End of the book CER

John is a very careless, mischievous, selfish, and ignorant character. That definitely makes him a weak character. He took Mr. Pignati for granted and Lorraine went along with him. He did change at the end of the book. In the book it said that he was extremely sorry that they wrecked his house even though it didn't seem like it, especially to Lorraine.  He was there when Mr. Pignati waiting there while he died so that shows that he actually did care about the old man. Him and Lorraine also tried to bring Pigman and Bobo together. John changed from a selfish kid, to a caring kid. 

I liked this book, it was a story about a lonely man and two lonely kids that came together from a dumb game. They were all friends and they all cared about each other. The Pigman told them things to let them get to know him which showed trust. The kids trashed his house but felt terrible afterwards, and wanted to do anything they could to let him forgive them. That shows that they actually care about his feelings. 

SPOILERS!!! (Even tho you should have finished it by now)

I hated the end of this book, because the kids were trying to fix what they did and two horrible things happened. 

Angelo Pignati

Angelo Pignati is innocent and excited, but also depressed. This makes him more sensitive, but he's still a kind person. He changes towards the middle of the book when he talks about his wife.

I really liked this book. It hit home with me on some of the problems that the characters were going through. My favorite part was probably.. ..Well, I can't name one in particular. Almost the whole thing was pretty good. My least favorite parts were when John was being an idiot, just because I kind of wanted to throw my book at the wall whenever that happened.

Lorraine, Strong or Weak? Also, Opinion of Book, (SPOILERS)

     Lorraine started off the book jittery, anxious, and nervous. When Lorraine started talking to the pigman, you can already see the improvement in Lorraine's state of mind. Lorraine started to gain self-esteem. You can see in the beginning of the book, after the events happened, that she was calm and nice. However, when they start the book, you can see how awkward she was. After the pigman's unfortunate death, she most certainly learned a lot from the experience. She let out all of her pent up emotion, as seen when she yells, "We killed him!" This is what i think personally of Lorraine's state of mind.

     I really liked the book. It was very sad in the end after Bobo's death, as well as the Pigman's. This book really plays with your emotion, it starts of in the beginning getting you to feel sympathy for the Pigman, as he sounds very lonely over the phone. You of course, later find out that his wife had died. This whole book was just one emotional rollercoaster, and I liked it. I really enjoyed this book, I hope other people read this book, and experience it as emotionally as I did. 

CER

John has traits that give him advantages such as his handsomeness, popularity, leader, ambitious, and adventurous. These traits give him advantages. John kind of changes throughout the book but overall he's made so little changes that you wouldn't even call it changing.

The book was probably one of the most strangest and most depressing books that I have come across. This book was oddly good because for some reason I ship Lorraine and John. My favorite parts were the special Lorraine and John moments such as them kissing for the first time or on the bus bursting in laughter. I hated all the deaths that happen in the book.

High School Cliques

If John were in a high school clique he would probably wouldn't be popular, but more sporty/jock. John is a troublemaker, but seems like he doesn't really have as many close friends as you would assume he would. Sure, John is known by most the girls, but that doesn't mean he has lots of friends. The book seems to hint that Lorraine is actually his only real friend.
I don't think John would turn in all of his work in on time because like said earlier he is a huge troublemaker, and doesn't really study or do homework after school. Most of the time John just smokes and drinks in the cemetery with Lorraine.
Since John is actually a high school students, we know more about how to really interacts with people at school. Like I said earlier, John doesn't have much friends, but isn't hated. He is sort of mutual, so in school I would think he is more laid back, and quiet. This tells us that he isn't as popular as he tries to be, even though he does drink and smoke. This also tells us how important Lorraine really is to him, since she is one of his only true friends.

High School Clique Post

I will be analyzing John today for our main character considering he is one of them. John I feel, wouldn't be popular. He would be one who just kept to himself in all his classes. He wouldn't be messed around with because he stayed quiet, most of the time. He does though have a sense of humor so he would pull pranks like the book said he had previously. I feel that he wouldn't always generally turn his work in on time. I feel he is the kind of guy who, if he likes the subject or knows it's important to him he will, but won't any other time.

While in the book he is actually in high school, we don't hear much about him other than that he pulled pranks involving bombs and rolling apples (both are on opposite ends of the spectrum). It never talks about their interactions with others but it does give off that he is sort of a "lone wolf" kind of guy. This is what I feel John would be like in a High School Clique.

Nayah V.G.

