1. Running Head: ANALYSIS OF THE PIGMAN 1
ANALYSIS OF THE PIGMAN
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The Pigman
The pigman is a novel that narrates the lives of two teenagers, John and Lorraine. The
two play a game of calling complete strangers and keep them on the line as long as they
could. It was during Lorraine turn that she bumped to a stranger called Mr. Pignati under the
pretence of a charity fund for young actors and writers. Lorraine noticed the sadness and
loneliness of Mr. Pignati and this made him happy to have a person to talk to at last. The
teens insisted for a donation and Mr. Pignati agreed to donate ten dollars and they had to go
over to his house to collect the donation. This novel depicts the destiny and growing up of
children in the society (Zindel, 1975).
The next day the two teens went to pick the donation and they sat around, drunk his
wine and became sociable toward each other; indeed from that day they formed a family,
working together before the sudden change of events after the death of Mr. Pignati (Shmoop,
Shmoop Staff, 2010). These teens disliked school and they spent most of their time with Mr.
Pignati who they nicknamed as pigman. They develop a strong relationship while they grow
up and cooperating together with their new companion. The pigman’s house is where they
developed the aspect of love and trust as they felt unwanted and unloved by their families and
are in the path of self destruction. There are some valuable lessons that John and Lorraine
learn regarding the truth about friendship and betrayal that cannot be forgotten; they in turn
plan to have a destructive party in pigman’s house.
The themes that the novel portrays are the growing up, fate and destiny, and the gap
between generations. Growing up is the most prevalent theme as it depicts john and Lorraine
as the products of their families, which are dysfunctional. This indicates that the source of
troubles in everyone emanates from the family failure to model their children while growing
up. This is depicted by the youths who engage with the Pigman family because they have the
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feeling of disconnection from their family (Brent, 1987). The idea of growing up is fulfilled
as the teens learn painful lesson during the period they stayed with the pigman.
The theme of destiny is the novel’s main idea that poses the question of how often life
is coincidental by forcing individual to acts upon it as it unfolds. John and Lorraine had to
shift their love from their families to pigman as they received live and attention that they
never found from their family. They had to act on ways that they derived joy and affection
and this was derived from their association with pigman. Consequently the pigman received
what he had longed for from the two teen and he devoted his love and trust to them.
Therefore, the theme of destiny portrays how life can be blamed on individuals’
actions either passive or active involvement in nature. There are very many instances in the
novel filled with regrets resulting from ones actions. This is depicted by the teen betraying
the trust bestowed upon them by pigman by destroying his glass collection (Brent, 1987).
There is a generation gap in the novel as the two teens develop the life of adulthood while
their adult friend pigman adapts the life of a teenager. Pigman adapt a life that he had already
lived and this indicates how the line of adulthood and youth has been blurred.
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References
Brent, G. (1987). The Pigman's handbook. New York: Farming,
Shmoop, Shmoop Staff. (2010). The Pigman: Shmoop Literature Guide. New York: Shmoop
University Inc
Zindel, P. (1975). The Pigman. New York: HarperTeen
