and to serve ... A Hero is someone who is
willing to sacrifice his own needs on behalf of others, like a shepherd who will sacrifice to protect and
serve his flock. At the root the idea of Hero is connected with self-sacrifice” (Vogler 29).
Additionally, “Heroes have qualities that we all can identify with and recognize in ourselves. They are
propelled by universal drives that we can all understand: the desire to be loved and understood, to
succeed, survive, be free, get revenge, right wrongs, or seek self-expression” (30).
Directions: Write a short paragraph – Based on Ender’s decisions and his actions as well as his Return
phase, do you believe that Ender is a hero? Explain.
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Menlo-Atherton AS English I
Ender’s Game Reading 2015
Moral Dilemmas in Ender’s Game
Morals are a person’s individual beliefs and principles regarding “right” and “wrong”. For instance, one person
might believe that all children should have access to free healthcare. Another person might believe that lies
should never be told, no matter the circumstance. Another person might believe that personal integrity is the
most important characteristic for mankind.
These morals are not necessarily based in law (though some could be), but they are instead personal principles
that drive action and character.
A moral dilemma then is when a person’s moral beliefs are called in question – the person is confronted with
two or more beliefs, and there is no clear “right” and “wrong”.
Directions: Read the following moral dilemma and answer the questions below.
The Overcrowded Lifeboat:
In 1842, a ship struck an iceberg and more than 30 survivors were crowded into a lifeboat intended to hold 7. As a
storm threatened, it became obvious that the lifeboat would have to be lightened if anyone were to survive. The
captain reasoned that the right thing to do in this situation was to force some individuals to go over the side and
drown. Such an action, he reasoned, was not unjust to those thrown overboard, for they would have drowned
anyway. If he did nothing, however, he would be responsible for the deaths of those whom he could have saved.
Some people opposed the captain's decision. They claimed that if nothing were done and everyone died as a
result, no one would be responsible for these deaths. On the other hand, if the captain attempted to save some, he
could do so only by killing others and their deaths would be his responsibility; this would be worse than doing
nothing and letting all die. The captain rejected this reasoning. Since the only possibility for rescue required great
efforts of rowing, the captain decided that the weakest would have to be sacrificed (they were thrown overboard).
In this situation it would be absurd, he thought, to decide by drawing lots who should be thrown overboard. As it
turned out, after days of hard rowing, the survivors were rescued and the captain was tried for his action.
1. If you had been on the jury, how would you have decided? In favor of the captain or against?
Why?
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2. Is one life ever worth more than another? Explain your answer.
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Menlo-Atherton AS English I
Ender’s Game Reading 2015
Graff’s Morality
Directions: Re-read the opening dialogues of chapters 1-3 between Graff and Pace and complete the
following pages.
1. What is the moral dilemma the officers face? (Hint: The last line of the chapter one opening).
2. After Ender makes his decision to go to Battle School, Graff slips further into his dilemma. He is
past the point of no return. What are four actions/decisions he makes to achieve his goal
throughout the book?
Action/Decision 1:
Action/Decision 2:
Action/Decision 3:
Action/Decision 4:
3. What are two results or consequences because of Graff’s decisions (use responses to #2)?
Action/Decision:
Result/Consequence:
Action/Decision:
Result/Consequence:
4. Do you believe Graff made the correct decision for his moral dilemma? Explain why/why not
using information from your charts above.
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Menlo-Atherton AS English I
Ender’s Game Reading 2015
Directions: Using your responses from the previous page, write an analytical paragraph explaining
Graff’s moral dilemma in Ender’s Game and whether he qualifies as a hero (see hero’s journey notes).
You must use at least TWO specific examples from the text (look at #2) and explain the significances of
the decisions by Graff – how do the decisions affect Ender? Why are these decisions
necessary/unnecessary? What is the result? Are the actions heroic?
**Use additional pages as necessary.
Consider starting with one of the following argumentative topic sentence frames. You may modify
the frame as needed, if it will help you start your paragraph.
- In Ender’s Game, Graff must choose between _____ and _____. Graff is/is not a hero because,
though he believes/desires ___, he ultimately chooses ___, resulting in _____.
- Graff is/is not a hero because though he recognizes _____, he ultimately chooses ____. As a
result of Graff’s decisions, ____.
- Though Graff wants_____, he recognizes _____. Ultimately, Graff decides ____, and as a
result, he is/is not a hero because _____.
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