“But I didn't hate you. I loved you both, I just had to be – had to have control, do you understand that?” (9.108)
Ender is probably the most isolated character in the book, but since the Wiggin kids are so similar in other ways, what about isolation? Here Peter is telling Val that his urge to control was so overpowering that he couldn’t really connect with his brother and sister. Don’t get us wrong – Peter really seems like a monster at the beginning. But it’s interesting to think that, in some ways, he might be just as isolated as Ender.
Quote 5
“You did better. They think you're better. But I don't want a better little brother, Ender. I don't want a Third.” (2.45)
Almost all of the competition in <em>Ender’s Game</em> is between the kids at Battle School. (Or, if you prefer, between Ender and the teachers at Battle School.) But before that, the kids were competing to get into Battle School. Peter was rejected when he was five and he’s angry that Ender got even a little bit closer. For Peter, that’s a judgment on him – it’s not just that Ender does better on the tests, but that Ender <em>is</em> better.
Quote 6
“The world is always a democracy in times of flux, and the man with the best voice will win.” (9.102)
This is Peter’s view of the world and the opportunity that’s about to open with the end of the bugger war. According to Peter, there’s competition all over– it’s not just about who gets into the Battle School and performs best in the war. According to Peter, democracy is also a competitive field that allows the best person to rise to the top. And Peter sees himself as that man.