Examine Ender's thought process at the beginning of the Final Battle, after Bean reminds him that this is just a game. What is his goal as he surveys the impossible array of 5-10,000 formic ships massed in random patterns before him. Considering his physical and emotional state, analyze Card's portrayal of Ender's attitude at this moment. Is it honest?
Ender's final game, in terms of war, is his last battle against the buggers. He looks at it like a game, and he cheats in it, and the cheating is what allows him to win the war. Even though there could be major risks of repercussions for killing off the bugger civilian population, that is not really part of the simulation, so it is not something Ender needs to consider very carefully. The horizon of each training battles is hours, not even days (although the computer supposedly learns his strategies from one battle to the next). By the end of the novel, the line between games and reality has become completely blurred--the games have been reality after all. For more please read the Chapter 14 analysis below:
http://www.gradesaver.com/enders-game/study-guide/summary-chapter-14
