Dap is the enormous man-child who greets the launchies in their bedroom, who weirdly gets a couple of expanded scenes with Ender later in the film. Dink is one of the non-launchies who ends up in "Ender's Jeesh" in the command school sequence. In the book, he's part of Rat Army, in the movie I think he's just part of Dragon Army, and gets a one line acknowledgement. In the book, Dink is much more important than Dap, but Dink is most central to the Battle Room sequence, so his role was diminished when they cut most of the Battle Room sequence.
I agree with you that the contrast between adults and 'children' is what makes this story work for most of its readers. The idea that 'children' can still be children even if they don't act like children, and that children grow up even if they are not exposed to the traditional sequence of growing up lessons is what moves the narrative forward. I think Ender needs to be represented as being very internally childish even though he is outwardly adult. And Graff's weight gain, among other things, represents how as an actual adult he is allowed to be much more childish than Ender is.
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Date: 2013-12-11 02:19 pm (UTC)I agree with you that the contrast between adults and 'children' is what makes this story work for most of its readers. The idea that 'children' can still be children even if they don't act like children, and that children grow up even if they are not exposed to the traditional sequence of growing up lessons is what moves the narrative forward. I think Ender needs to be represented as being very internally childish even though he is outwardly adult. And Graff's weight gain, among other things, represents how as an actual adult he is allowed to be much more childish than Ender is.