A War of Gifts: An Ender Story
Encyclopedia
A War of Gifts: An Ender Story (2007) is a science fiction
novel by Orson Scott Card
. This book is set in Card's Ender's Game series
and takes place during Ender Wiggin's time at Battle School as described in Card's novels Ender's Game
and Ender's Shadow
.
where Zechariah 'Zeck' Morgan, a boy with nearly perfect memory, lives with his family. Though Zeck’s father is the minister of his own church and has raised Zeck to be a pacifist
, he beats the boy regularly. When the International Fleet shows up to take Zeck to Battle School, Zeck’s mother sees this as the perfect opportunity to get the boy away from his abusive father.
At Battle School, the other students barely tolerate Zeck because of his strong religious beliefs and his refusal to fight in the Battle Room. On December fifth Zeck sees a Dutch
boy put a Sinterklaas
Day gift in another Dutch boy’s shoe. Because religious holidays are forbidden at Battle School and Zeck has been taught by his father that Santa Claus is evil, he decides to report the two boys to Colonel Graff. After the Colonel calls the boys in and reprimands them, they decide to rebel by getting everyone to celebrate Christmas. When Zeck complains to the authorities, they refuse to do anything.
Zeck goes to the Muslim
students and points out that the Christian
s are being allowed to celebrate their holidays. Some of the Muslim students begin daily prayers. When the administration forcibly stops the Muslims from praying, the other students stop giving each other Christmas presents. They also refuse to speak to Zeck. When he begins to have a nervous breakdown because of the isolation, Ender Wiggin
decides to have a talk with him. In doing so, Ender discovers that Zeck was desperately trying to get sent back home so that he could protect his mother from his father. After he convinces Zeck that his mother doesn't need to be protected, Ender gives him a small Christmas present. When the other students learn that Zeck accepted the gift, they stop ignoring him and go back to tolerating him.
critics. The chief complaint with the story is that although it raises the issues of faith, religious freedom and religious suppression, it does so in a very superficial manner. Some critics have also commented on the character of Ender Wiggin who is described as being too Christ
-like to be believable.
fights with his mother over the Christmas stocking she has prepared for Ender while he is away at Battle School originally appeared in the short story "Ender's Stocking
" which was published in the October 2007 issue of Card’s webzine InterGalactic Medicine Show
. This chapter has been criticized for seeming to be unrelated to the rest of the book and for detracting from the rest of the story.
by Battle School graduates which plays a major role in the Shadow series. This is Alai, who becomes the Caliph in the Shadow series.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel by Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card is an American author, critic, public speaker, essayist, columnist, and political activist. He writes in several genres, but is primarily known for his science fiction. His novel Ender's Game and its sequel Speaker for the Dead both won Hugo and Nebula Awards, making Card the...
. This book is set in Card's Ender's Game series
Ender's Game series
The Ender's Game series is a series of science fiction books by Orson Scott Card. The series started with the novelette "Ender's Game", which was later expanded into the novel Ender's Game. It currently consists of eleven novels and ten short stories...
and takes place during Ender Wiggin's time at Battle School as described in Card's novels Ender's Game
Ender's Game
Ender's Game is a science fiction novel by American author Orson Scott Card. The book originated as the short story "Ender's Game", published in the August 1977 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact. Elaborating on characters and plot lines depicted in the novel, Card later wrote additional...
and Ender's Shadow
Ender's Shadow
Ender's Shadow is a parallel science fiction novel by the American author Orson Scott Card, taking place at the same time as the novel Ender's Game and depicting the same events from the point of view of Bean, a supporting character in the original novel. It was originally to be titled Urchin, but...
.
Plot summary
A War of Gifts begins in North CarolinaNorth Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
where Zechariah 'Zeck' Morgan, a boy with nearly perfect memory, lives with his family. Though Zeck’s father is the minister of his own church and has raised Zeck to be a pacifist
Pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
, he beats the boy regularly. When the International Fleet shows up to take Zeck to Battle School, Zeck’s mother sees this as the perfect opportunity to get the boy away from his abusive father.
