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The Hive-Queen Pupa
During Ender’s time in Battle School, his teachers make him fight mock-battles in a zero-gravity chamber called the battleroom. At first, Ender is frightened and incapable of controlling his movements in the battleroom, but over time, he learns to maneuver his body, shoot straight, and command other soldiers to impressive victories. Understood in this sense, the battleroom is an apt symbol of Ender’s growth and maturation over the course of the novel: at first, he’s “adrift” in life—a “Third” with no rights. Gradually, however, he learns to control the course of his own destiny, and gains the loyalty of those around him. But as Ender becomes more confident in the battleroom, also he comes to see it as a prison. Ender can do whatever he wants within the battleroom, but at the end of the day he’s a prisoner inside it, something to be directed and manipulated by his teachers and commanders.
The Battleroom Quotes in Ender’s Game
The Ender’s Game quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Battleroom. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 11
Quotes
“They need us, that’s why.” Bean sat down on the floor and stared at Ender’s feet. “Because they need somebody to beat the Buggers. That’s the only thing they care about.”
“It’s important that you know that, Bean. Because most boys in this school think the game is important for itself—but it isn’t. It’s only important because it helps them find kids who might grow up to be real commanders, in the real war. But as for the game, screw that.”
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Chapter 12
Quotes
Only then did it occur to William Bee that not only had Dragon Army ended the game, it was possible that, under the rules, they had won it. After all, no matter what happened, you were not certified as the winner unless you had enough unfrozen soldiers to touch the corners of the gate and pass someone through into the enemy’s corridor.
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Chapter 14
Quotes
Forget it, Mazer. I don’t care if I pass your test, I don’t care if I follow your rules, if you can cheat, so can I. I won’t let you beat me unfairly—I’ll beat you unfairly first.
In that final battle in Battle School, he had won by ignoring the enemy, ignoring his own losses; he had moved against the enemy’s gate.
And the enemy’s gate was down.
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Get the entire Ender’s Game LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Battleroom Symbol Timeline in Ender’s Game
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Battleroom appears in Ender’s Game. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3: Graff
...Battle School: strategy, military history, etc. He’ll play war games in a structure called the battleroom. Most of the students at Battle School are boys, with a handful of exceptions. Graff...
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Chapter 6: The Giant’s Drink
The chapter opens with Ender being sent, along with the other new students, to the battleroom—a place with zero gravity where the students play war games. Everyone wears a jumpsuit, which...
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As Ender and Shen float through the battleroom, they notice Bernard’s best friend, a boy named Alai. Ender collides with Alai, and the...
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One day shortly after his first experience in the battleroom, Ender is sitting in his bed, fooling around on his desk. He decides to play...
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Chapter 7: Salamander
...Ender’s heart sinks. He has nothing to offer these people—he has no military training, or battleroom training, to speak of. A tall, attractive boy approaches Ender and asks him for his...
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...offers to teach Ender how to be a soldier (how to shoot, maneuver in the battleroom, etc.). Ender grins and agrees.
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...soldiers have warned him that Bonzo doesn’t like other soldiers associating with her. In the battleroom, Petra teaches Ender how to shoot straight, passing on the lessons she’s learned over the...
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...There, he finds Bernard, along with Alai. He invites them to practice maneuvers in the battleroom. Together, Ender, Shen, Alai, and Bernard practice aiming, and Ender passes on some of the...
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...first battle with Salamander Army. The army is about to begin a game in the battleroom. They step out and notice that the room is full of large, brown boxes called...
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...army wins the game by sending five soldiers through the Salamander army’s side of the battleroom. Ender notes that if he’d disobeyed Bonzo and shot even one soldier, the Condor army...
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Chapter 8: Rat
...Graff orders Anderson to devote all his time and resources to challenging Ender via the battleroom. Anderson points out that if it becomes too obvious that the Battle School is manipulating...
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...Army, a boy named Rose. Rose teases Ender, implying that Ender’s high rankings in the battleroom are a fluke. Ender thinks about all he knows about Rose: Rat Army is in...
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...as Ender allows them to have. He also tells Ender to expect rigorous training in battleroom shooting and maneuvering: despite his young age, Ender won’t be treated any differently from the...
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...soldier. He tells Ender that in the next battle, he’ll be sent out into the battleroom by himself, to be shot immediately.
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At the next battle, Rose orders Ender to launch himself through the battleroom alone. The order is seemingly suicidal—Rose is sacrificing Ender as a punishment. Ender launches himself...
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...children into fighting with each other, something that Dink finds repulsive. Nevertheless, he loves the battleroom too much to give up on Battle School altogether. Dink reminisces about “normal children”—children who...
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Shortly after Ender’s conversation with Dink, he goes to practice battleroom maneuvers with Alai and some other friends. Bernard isn’t present—word has gotten out that any...
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...with new students. A group of older boys from other armies (including Salamander) enter the battleroom and see Ender practicing. They jump toward Ender’s group, preparing to fight. Ender commands his...
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Chapter 9: Locke and Demosthenes
...then cuts back to the Battle School. Ender has been the leading soldier in the battleroom for many months. He’s nine years old, and a toon leader in the Phoenix Army,...
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Chapter 10: Dragon
...for an army. Ender then orders his soldiers to suit up and run to the battleroom. When some of them don’t dress fast enough, he orders them to run through the...
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Ender and his soldiers arrive in the battleroom, some of them still frantically pulling on their jumpsuits. Ender orders his troops to assemble...
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...stays late to help some of the most inexperienced soldiers. At the edge of the battleroom, he notices Bean waiting for him, and goes to talk. Bean begins, “I know what...
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After writing his thoughts, Ender goes to free practice in the battleroom, as usual. There, he finds Major Anderson, who informs him that from now on, he’s...
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Chapter 11: Veni Vidi Vici
...weeks now. He barely sleeps, and spends long hours making plans of attack for the battleroom. His troops have grown into capable, intelligent soldiers, and Ender trusts them to improvise strategies...
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...be loyal and disciplined. After an hour of light practice, the troops go to the battleroom. As the battle is about to begin, Ender reminds his soldiers of their signature attack...
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The battle begins. Right away, Ender notices that there are “stars” scattered through the battleroom. He directs his toons to shoot through the room and improvise their strategies once they’ve...
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It’s still early in the morning when Ender’s troops have left the battleroom. He orders them to the mess hall for breakfast, and then to the battleroom for...
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...sitting there. Dink greets Ender cheerfully, and compliments him for his good showing in the battleroom. After a few moments, however, Ender realizes that Dink isn’t as friendly as he seems—in...
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Ender focuses his attention on learning new strategies for the battleroom. He researches old propaganda videos of Mazer Rackham defeating the Buggers. As he watches in...
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After the battle, Major Anderson enters the battleroom, approaches Ender, and congratulates him on his victory. Ender is furious, however, and insists that...
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Chapter 12: Bonzo
Ender brings his army to the battleroom. He’s dismayed to find that the two enemy armies have already taken their positions within...
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...William Bee, the commander of Griffin Army. Bee witnesses the Dragon soldiers shooting through the battleroom. He orders his troops to fire. His soldiers shoot many of the Dragon soldiers, and...
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We return to Ender’s perspective. He just won, ingeniously, by bending the rules of the battleroom. Overjoyed, Crazy Tom congratulates Ender and asks him when the next practice will be. Ender...
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