The traits that I think John has is definitely sneaky, impolite, (have seen him talk to people muhahah)silly, and fierce. I think he is a strong person but some of his traits make him weak. He is a strong independent character  ( one of the main characters might i add) and he is strong in many ways in this book like his cunning humores character traits that make us all want to love him. But  other traits he own like selfishness and greed make him a very weak character and when he shows the trait we are all probably think, " Oh come on man you were doing SOOO good." But at last he still does so I would call him both. ~ <3

Eliana C. B.

I am picking the main male character John.

The traits that John have are ignorant, impolite, and rude It makes him in the middle area because only a few would listen to him actually but most would listen to him because he scared them or whatnot.I think he changes to be a little kinder to people because the pigman passes away and i think that helps him realize that lots of people he cares for (A.K.A Lorraine)will eventually pass away.

I think that the book was interesting but its not my absolute favorite. I'm into more of science fiction books(A.K.A The Matched series or the Uglies series).But i have a few moments in the book because they made me happy or laugh.

High-School Clique

      If Mr. Pignati was in a high-school clique, he would be one of the nice goody goody kids. He would sit at the front of the class and always have a smile on his face. He would be socially awkward, but nice. I imagine this is what clique Mr. Pignati would be in.

     Mr. Pignati would indeed turn in all of his work on time and may even go the extra mile and ask for extra credit. I firmly believe that he would be an overachiever. 

     Like I said before, Mr. Pignati would be socially awkward. He would be awkward to talk to, but he would try his hardest to be nice. He would be shy to even interact with a girl. Now, of course, he would learn how to talk to people when he grows older, as he is very nice and formal as an adult. This is how I think Mr. Pignati would be if he was in a high-school clique.

High School Clique

John is popular but Lorraine would be more of a nerdy type. John is like a annoying trouble maker and Lorraine is a smart individual.

Lorraine would always turn in her work unless John distracts her. John on the other hand doesn't probably care. John would be very interactive with others because he's apparently handsome and popular. Lorraine would probably just try to isolate everyone and focus on school instead of friends. This tells that John is social and Lorraine isolates from people.

Natalie Keller (Clique for John)

John probably would be known for being annoying but not popular. He isn't really sporty, he just has bad habits. He doesn't turn in his work on time, it even said in the book that he had 42 assignments missing. He is a high-school student and it said that he plays pranks on everybody and only has a few friends. This character is a bad influence on everybody and doesn't care if he fails in school. 

Imagine That Your Character Is Part Of A High-School Clique

John would probably be one of those guys that would be the stereotypical "Rebellious teenage boy who's up to nothing but trouble but secretly has a tragic past but SHHHHHHH don't tell anyone because he wants to look tough".

He would never turn in his work. End of story.

He's always messing with people and disrupting class. He's not very responsible.

Sporty? or Nerdy?

My character is John john, I think would be popular because in the book it says that he's "handsome". Also, I think he would turn in some of his work on time,but not all of it because i think he won't care about school.

Pigman

My person would be popular with most of the girls because he is "handsome" according to the book
My person would not turn in his work at all because on sentence said he had 42 late homework assessments
My person gets along well with some kids at the school but he does drink a lot so mostly his friends are bad kids

N.V.G

I feel that John would be popular but like he wouldn't really know what he is popular for. He would most definitely not turn in his homework on time properly not turn it in at all. He would be sort of distant with the exception of his close friends. What this tells me about John is that he is one of these carefree people who think the world revolves around him but the people who do see the real still love him.

Talking With The Pignati (Seth Holmes)

So, I heard you had a party thrown at your house recently. Why did you allow those crazy kids into your house to party? I wouldn't of. There are a lot of creepy people in this neighborhood. That's just one thing that has been on my mind.

I also heard that a kid broke many of the pigs inside of your collection. How do you feel after you found out about all these broken collectables? It sounds like a lot to go through in just one night. I know how much those pigs meant to you. I would love to help you replace some of those pigs those awful teenagers destroyed. 

If there is anyhting I can help with just call me at 2347093

Weak Or Strong?

Mr. Pignati is very weak  because he's been through a lot of pain and he had a heart attack. He tries being positive but his feelings are all over the place.

He seems like hes able to cope with his emotions so he might be in the middle - Isaac Rivera
He's a little bit weak because he's always weird and always talking his feelings and it's just a weird time. - Natalie Keller

No, Mr. Pignati will stay weak because his emotions cannot be coped with and he just seems too lonely to be happy.

