Bean (character)
Encyclopedia
Julian "Bean" Delphiki is a major character in Orson Scott Card
's science fiction
novels revolving around Ender Wiggin
. He is an important supporting character in Ender's Game
and the main character of the eponymous Bean Quartet (or Shadow Saga as it is officially known), consisting of Ender's Shadow
, Shadow of the Hegemon
, Shadow Puppets
, and Shadow of the Giant
. Bean will be featured in Card's newest novel, "Shadows in Flight
", which will be released on January 17, 2012, as well as Card's planned wrap up novel, "Shadows Alive
".
. He is ostracized by the other children on the streets for his small size. Desperate for food, Bean talks to Poke, a crew leader; the leader of a small gang of children, and convinces her to give him food in exchange for an idea. Poke gives Bean his name when she admits he isn't worth a bean. However, Poke becomes intrigued with Bean's idea, to get one of the bullies who prowl the streets to work for her crew. When Poke agrees and attempts to attack Achilles
, a bully with a crippled foot, Bean is struck with foreboding. Soon after, though Achilles makes a good 'papa' to the crew, getting them into the soup kitchen and protecting them, his insane need to kill anyone who has seen him in a vulnerable position causes him to murder Poke. This marks the end of Bean's street career.
First in the care of Sister Carlotta, an unconventional nun, and then at Battle School, Bean makes it clear that his abilities far exceed the possible—for a human. While Bean is studying at Battle School, Sister Carlotta does some research, and soon discovers that Bean is actually the son of Julian and Elena Delphiki, parents of Nikolai a fellow Battle School student. Kidnapped along with twenty-three others, he was genetically altered by his half Uncle, Constantine Volescu. Due to Bean's small size he was able to hide in a toilet tank and thus began living on the streets of Rotterdam. and then he dies as a troll
The alteration made was to turn a genetic key—called Anton's Key for the scientist who discovered it—which greatly enhanced Bean's mental powers, but cost him the greater part of his life. Small as he is at age six, he will eventually die a giant before he turns twenty.
At the Battle School, Bean knows nothing of these events except what he can glean from his expeditions through the ventilation system. As an extremely bright boy with a knack for extrapolation, he decides that to wait for the Formics (Buggers) to come and attack Earth would be strategic suicide. He states that the best idea would be a Human invasion, The Third Invasion, which was already on its way to the Bugger home world.
Meanwhile, Bean does much work behind the scenes, putting together Ender's Dragon Army and helping as much as he can. In the final battle of the Third Invasion, it is Bean's wry remark in reaction to the impossible task ahead ("The enemy's gate is down") which trigger's Ender's ultimately successful venture.
The book ends with Bean and Nikolai being reunited with their parents.
Though Bean is only seven when the Buggers are eliminated, it is later stated that he does not return to Earth and his parents until age eleven. This four year difference is due to the turmoil that existed on Earth from the subsequent power play from the different Earth powers.
to combat this threat. Bean is most concerned for Petra's welfare, and finds a coded message sent by Petra that leads to the release of all of Ender's jeesh except for her. Achilles captures Petra while she is being released and takes her to India where he already has a position of power. From there he negotiates a non-aggression pact between India and Pakistan. This agreement allows India to pursue an empire in Southeast Asia and Pakistan to prepare for a war to unite the Islamic nations.
Bean travels to Thailand, which is threatened by a newly adventurous India, where he helps train a strike force under Suriyawong (a member of Ender's Dragon Army). He assumes the name Borommakot, the name of a former Thai king. Another assassination attempt on him (and Suriyawong) leads Bean to request Sister Carlotta's presence. Achilles, however, shoots down the plane in which she is traveling. Near the end of the novel, Bean engineers a rescue mission in which he successfully, and without casualties on either side, rescues Petra from Achilles, who has betrayed India by making them vulnerable to the Chinese. India and all of Southeast Asia is conquered by China. Pakistan aborts their war with the rest of the Islamic nations in order to unite with them against this new enemy. A following scene at Sister Carlotta's cenotaph
foreshadows Bean and Petra's future romance. Finally, Peter Wiggin, newly-elected Hegemon, bestows the office of Strategos on Bean. Peter relocates the main Hegemony offices to Ribeirão Preto
, Brazil
, where Bean and his family are reunited.
