Why Is Ender Wiggin Called Third?

1. Ender Wiggin is called “Third” because he is a third child authorized by the government. He was used as an experiment, but since the monitor was gone, it shows that he didn’t work out. It seems Ender doesn’t mind being a Third because it’s not his fault, although he is teased because he is a Third. He became a normal person when his monitor was taken out.

2. Ender is intelligent because, as the narrator states, “He always knew the answer, even when she thought he wasn’t paying attention.”, (Card, page 5) which shows that Ender probably knew everything being taught by the teacher, most likely from his sister. The narrator stated that “Valentine had taught him arithmetic when he was three.” (Card, page 5) This proves that Ender had a brighter mind than most children, because he was taught at such a young age.

3.

Ender fears teasing from the other kids now that he has no monitor because they could now say what they like and could now hit him if they wanted to. The monitor no longer protected him, “hearing what he heard and seeing what he saw.” (Card, page 6) He no longer had someone to rescue him when he was in trouble or harm.

4. To forestall vengeance from Stilson and his gang, and to keep them from taking him in a pack the next day, Ender decided to viciously and repeatedly kick Stilson, who laid helpless on the ground, in the ribs, crotch, and in the face. He then warned the rest of Stilson’s gang not to mess with him anymore, and walked away.

5. The first indication of a controlling government is when Ender is mentioned as being a Third, or a third child. The narrator remarked, “It was not his fault he was a Third. It was the government’s idea, they were the ones who authorized it…” (Card, page 3) It seems like the government controls the population, and the amount of children each family can