Strong or Weak? Natalie Keller

Lorraine is a very weak character. She worries everyday about John and the Pigman and what they do and what she gets pulled in to.  She sometimes thinks that she is the boss but somehow she always gets dragged down to John's mischievous ways. She needs to stand up for what she wants to do and not only what John wants to do. For example she had to go to Mr. Pignati's house but she never wanted to. 

(Lily,lauren,seth,gerti) summarization of discussion and book spoilers

We started talking about How characters changed throughout the story.Lorraine changed from shy to being more comfortable around people. John changed from being rude and selfish to nice and respectful.Although John still does some bad stuff. we also talked about the feelings of the characters toward other people and things. We talked about the death of Bobo and how it effected the other characters. It effected Pignati by getting a heart attack and dying.It affected John by having his attitude change. Lorraine changed because she became more social and responsible. We talked a lot about the reason to Pignati's death and how it effected the other characters. Overall, the characters were totally different people from the beginning to the end of the story.

Today During Our Group Discussion...

      Today in my group's discussion we talked in a very deep sense about The Pigman, its' meanings and the impact it may have had on the media in the 1970's. In short, we all hated The Pigman and all declared it one of the worst books we have ever read, but that doesn't mean that the story didn't have a time of importance.

       In the 1970's the world of literature had never seen anything like this thus far, all books depicted life and teenagers as though they were a fairy tale, with no real issues struggling with addiction, abuse and loss. This book proved to people that the world is different from what we're shown and from then increased the level of stories dealing with issues like these drastically.

But therein also lies the issue.

       Books like these became so commonplace, with every adult, child or teenager struggling with issues with addiction, sex, thievery (basically anything you could think of) to the point where it becomes over saturated, and The Pigman loses its' spark entering the 21st century.

Eliana C. B.

I think my character is in the middle because she really lets some people walk all over her but she can also tell them no, but she is more on the weaker side because she really doesn't have much affect on the other main character
My group picked john so i had no one to compare to
I think she will move to the stronger side at the end because if the Pigman dies then i think she will have more influence to the other main charater

Nayah V.G.

I would say John is a very strong character he is not one to be taken lightly. He is definitely not afraid to say what is on his mind as you all know if you read the book (Pigman). He is definitely no pushover  but he is  mostly the one standing over someone. He is this way because in the books he is this coning very self-centered person  who is looking out for him and is always getting what he wants even if it means to lie or fight. Some people do call this type of person very brave or careless. My group said he was in the middle because some of these trait do drag him done and i do not disagree with that but at the end he dose end up the better person ~ I guess in his own way~( i am done with book)

Summary

John and Lorraine went to Manhattan to Beeckerman's Department Store. He buys them a lot of stuff, like food and roller skates. We think he is doing this because he is lonely because his wife is dead and he has no one. After a few days Bobo died so he is even more lonely. Later that day John and Lorraine told Pigman the truth and he didn't care that much. So they started to play tag on their roller skates and John went up the stairs and when Pigman chased him he got a heart attack. When the officers came John and Lorraine told them that they were his kids and they were Italian. Now its been a couple of days since Pigman has been at the hospital and he is coming back after like 72 hours.

(Lauren Eiman) Talking to Lorraine

Lorraine, you probably should be making better choices. I know that you don't drink beer or smoke like John does, but you still need to think before you act. What I mean is that before you do something, just think about if you will get in trouble doing it or if it will harm someone in any way. For example, it was probably not the best idea to have a party. First of all it was not right to throw a party at the Pigman's house. Also, you and John made a big mess and didn't even clean it up.

Another thing that you probably should have thought about was prank calling random people. I know that it is not harmful, but it was not the smartest. You and John lied to Mr. Pignati and thought that it was okay to take money from an old man. If I was Mr. Pignati, I would have not just let you and John gety away with that. Also, I think that if you treated him  like that, that he probably shouldn't have spoiled you guys and bought you what you wanted.

When you lied to your mother about going to the Latin club, that was not a good idea. First of all you invited people to Mr. Pignati's house and it went berserk. Also, you made a mess and then went back to your house like nothing happened. I know you had to go in the police car because John was drunk, and that wasn't your fault. When you got to your house your mother was terrified. She marched you in the house and told you to clean the house while she was at work the next morning. Instead of doing it, you went to the zoo and Mr. Pignati's again.

Overall, you need to make better choices. You wouldn't get in trouble if you would just do what you are supposed to. I know John needs to make better choices too. He needs to stop smoking and drinking and get some help. If you both change, you won't make bad choices and you will both be better people.

(Lily)What would you say to your main character right now?

