John Paul Wiggin, born John Paul Wieczorek, was the father of Andrew, Peter, and Valentine Wiggin, and was the husband of Theresa Wiggin.[5] He was first introduced in Ender's Game.
History[]
Early Life[]
John Paul at age 6 in First Meetings in Ender's Universe.
John Paul was born in Poland around 40 BX to a family of 9 children, a Catholic family defying the Hegemony population laws. John Paul's father worked two jobs, one legal and one illegal, so he was always very tired. When John Paul was 5, he desired to learn and read more than usual for his age, but his mother Anne Wiggin thought he was simply playing. One day when he saw schoolchildren, his brother Andrew Wieczorek explained that they were taught by teachers and not their mothers.[3]
One day, John Paul's father stayed home from work. Someone knocked at the door and his father answered in Common, so it was a foreigner at the door. A woman's voice explained that she was from the International Fleet and said that she had to test their boys above the age of 6 for Battle School aptitude, as it was mandatory. John Paul's father insisted he watch the test, but the woman said he could not. John Paul wanted to be tested even though he was not 6 yet. As the woman tested his brothers, 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 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. John Paul and the woman discussed the book he was reading about St. John Paul II, and they debated the existence of God. After the test, John Paul noticed that the woman was very excited, that he was what she had come here looking for.[3]
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. When he continued to do so, the man got up and began to leave. When the woman came over, John Paul spoke to her in Common. John Paul explained that he did not want to be tested by a man who thought his family was scum. The woman explained that he had to speak Common, and that even she was German and the man was Finnish, and that nobody spoke Finnish anymore, not even Finns. John Paul's father 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.[3]
Soon after, the people from the Fleet returned, but his mother and father had brought their friend Magdalena Teczlo, a lawyer, to sit with them, though she could not practice law as she was noncompliant. John Paul listened from the kitchen as the woman and a man named Graff talked with his parents. Graff asked to see him but his father 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. John Paul's father got up in rage to punch Graff, but Graff blocked the blow easily. John Paul realized that Graff meant to show him this scene of defeat. John Paul's father 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.[3]
John Paul and his family later were sent to Racine, Wisconsin in America where they changed their surname to Wiggin. However, they moved two weeks after getting to Racine. When the Fleet came to make good on their deal, they made John Paul go to Ground School for a while, but he went on strike. The Fleet began talking about sending them back to Poland or getting sanctions against them in America, but John Paul threatened to make their "contract" public. As the Fleet couldn't admit that they had fiddled with the population laws, they had to let them go. Due to these complications, he eventually had to start school two years late. He graduated from high school a year early as valedictorian, and participated in lots of clubs, as well as three years of soccer.[1]
Teacher's Pest[]
Theresa teaching while John Paul stares off into space in "Teacher's Pest".
After high school, John Paul went to college and got all A's for the first 3 years, but had not declared a major yet. He did custodial work in the physical sciences building to earn a paycheck. When he was a junior, he was assigned to the wrong section of a Human Community Class, taught by a graduate student. When he got to the class, he looked at the teacher who he thought looked like she was 15. He thought about his ideal future career, a position where he could work for the downfall of the Hegemony and the restoration of sovereignty for all nations. The teacher noticed that John Paul looked bored and called him out. He noticed her name was Theresa Brown, and responded very sarcastically, but she pressed the question. John Paul then gave a very detailed answer which surprised her. Interested, she changed the direction of the class and engaged in more back-and-forth questions, and they debated gender roles and other students joined in. When they arrived at the topic of population laws, a student called out Theresa for having the last name Brown, as her father was Hinckley Brown, the military strategist whose book was essential to the International Fleet but resigned from the I.F. because he refused to go along with the population laws. The student continued to harass Theresa about religion and she kicked her from the class, and John Paul fell in love with her.[1]
Theresa and John Paul having their picnic on the French edition cover of First Meetings in Ender's Universe.[7]
Later that day, John Paul spotted her crossing the quad and made it a point to be leaning against the stair rail at the entrance to the Human Sciences building. John Paul began flirting with her as she walked by. She was frustrated and did not wish to speak with him, but he was persistent. Theresa went to her office and shut the door. John Paul decided to set up a picnic and order food for when Theresa left her office. He had been regularly ordering different kinds of food, and throwing them out when they became cold. When she stepped out and saw it, she reluctantly joined him for his picnic, and learned the truth about the annoying student's life and family. Like her family, his was outspokenly noncompliant. They spoke of world political philosophy, and Theresa found herself falling in love with him. They discussed whether or not the Hegemony wanted them to have children so they could use them for Battle School, but shrugged it off. They closed the picnic with an unexpected kiss.[1]
Ender in Exile[]
Immediately after the conclusion of the League War, Graff emailed John Paul and Theresa Wiggin telling them that their son was safe and that the Fleet was was working out how to get him home, though he warned that the upcoming trial may depict him in a negative light. John Paul and Theresa sat in bed debating how Ender would return to a normal life, and they worried that Peter would manipulate him when he returned. They decided to subtly give Valentine and Peter "public opinions" that would influence how they used their pseudonyms on the Nets.[2]
At dinner that night, Theresa raved about Ender's return, and John Paul told Peter that since he was Ender's brother he could get into any college he wanted, which insulted Peter as he knew he could make it with his own merit. This was calculated to remind Peter that he would always be in Ender's shadow if he came back to Earth, convincing him to decide to use his Locke persona to keep Ender in space.[2]
After Valentine and Peter published their essays, the Locke Proposal made it clear that Ender would not return home and Theresa cried about her lost son. They were angry at Peter and wondered how Ender would feel about his parents not stepping in at all.[2]
Valentine told them some time later that she had decided to join Ender in space and go to a colony, and they took it surprisingly well. She asked them to come with her but they said that their work was at home.[2]
Soon after arriving and catching up with her brother, Valentine wrote emails to her parents explaining that Ender was well but was obsessed with the Formics. She debated going into Stasis for the voyage or writing a history of Battle School during it. Theresa wrote back, saying that Valentine was now her favorite child as she accepted advice from her parents which she or Peter had never done before. Theresa and John Paul also said they were devastated that Ender still did not write to them.[2]
Shadow Puppets[]
John Paul and Theresa revealed to Peter that they knew about his children's work on the the Nets, and in fact manipulated some of their writings, although Peter had been sure that he was completely unaware of their political machinations.[6]
Once Peter had become Hegemon and offered protection to Achilles, John Paul created a keylogger to track Achilles' work on the nets. However, this conflicted with a keylogger that Peter's chief of security had already installed.[6]
Later Life[]
In late 41 AX, John Paul and Theresa finally received a letter from their son Ender, now the governor of the planet Shakespeare. It had been 47 years since they had last heard from him.[6]
Around 43-44 AX, Peter passed away in his sleep from a blood clot. Afterward, between the years of 44 and 58 AX, John Paul and Theresa both passed away in their late eighties/nineties.[6]
Personality[]
Trivia[]
- Known email addresses:
- John Paul was portrayed by Stevie Ray Dallimore in Ender's Game (Film).[8]
Quotes[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "Teacher's Pest"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Ender in Exile
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 "The Polish Boy"
- ↑ The Authorized Ender Companion
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 Ender's Game
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Shadow Puppets
- ↑ Ender Wiggin : Premières rencontres | L'atalante
- ↑ Ender's Game (Film)