At Battle School, the other students barely tolerate Zeck because of his strong religious beliefs and his refusal to fight in the Battle Room. On December fifth Zeck sees a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
boy put a Sinterklaas
Sinterklaas
Sinterklaas is a traditional Winter holiday figure still celebrated today in the Low Countries, including the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as French Flanders and Artois...
Day gift in another Dutch boy’s shoe. Because religious holidays are forbidden at Battle School and Zeck has been taught by his father that Santa Claus is evil, he decides to report the two boys to Colonel Graff. After the Colonel calls the boys in and reprimands them, they decide to rebel by getting everyone to celebrate Christmas. When Zeck complains to the authorities, they refuse to do anything.
Zeck goes to the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
students and points out that the Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s are being allowed to celebrate their holidays. Some of the Muslim students begin daily prayers. When the administration forcibly stops the Muslims from praying, the other students stop giving each other Christmas presents. They also refuse to speak to Zeck. When he begins to have a nervous breakdown because of the isolation, Ender Wiggin
Ender Wiggin
Andrew "Ender" Wiggin is a fictional character from Orson Scott Card's science fiction story Ender's Game and its sequels , as well as in the first part of the spin-off series, Ender's Shadow...
decides to have a talk with him. In doing so, Ender discovers that Zeck was desperately trying to get sent back home so that he could protect his mother from his father. After he convinces Zeck that his mother doesn't need to be protected, Ender gives him a small Christmas present. When the other students learn that Zeck accepted the gift, they stop ignoring him and go back to tolerating him.
Wiggin family
- Andrew "Ender" Wiggin
- Peter Wiggin - Ender's older brother
- Valentine Wiggin - Ender's older sister
- John Paul Wiggin - Ender's father
- Theresa Wiggin - Ender's mother
Students
- Dink Meeker - Dutch boy
- Filippus "Flip" Rietveld - Dutch boy
- "Rose de Nose" Rosen
- Ahmed - Pakistani (Muslim) student
- Other students - unnamed
- Bean
International Fleet personnel
- Captain Bridegan
- Agnes O’Toole - IF tester
- Colonel Graff - Battle School commander
- Teachers - unnamed
- Counselors - unnamed
- Marines - unnamed
Literary significance and reception
A War of Gifts was not particularly well received by genreGenre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
critics. The chief complaint with the story is that although it raises the issues of faith, religious freedom and religious suppression, it does so in a very superficial manner. Some critics have also commented on the character of Ender Wiggin who is described as being too Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
-like to be believable.
Connection to "Ender’s Stocking"
Chapter 2 Ender’s Stocking where PeterPeter Wiggin
Peter Wiggin is a fictional character in the science fiction novel Ender's Game and its sequels, written by Orson Scott Card. He has appeared in the novels Ender's Game, Shadow of the Hegemon, Shadow Puppets, Shadow of the Giant, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind and in an upcoming short story to...
fights with his mother over the Christmas stocking she has prepared for Ender while he is away at Battle School originally appeared in the short story "Ender's Stocking
Ender's Stocking (short story)
"Ender's Stocking" is a story by Orson Scott Card set in his Ender's Game universe. It tells the story of how Ender’s brother Peter figures out how he can get people to do what he wants. It appears in Card's Webzine InterGalactic Medicine Show....
" which was published in the October 2007 issue of Card’s webzine InterGalactic Medicine Show
Intergalactic Medicine Show
InterGalactic Medicine Show is an American online fantasy and science fiction magazine. It was founded by multiple award-winning author Orson Scott Card. An anthology also called Orson Scott Card's InterGalactic Medicine Show was published by Tor in August, 2008, featuring selected stories from...
. This chapter has been criticized for seeming to be unrelated to the rest of the book and for detracting from the rest of the story.
Connection to other parts of the Ender series
In addition to being set during Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow, the Islamic counter reaction to the Christmas celebrations in A War of Gifts sows the seeds for the creation of the Muslim CaliphateCaliphate
The term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...
by Battle School graduates which plays a major role in the Shadow series. This is Alai, who becomes the Caliph in the Shadow series.
See also
- Ender's Game (series)
- List of characters in the Ender's Game series
- Concepts in the Ender's Game series
- List of works by Orson Scott Card