It would so cool if I had the chance to talk to my main character.If I could say something to John right now it would most likely be something to make him feel better about Mr. Pignati. I would tell him not to worry and to maybe tell Mr. Pignati the truth at what him and Lorraine did to him at first. I would tell him to do this in case he doesn't get the chance to later on. He probably feels guilty about it.

Although I would also tell him something harsh. I would tell him to stop acting like he doesn't care about anything. Inside I know that he really does. Maybe if he started acting nicer people would be more nice to him in return.He should make sure Mr. Pignati knows that he cares about him.

If I had the chance to talk to Lorraine it would also be very interesting. I would tell her to maybe step out of her comfort zone a little bit. She doesn't take as many chances as John. I say this because she doesn't take any risks. I think that if she did then she might have a little more fun in life.

Ratings of the Pigman's Characters

I, like my other group members found it that Lorraine was weak, and there are lots of reasons. Her character never does anything on her own, or make bold decisions. Her character was weak at the beginning and never got any better. Lorraine didn't have any point other than just being another pointless entity in the book.

Another thing my group and I got similar was that John was a relatively strong character. John seemed like the type (pun intended) that stayed on his own and was always cold and tough on the outside. The highschool drinker also seemed like he had shaped this way by how he had a rough life in his family. He seemed to spend more time and be more tentative to Lorraine and The Pigman.

Mr. Pignati or Pigman seemed to be a bit controversial to our group. Others said he was weak while I put him neutrally because he didn't have a lot to be strong or weak about. He was just there to go to the zoo with the others and have a heart attack and stuff. I guess he was relatively weak but to me he just seemed like a constantly cheery guy who was very bland.

-Henry S.

Are John and Lorraine Strong or Weak?

I think John is a strong character because he has his own opinion and does what he wants. In the book John smokes and drinks even though everyone tells him not to. He may not be the smartest, but he is strong minded and stubborn. John leads Lorraine, which is a sign of a strong person. Everyone in my group put John in the exact same place on the scale, which was between the middle and strong.

Lorraine, on the other hand, was decided as a pretty weak character. Everyone put her between weak and the middle, mainly because she can't seem to make her own decisions. Lorraine just follows John around and does whatever she wants. She can't even convince him to stop drinking and smoking. Lorraine isn't very strong willed, making her a weak character. Towards the end of the book she does seem to become stronger by sticking up to her mom when something went terribly wrong and she got in trouble. I think this might be a sign that she would be stronger in future books, but I'm not sure if it was just a one time deal. The book did make it seem that Mr. Pignati had a real positive influence on the kids, which may change both John and Lorraine's strength level.

Weak to Strong

       In my group, discussing the strength of the characters in the novel The Pigman, was proved to actually be quite easy.

       We compared where we each placed John, the story's main character, to which we all had seemed to put in him in exactly the same spot (3/4 to the end of the line at "strong"). Next, we compared our placement of Mr. Pignati himself. To which yet again we had placed him at the weakest possible increment, due to his overall weak personality.

        Lastly, we looked at our last main character, Lorraine. This was slightly more challenging as we all had different ideals of how strong she seemed to be as a character but eventually all came to a consensus that she was a rather lifeless, weak character.

conflict so far zach parmer

I think the conflict in the pigman is man vs. man. I think this because the main charictar John is fighting with his teachers. He fights with his teachers because he pulls pranks in the bathroom and gets away with it. When he pulls the pranks he never gets caught because he is never in the bathroom when they happen. His teachers are always trying to find him and he is always running from them.
John is also running from the cops. He is addicted to drugs and the cops saw him in the cemetery smoking and have been trying to find him. He is also putting his friends in danger so they are in the conflict too. Also he is running from the cop because he drinks illegally too. He hates the cops and the cops hate him.

       I would say to John that he needs to get his act together and quit doing dumb stuff. He shouldn't have taken ten dollars form Mr. Pignati to start with. Also he needs to grow some maturity and realize he is about an adult and needs to stop goofing off too much. I would tell him that he has a bright future if he just tried hard and stayed focused.
       He has very good traits and is pretty smart, he just needs to push himself. Also to stay healthy and avoid accidents he needs to quit smoking and drinking. He is not going to get anywhere in life if he keeps this habit up. Also it's illegal and dangerous at the age he is at.
      John has potential I just don't think he knows that. I would make sure to tell him that he can be successful when he grows up. I don't know if he would listen to me but it would be worth a try. He is a sweet guy, but I don't think he cares or knows he can grow up and be something.

What I would Say To John (Erin M.)

