Ansible
The ansible—a communication device which allows instantaneous, faster-than-light communication across interstellar distances—isn't Orson Scott Card's. He stole it, as sneaky authors will do, an...
The Descolada
The Descolada is the virus that infects everything on Lusitania. It turns piggies into trees, watersnakes into the weeds by the river, and humans into dead humans… until Novinha's parents find a...
The Fence
The fence that separates humans and piggies symbolizes… separation. (That's the sort of insight you read Shmoop for, eh?)Separation can be tricky, though. On the one hand, the fence keeps humans...
The Third Life
The third life—the switch from piggie to tree—is a symbol for going to heaven. It's not especially subtle, and Human even specifically compares turning into a tree to the account of the afterli...
Time Travel
The Trondheim to Lusitania trip takes twenty-two years, which is a long way to go without rest-stops or a McDonald's. Due to the wonders of relativistic near-light space travel though, for those in...