Simon
Samuel Simon
ENG-2DP
March 16, 2014
Responsibilities of the Protagonists in
The Chrysalids and Ender's Game
Two societies can differ yet produce similar citizens. In The Chrysalids, by John Wyndham, and Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card, David Strorm and Andrew "Ender" Wiggin are two young boys who are given unusual, difficult responsibilities to cope with. The Chrysalids takes place in Waknuk where they are recovering from a nuclear catastrophe, whereas Ender's Game boasts a very advanced technological society. Despite this, the protagonists become very responsible. Ender and David display responsibility despite their young age, irregularities, and great understanding of authority.
Ender and David take on responsibility despite their tender ages. In both novels there are occurrences where Ender and David are entrusted with tasks that require a significantly responsible figure. For example, Ender is the person who saves earth, which bears pressure for anyone, let alone a child.
Throughout the novel, Ender is prematurely given tasks because he is perceived to have the leadership qualities and deemed responsible enough to complete his assigned objectives. When the thoughts of Ender being promoted to commander are discussed, one of the colonels says "Young as he is, we've never had a boy better prepared for command. Usually they go at eleven, but at nine and a half he's top flight" (Card 10). This quotation illustrates that Ender is responsible enough to be dubbed a commander, although he is considerably younger than the typical commander. On the other hand, David Strorm also has to take on enormous responsibility despite the fact that he is still an adolescent. David is a shape-thinker, and given that he lives in an environment where anything but ordinary is the work of the devil, he is required to run away with his younger sister Petra in...