Bean and Petra split up; Bean places Petra in the cab of an Indonesian cabdriver secretly in the employ of the Caliph, who takes her to the airport to fly to Damascus. Bean gets into a different cab and is nearly assassinated by the driver. Saved by other agents of the Caliph, he also makes his way to meet with Petra and Alai. While in Damascus, Achilles contacts Bean to tell him that he possesses the five stolen embryos, offering him a chance to meet at the Hegemon compound and take them back. Bean flies to Brazil and kills Achilles, having already decided that Achilles was lying about possessing the embryos and that Volescu must still have them. Petra flies to Brazil to meet up with Bean again and settle down in Araraquara, a city Bean had visited while traveling with Sister Carlotta. The novel ends with Bean and Petra determined to rediscover the lost embryos.
n Giant" by the Rwanda
ns, due to his noticeably African features. Bean's time on Earth is very limited; there is simply not enough time left to him to find a cure.
As commander, Bean plays a pivotal role in helping Peter unite the world under the Hegemony. Peter creates the Free People of Earth (FPE) organization. To join, the population of a country must hold plebiscites to vote to ratify the FPE constitution
as their own. Once part of the FPE, a country is protected by FPE military forces. Rwanda is one of the earliest countries to agree to join FPE. However, Felix Starman, the head of Rwanda, requests that Giant Julian lead the Rwandan army. Aside from Bean being the greatest military mind in human history, having a commander with some African heritage and features would play to the patriotic side of the Rwandan soldiers. Bean turns the Rwandan army into an irresistible force. The effectiveness of his leadership initially frightens many countries into holding plebiscites to discuss joining FPE rather than getting defeated by an army Bean commands.
From the advice of the Minister of Colonization Graff, Bean follows in Ender
's footsteps to live at relativistic light-speed along with three of his children who share his disorder, in the hope that a cure can be found for the condition, while Petra and Bean's five 'normal' children remain on Earth. It is revealed that a ninth child of Bean's, who also has Anton's Key, was birthed by and is under the care of a woman named Randi, who plans to take the child with her to a colony world and raise him as Achilles' heir. By the end of the novel decades later, a cure has still not been discovered, and it is unknown how Bean lives the remainder of his life. The fate of Bean's ninth child is revealed in Card's novel Ender in Exile.
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...
's science fiction
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...
novels revolving around 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...
. He is an important supporting character in 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 the main character of the eponymous Bean Quartet (or Shadow Saga as it is officially known), consisting of 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...
, Shadow of the Hegemon
Shadow of the Hegemon
Shadow of the Hegemon is the second novel in the Ender's Shadow series by Orson Scott Card. It is also the sixth novel in the Ender's Game series. It is told mostly from the point of view of Bean, a largely peripheral character in the original novel Ender's Game...
, Shadow Puppets
Shadow Puppets
Shadow Puppets , by Orson Scott Card is the sequel to Shadow of the Hegemon and the third book in the Ender's Shadow series . It was originally to be called Shadow of Death.-Plot summary:...
, and Shadow of the Giant
Shadow of the Giant
Shadow of the Giant is the fourth novel in Orson Scott Card's Ender's Shadow series.-Plot summary:A belief is spreading in conquered China that the government has lost the Mandate of Heaven. Han Tzu meets up with Mazer Rackham, who passes him a blow dart pen, calling it the "Mandate of Heaven"...
. Bean will be featured in Card's newest novel, "Shadows in Flight
Shadows in Flight
Shadows in Flight is a planned science fiction novel by Orson Scott Card in the Ender's Game series. This story should not be confused with Shadows Alive, the big wrap-up novel that brings Bean's children together with Peter and Valentine from Children of the Mind. It is about Bean and his...
", which will be released on January 17, 2012, as well as Card's planned wrap up novel, "Shadows Alive
Shadows Alive
Shadows Alive is a planned science fiction novel by Orson Scott Card in the Ender's Game series. It will link the Ender's Shadow books back to the Ender Saga....
".
