The Giant Symbol Analysis

During Ender Wiggin’s time at Battle School, he’s encouraged to play a virtual reality in which he confronts a Giant, who challenges him to choose between two potions, one of which is poisonous and one of which is harmless. Ender discovers that the game is a cheat—no matter which potion he chooses, he always “dies.” Ender demonstrates his genius for lateral thinking by refusing to obey the Giant’s rules: instead of choosing between potions, he chooses to attack the Giant, winning an unwinnable game. Ender’s attack on the Giant is one of the more overt symbols in Ender’s Game: as Colonel Hyrum Graff and Major Anderson study Ender’s game playing, they recognize that Ender’s victory symbolizes his refusal to play by the rules, his ability to think outside the box, and his disturbing ability to be brutal and violent at the right time.