Ender's Saga, #1
Ender's Game
by Orson Scott Card
Contents
1. Third
Overview
Unnamed officials select Andrew “Ender” Wiggin for their purposes despite concerns. Ender’s monitor is removed, isolating him from protection. Taunted as a Third, he preempts future attacks by savagely defeating bully Stilson. The incident reveals Ender’s strategic ruthlessness and deep fear of becoming like his brother.
Summary
The chapter opens with two unidentified officials debating Andrew “Ender” Wiggin’s suitability. Despite concerns that he is malleable, they authorize proceeding, framing it as necessary to “save the world.”
At the clinic, the monitor lady and a doctor remove Ender’s neck monitor. The procedure goes wrong, causing severe spasms until a nurse intervenes with medication. The doctor angrily notes the risks of long-term implantation. Ender returns to class disoriented, realizing the monitor is gone and he is now just another child.
In Miss Pumphrey’s class, Ender notices classmates labeling him “THIRD” via desk messages. He remains detached, confident in his academics, but recognizes he has lost the monitor’s protection. After school, bully Stilson and his friends corner him, mocking his status and the removal.
Anticipating ongoing torment, Ender decides to end the threat decisively. He incapacitates Stilson with a surprise kick, then violates the unspoken rules by repeatedly kicking Stilson while down, warning the group this is what happens to those who hurt him. The others are cowed and do not follow.
Alone afterward, Ender cries, concluding that without the monitor’s restraint he is “just like Peter,” revealing his fear that his capacity for calculated violence mirrors his brother’s.
Who Appears
- Andrew "Ender" WigginSix-year-old protagonist; has his monitor removed, is bullied, and decisively defeats Stilson to prevent future attacks.
- StilsonSchool bully who taunts Ender as a Third; is brutally beaten to deter future bullying.
- Miss PumphreyEnder’s teacher; checks on his condition and releases him as class ends.
- Monitor ladyClinic worker who initiates Ender’s monitor removal with reassuring but false promises.
- DoctorPerforms the monitor removal; panics during Ender’s spasms and laments the risks.
- NurseAssists during the removal, administers medication to relax Ender’s spasming muscles.
- Unidentified officialsDisembodied voices deciding to proceed with Ender despite doubts, hinting at a larger mission.