Ender's Shadow
At the age of four, Bean is living on the streets of RotterdamRotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
. He is ostracized by the other children on the streets for his small size. Desperate for food, Bean talks to Poke, a crew leader; the leader of a small gang of children, and convinces her to give him food in exchange for an idea. Poke gives Bean his name when she admits he isn't worth a bean. However, Poke becomes intrigued with Bean's idea, to get one of the bullies who prowl the streets to work for her crew. When Poke agrees and attempts to attack Achilles
Achilles de Flandres
Achilles de Flandres is a major character and the primary antagonist in Orson Scott Card's Shadow series . It is part of the universe created in the novel and short story Ender's Game...
, a bully with a crippled foot, Bean is struck with foreboding. Soon after, though Achilles makes a good 'papa' to the crew, getting them into the soup kitchen and protecting them, his insane need to kill anyone who has seen him in a vulnerable position causes him to murder Poke. This marks the end of Bean's street career.
First in the care of Sister Carlotta, an unconventional nun, and then at Battle School, Bean makes it clear that his abilities far exceed the possible—for a human. While Bean is studying at Battle School, Sister Carlotta does some research, and soon discovers that Bean is actually the son of Julian and Elena Delphiki, parents of Nikolai a fellow Battle School student. Kidnapped along with twenty-three others, he was genetically altered by his half Uncle, Constantine Volescu. Due to Bean's small size he was able to hide in a toilet tank and thus began living on the streets of Rotterdam. and then he dies as a troll
The alteration made was to turn a genetic key—called Anton's Key for the scientist who discovered it—which greatly enhanced Bean's mental powers, but cost him the greater part of his life. Small as he is at age six, he will eventually die a giant before he turns twenty.
At the Battle School, Bean knows nothing of these events except what he can glean from his expeditions through the ventilation system. As an extremely bright boy with a knack for extrapolation, he decides that to wait for the Formics (Buggers) to come and attack Earth would be strategic suicide. He states that the best idea would be a Human invasion, The Third Invasion, which was already on its way to the Bugger home world.
Meanwhile, Bean does much work behind the scenes, putting together Ender's Dragon Army and helping as much as he can. In the final battle of the Third Invasion, it is Bean's wry remark in reaction to the impossible task ahead ("The enemy's gate is down") which trigger's Ender's ultimately successful venture.
The book ends with Bean and Nikolai being reunited with their parents.
Though Bean is only seven when the Buggers are eliminated, it is later stated that he does not return to Earth and his parents until age eleven. This four year difference is due to the turmoil that existed on Earth from the subsequent power play from the different Earth powers.
Shadow of the Hegemon
Bean's tranquil life with the Delphikis is short-lived. While the family is on vacation, Achilles, who, since the events of Ender's Shadow, has used his considerable intellect to gain influence and power in Russia and other empire-minded countries, tries to kill them outright. Bean and the Delphikis separate; Bean goes into hiding with Sister Carlotta, and the Delphiki family disappears with the help of Graff. Bean later learns that Achilles has captured all of Ender's "jeesh" (the command group that was with Ender during the final battles of the Formic Wars) except for Bean (whom he tried to kill) and Ender (who is among the first to colonize a former bugger world). Bean later allies himself with Peter WigginPeter 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...
to combat this threat. Bean is most concerned for Petra's welfare, and finds a coded message sent by Petra that leads to the release of all of Ender's jeesh except for her. Achilles captures Petra while she is being released and takes her to India where he already has a position of power. From there he negotiates a non-aggression pact between India and Pakistan. This agreement allows India to pursue an empire in Southeast Asia and Pakistan to prepare for a war to unite the Islamic nations.
Bean travels to Thailand, which is threatened by a newly adventurous India, where he helps train a strike force under Suriyawong (a member of Ender's Dragon Army). He assumes the name Borommakot, the name of a former Thai king. Another assassination attempt on him (and Suriyawong) leads Bean to request Sister Carlotta's presence. Achilles, however, shoots down the plane in which she is traveling. Near the end of the novel, Bean engineers a rescue mission in which he successfully, and without casualties on either side, rescues Petra from Achilles, who has betrayed India by making them vulnerable to the Chinese. India and all of Southeast Asia is conquered by China. Pakistan aborts their war with the rest of the Islamic nations in order to unite with them against this new enemy. A following scene at Sister Carlotta's cenotaph
Cenotaph
A cenotaph is an "empty tomb" or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere. The word derives from the Greek κενοτάφιον = kenotaphion...
foreshadows Bean and Petra's future romance. Finally, Peter Wiggin, newly-elected Hegemon, bestows the office of Strategos on Bean. Peter relocates the main Hegemony offices to Ribeirão Preto
Ribeirão Preto
Ribeirão Preto is a municipality and city in the Northeastern region of the state of São Paulo in Brazil. It is nicknamed Brazilian California, because of a combination of an economy based on agrobusiness plus high technology, wealth and sunny weather all year long. With 605,114 inhabitants,...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, where Bean and his family are reunited.
