Theresa Wiggin (née Brown) was the mother of Peter, Valentine, and Andrew Wiggin, and the wife of John Paul Wiggin.[3] She was first introduced in Ender's Game.
History[]
Past[]
Theresa Brown was born in 39 BX as the daughter of prominent Mormon military strategist Hinckley Brown. His book was essential to the International Fleet, but resigned from the I.F. in 20 BX because he refused to go along with the Hegemony population laws. Though she grew up Mormon, she repudiated the views later as she got older. [1]
Teacher's Pest[]
Theresa teaching while John Paul stares off into space in "Teacher's Pest".
As a graduate student, she taught an undergraduate course titled Human Community. On the first day of class in around the year 19 BX she noticed that one student, John Paul Wiggin, looked very bored and she called him out. He 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 student continued to harass Theresa and she kicked her from the class.[1]
After class, she reflected on what had transpired, and noticed she called John Paul "Wiggin Boy" despite the fact that he was probably the same age as her. She was beeped on her Desk by the Dean, and when she got to her office the dean and her entire dissertation committee and Dr. Howell were there. They told her that the foundation (controlled by the Hegemony) had decided to withdraw funding unless they removed her from the research project she created, citing her age. Dr. Howell admitted that it was only mostly due to her age, and that if Theresa convinced her father to come out of retirement then they would let her continue the project. Theresa was outraged but Dr. Howell said that even though her name wouldn't be on the project, everybody in the field would know who did it, and she would still get her doctorate. The dean adjourned the meeting and left. The members of her committee shook her hand and Dr. Howell hugged her and whispered for her not to die for her father's "war" professionally speaking.[1]
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, but could not concentrate on work. She then received a call from her father Hinckley Brown, and he expressed sympathy for her having her research pulled. She lashed out and expressed that she did not want him calling her and hung up. She cried for a bit and then dozed off, but when she awoke she left to get food.[1]
Theresa and John Paul having their picnic on the French edition cover of First Meetings in Ender's Universe.[5]
When she exited her office, she saw that John Paul had been regularly ordering different kinds of food, and throwing them out when they became cold. 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's Game[]
Theresa went on to marry John Paul, taking his name and bearing three children: Peter, Valentine, and Andrew. At a young age, the children all were fitted with a Monitor. The third child, who soon began going by the nickname Ender, had been requested by the International Fleet because Peter and Valentine had not lived up to the Hegemony's expectations and were not accepted to Battle School. Though not active in the religious tradition of her upbringing, she was upset that her husband baptized the three children in their infancy.[3]
When it was revealed that Ender had been chosen to go to Battle School, Theresa was stunned. More so, she was angry, as the decision to recruit her youngest child had come because he had brutally beaten a boy at school.[3] She loved Ender and was deeply saddened when he chose to go to Battle School. She missed him terribly and continued to hang his Christmas stocking, filling it with traditional gifts like five dollar coins. She was protective of her memories of Ender, which led to conflicts with a jealous Peter. Though Ender was not dead, Theresa acted as though he was and mourned him for years. Peter made Theresa a mosaic of Ender pictures for Christmas that year. The gift brought Theresa to tears, and she expressed her love for both her sons.[6]
Even after Ender’s victory over the Formics in the Third Formic War, Teresa still missed him. She would often comment that it was remarkable to her that he would one day be in the history books as the savior of Earth.[3]
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. Theresa and John Paul 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. Theresa forwarded Graff's email to Valentine with a hidden message.[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.[7]
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.[4]
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.[4]
Personality[]
Trivia[]
- Known email addresses:
- Theresa was born in Utah.[3]
- Theresa was portrayed by Andrea Powell in Ender's Game (Film).[4]
Quotes[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 "Teacher's Pest"
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 Ender in Exile
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Ender's Game
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Ender's Game (Film)
- ↑ Ender Wiggin : Premières rencontres | L'atalante
- ↑ "Ender's Stocking"
- ↑ Shadow Puppets