What role does the film put us in, as viewers, on the question of child soldiers? Do you feel uncomfortable with the use of children in the film? Are the reasons for using them justifiable?

SOCI 2160: War and Society

Ender’s Game Questions

Please complete the following questions about the film Ender’s Game. Refer to class materials in your answers. The assignment should be a maximum of 5-7 pages, double spaced.  It does not have to be in essay format but answers should be given in complete sentences rather than point form.

1. How do the military authorities in the movie define war? What kind of language do they use to define it?

2. What role does the film put us in, as viewers, on the question of child soldiers? Do you feel uncomfortable with the use of children in the film? Are the reasons for using them justifiable?

3. What issues does the film raise around genocide? What are the justifications? How are the moral issues dealt with by the Earth military?

4. We discussed the ways in which individuals are turned into soldiers who will kill. How are those techniques used on the children and youth in this film?

5. What techniques are used to get around the youths’ confrontational tension/fear response to violence in the movie (see article by Randall Collins)? Describe these techniques. What techniques are used in their training to convert them from civilians to soldiers (see Gwynne Dyer article)?

6. Is the film telling us anything about the militarization of our own society and our motives for supporting wars today?