Shadow Puppets
Following Peter's decision to free Achilles and bring him to Ribeirão Preto, Bean and Petra leave the Hegemon's employ and travel the world under false identities to remain hidden to Achilles. Bean meets with Ambul, a former soldier under Bean in Battle School's Rabbit Army, and gives him the task of finding a way to meet with Alai, who has dropped out of sight but is assumed to be highly placed in the Muslim defense forces. In an attempt to convince Bean to have children, Bean and Petra meet with Anton, the scientist who discovered Anton's Key, and then with Volescu, who genetically enhanced Bean's embryo by turning it. Bean is assured by Volescu that he can determine the status of Anton's Key within an embryo, and agrees to create nine embryos but destroy those with Anton's Key turned. Volescu implants one of the embryos into Petra, appears to destroy three more, and places the remaining five into safekeeping under the eye of a guard hired by Bean. However, Volescu faked the destruction of the three embryos in the lab and bribes the guard to reacquire the other five.Bean and Petra split up; Bean places Petra in the cab of an Indonesian cabdriver secretly in the employ of the Caliph, who takes her to the airport to fly to Damascus. Bean gets into a different cab and is nearly assassinated by the driver. Saved by other agents of the Caliph, he also makes his way to meet with Petra and Alai. While in Damascus, Achilles contacts Bean to tell him that he possesses the five stolen embryos, offering him a chance to meet at the Hegemon compound and take them back. Bean flies to Brazil and kills Achilles, having already decided that Achilles was lying about possessing the embryos and that Volescu must still have them. Petra flies to Brazil to meet up with Bean again and settle down in Araraquara, a city Bean had visited while traveling with Sister Carlotta. The novel ends with Bean and Petra determined to rediscover the lost embryos.
Shadow of the Giant
In this novel, Bean is around sixteen years old (his exact age is unknown because Volescu destroyed all of his records, and author Orson Scott Card does not specify anyone's particular age throughout the novel). Anton's Key has caused his body to undergo rapidly accelerated growth; he is becoming extremely tall and strong, and is nicknamed "the AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n Giant" by the Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
ns, due to his noticeably African features. Bean's time on Earth is very limited; there is simply not enough time left to him to find a cure.
As commander, Bean plays a pivotal role in helping Peter unite the world under the Hegemony. Peter creates the Free People of Earth (FPE) organization. To join, the population of a country must hold plebiscites to vote to ratify the FPE constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
as their own. Once part of the FPE, a country is protected by FPE military forces. Rwanda is one of the earliest countries to agree to join FPE. However, Felix Starman, the head of Rwanda, requests that Giant Julian lead the Rwandan army. Aside from Bean being the greatest military mind in human history, having a commander with some African heritage and features would play to the patriotic side of the Rwandan soldiers. Bean turns the Rwandan army into an irresistible force. The effectiveness of his leadership initially frightens many countries into holding plebiscites to discuss joining FPE rather than getting defeated by an army Bean commands.
From the advice of the Minister of Colonization Graff, Bean follows in Ender
Ender
Ender may refer to:As a given name:* Ender Alkan, Turkish footballer* Ender Arslan, Turkish basketball player* Ender Konca, Turkish footballerAs a surname:* Kornelia Ender , East German swimmer, multiple Olympic champion...
's footsteps to live at relativistic light-speed along with three of his children who share his disorder, in the hope that a cure can be found for the condition, while Petra and Bean's five 'normal' children remain on Earth. It is revealed that a ninth child of Bean's, who also has Anton's Key, was birthed by and is under the care of a woman named Randi, who plans to take the child with her to a colony world and raise him as Achilles' heir. By the end of the novel decades later, a cure has still not been discovered, and it is unknown how Bean lives the remainder of his life. The fate of Bean's ninth child is revealed in Card's novel Ender in Exile.