A warm but strange relationship between the three quickly develops. The two teens discover a safe, accepting refuge in Mr. Pignati�s home. The big-hearted man can�t seem to give enough of himself to the teens, who soon have the run of his house and possessions. He shows him his prized collection of ceramic pigs, which earned him the moniker �Pigman.� They take the liberty of rummaging through his closets and drawers, and even use his house for a roller-skating rink. They accompany him on excursions to the zoo, where he visits Bobo, an old baboon he considers his best friend.
The lack of boundaries in the �Pigman�s� house are exhilarating but give John and Lorraine a sense that things are spinning out of control. It ultimately results in a tragedy that impacts all three lives irreversibly.
The book represents a memoir that John and Lorraine are writing about their experience with Mr. Pignati, and includes flashbacks as well as foreshadowing. They alternate writing chapters, so the story is told from their different perspectives, in their individual voices. Zindel creates unconventional, believable characters, who reveal themselves through their own narratives.
The setting is contemporary and realistic, with themes that are universal to every teen. The importance of friendship, conflict with parents, the struggle to establish independence, and the empathy that comes with maturity, are all addressed through the experiences of John and Lorraine.
Many teens assume that �old� people, including their parents, do not understand passion and love. Lorraine was surprised and shaken by the heart-wrenching grief of Mr. Pignati over the loss of his wife: �I couldn�t help thinking about my mother and father�that maybe as simple as Mr. Pignati was, he knew something about love and having fun that other people didn�t.� (p. 92)
Friends play a significant role in the lives of teens, often displacing the parent-child relationship. The frustration on both sides can be a tremendous source of conflict, as demonstrated in Lorraine�s relationship with her mother: �I wanted to yell, can�t you see I�m growing up and that I�ve got to have friends . . .that I need other people in this world besides you!� (p. 132)
The death of their friend shook the foundations of the teens' lives. For the first time, they were faced with their own mortality, and questioned the meaning of life: �I was glimpsing for the first time . . . the nice solid fact that someday I was going to end up in a coffin myself.� (p. 147)
�The Pigman is one of those touchstone books that set apart novels for adolescents� and �set the standard for writers to follow.� (Lesesne) Most teens, both boys and girls, will find traits in John and Lorraine with which they can identify. Their confrontation with issues that have challenged teens throughout the ages make this book a classic �must read� for young adults.
Awards for The Pigman
ALA Notable Children�s Book
ALA Best of the Best Books for Young Adults
Horn Book Fanfare
New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year
Relevant Websites
About Paul Zindel:
http://www.carr.org/mae/zindel/zindel.htm
A Paul Zindel Bibliography:
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/authors/Paul_Zindel.htm
Sources
HarperCollins Children�s Books. 2004. The Pigman by Paul Zindel. Available from
http://www.harperchildrens.com/catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=006026828X. Accessed 13 September 2004.
Lesesne, Teri. 1999. Humor, bathos and fear: An interview with Paul Zindel. Teacher Librarian 27 (2): 60-62. In WilsonWeb [database online]. Available from http://www.hwwilson.com. Accessed via TWU website 12 September 2004.
School of Library and Information Studies
TEXAS WOMAN'S UNIVERSITY