The Pigman

            The content of the book may seem somewhat simple. However, I find that there are many important messages within the book. The story itself presented in The Pigman by Paul Zindel is very interesting and the characters are well developed. .
             There are three main characters in this book. John and Lorraine are good friends and are the ones who are supposed to have written the book. They take turns writing each chapter, starting with John. John begins by introducing himself and the actual story. He describes it as being a "memorial epic- to the man who they knew as the Pigman. John seems to be somewhat of a troublemaker, or simply a bad boy. Lorraine later describes him as being quite good-looking and tall with brown hair and blue eyes. He wants to eventually become an actor, for he has a very vivid imagination and much confidence.
             Lorraine is especially excited about writing this book partially because she wishes to become a writer. She also wishes to pay homage to the Pigman; they both eventually felt they were responsible for his death. Lorraine is very interested in psychology and all of the workings of the mind. She likes to describe John and his thoughts like she knows absolutely everything about him, even though he thinks he is much deeper than what she gives him credit for. Then, she describes her family and how she actually met John.
             Lorraine's father left her and her mother many years before and had died not long after. Her mother was very strict and was a stickler about cleanliness. Due to the circumstances surrounding the divorce, Lorraine's mother was very paranoid about any person sexually abusing Lorraine. Lorraine's mother had no respect for her. Lorraine's mother would insult her and make her feel absolutely insignificant. Lorraine's mother even occasionally abused her. Needless to say, Lorraine's self-esteem was not where it should have been. On the school bus, Lorraine sat by herself and one day, a boy sat next to her but did not even seem to notice her presence.