Brian Wieczorek, later changed to Brian Wiggin[2], was the father of John Paul Wieczorek and Andrew Wieczorek, and was the grandfather of Ender Wiggin.[1] He was first introduced in "The Polish Boy".
History[]
The Polish Boy[]
Brian was a Polish Catholic man who was a college professor. After he married Anne Wiggin and fathered more than 2 children, he became in opposition of the Hegemony population laws and was no longer allowed to keep his professor job. Instead he had to do a clerical job all day, sitting at a computer, and then manual labor by night, odd jobs in the Catholic underground. He eventually fathered 9 children. Due to his long hours of work, he was always very tired.[1]
One day in 35 BX, Brian stayed home from work. The International Fleet Captain Helena Rudolf came to the door and explained that she was from the Fleet and said that she had to test their boys above the age of 6 for Battle School aptitude, as it was mandatory. Brian insisted he watch the test, but the woman said he could not. As the woman tested his sons, John Paul left his lessons and went to the kitchen to watch the test. When she was finishing up with Andrew, John Paul was about to ask if he could take the test when the woman spoke to his mother to ask how old he was, but since he was 5 he could not take it. The woman noticed that John Paul was actually reading at college level but his mother insisted he was playing. The woman explained that someone would have to come back and test him when he turned 6 in 3 weeks so his parents gave in.[1]
On his sixth birthday, a man from the Fleet came to the house with the woman from before to test John Paul again. The man asked John Paul a question but he answered in Polish. Brian entered the room and told him to do what they asked. John Paul said he would answer the man's questions if the woman stayed. Soon after, the people from the Fleet returned, but Brian had brought their friend Magdalena Teczlo, a lawyer, to sit with them, though she could not practice law as she was noncompliant. One of the fleet officers, Hyrum Graff, asked to see John Paul but Brian refused. He asked if he could see him with his parents and they accepted, but when he noted that Magda was in his space she left the house. John Paul sat down and Graff began to explain to him about Battle School. John Paul implied that it would be unfair to leave his family on Earth to struggle while he was in battle School. Graff suggested that they could persuade the Hegemony to lift the sanctions on his brothers and sisters. His parents said that it could not happen since the neighbors would be suspicious. John Paul stated that he wanted to leave but not go to space. Graff suggested that they move to a city and send no more than two of their brothers and sisters to any one school so that no one will know that their family was noncompliant. Graff said that the Fleet would go to great lengths to get John Paul into Battle School, because they believed that in their house he would be wasted, quoting the Bible verse about casting pearls before swine. Brian got up in rage to punch Graff, but Graff blocked the blow easily and he fell to the floor in defeat. Brian said that he would not let his son leave, but Graff threatened him with imprisonment for striking a Fleet officer. John Paul had the plan to move the family to America and be set up in a better life, and then refuse to go to Battle School, but Graff realized that even if this occurred he could find a way to turn it to his advantage.[1]
Brian and his family later were sent to America where they changed their surname to Wiggin.[1]
Personality[]
Brian was a hardworking man, but had become bitter due to the Hegemony's rule over Poland and his family. He was forced to work long hours to support his family due to the laws of the Hegemony and this oppression led him to become an angry man who had a great hatred for the Hegemony and the International Fleet. He held staunch Catholic beliefs and fathered 9 children instead of bowing to the laws of the Hegemony.[1]