If I had one thing to say to John it would be "WHY DID YOU HAVE THE PARTY"? Don't you know that that was stupid? I mean, you broke Mr. Pignati's prize possessions, it's a wonder he didn't press charges! Then, you're like, I'll go apologize to him. If I were Mr. Pignati, I would have said forget you. You broke my things and destroyed my house. I don't care about you anymore. John, you're just being super idiotic and stupid. I almost feel bad for anybody that's around you. Mr. Pignati was such a nice person to you, and this is how you repay him?

I would also talk to John about his bad habits. When you smoke and drink, you're pretty much slowly killing yourself. He could probably be a good student if he stopped smoking and drinking and procrastinating. I mean, you don't have to follow in your father's footsteps (which probably isn't the wisest idea).

What I would say to John; Zach Parmer

First of all John I know that you are a delinquent. Although you are a delinquent your pranks are really cool. Like the one you did with the apples and the fire crackers in the bathroom. You're a funny guy and everyone knows it. You could be funny for another reason though instead of pranks.
Also John, you need to lay off the drugs. I'm sure you know by now that drugs are bad for you. I mean, you saw what they did to you at that party where you got drunk. Also you could have more friends if you didn't do drugs. Everyone wants a friend that they can rely on and you could be that friend.
I would say this to John because has the potential to become one of the best people in his school. He can't do any of that if he is running from the cops and or teachers. He knows that drugs are bad for him but he does it anyway and gets into trouble. Also if he were to stop pranking then he would gain maturity. Overall I think that John should stop doing drugs and pranks.

What I Would Say

 If I had a chance to talk to John, I would tell him to become a little bit more mature. For example, first thing I would tell him is to stop smoking and drinking as much. I would tell him to be more responsible. I would say that he needs to listen to Lorraine sometimes.

I would tell Lorraine, to be a little bit more relaxed. Like she freaks out about every little thing. So that's why she needs to be a little bit more laid back. It's good that she's responsible but she needs to dial it down a little.

So overall, I like how the characters are but they just need to change a little bit. Like John needs to be more responsible, and Lorraine needs to relax a little. If Lorraine wasn't Lorraine, John would be getting in a lot of trouble. So that's why they both need each other. 

Talking to John

      If I could talk to John. I would walk up to him and SCREAM AT HIM!!! John, why don't you think of your actions!?!!?? Why did you take the money from Mr. Pignati!?!?!? Listen to Lorraine for once, she could tell you what the right things to do are.
      As for Lorraine, LOOSEN UP. You don't have to be so hard on yourself! You don't have to worry so much of what people think of you! You are worrying so much and are so anxious, which is not a good thing you want to get into.
      Both of you just need to clean up your act. Just think stuff do.
     

What I Would Say?

Lorraine you gotta pull yourself together. We don't care if you don't look pretty. You need to find your chill and be you instead of caring about what others think. Also, stop being so worried and cautious.

Lorraine just worries too much and I think she needs to find some chill and kinda keep calm. Stop wearing those glasses and show who u really are. John has it good because he's just letting things be. John does have issues like using that ten dollars to buy cigarettes and beer.

What Would You Say To Your Main Character Right Now? (Ruby Doyle)

Well, if I could talk to the main character, (I'm just gonna consider Lorraine the main character because I can.) I would probably hug her and cry for a couple of hours while mumbling continuously that everything is gonna be okay in the end.

I would do that because I feel bad that she's going through this stuff. It reminds me of a situation a friend of mine's going through, so it's pretty much full-force feels whenever I read about the stuff going on in her life. It's like.. ...Dang, gurl. Just... ...Dang ;-;. I wish John would help her out more instead of being a *not allowed to swear, whoopsies. Just pretend I said potato.*

If I Could Talk to My Main Character (Natalie Keller)

If I could talk to my main character I would tell him (John) to get his life together. He needs to stop drinking and smoking and stop being a bad influence on Lorraine. He should understand why all of this stuff that he does is bad. I would tell him this because he is ruining the rest of his life and affecting Lorraine's. He is very careless and doesn't care about anyone but his self. He should think about things before he does them, and he needs to think about the consequences that follow. 

He always takes people for advantage, for instance Mr. Pignati and his money. He also made Lorraine go with him to Mr. Pignati's house before they even met the guy. He doesn't care if he is rude to her. He is ignorant, selfish, and careless. He needs to clean up his act if he ever wants to succeed in life. John is not very smart if he thinks this stuff is cool and fun. John needs to get his life together. 

The Pigman's Author

      The author for the book The Pigman is Paul Zindel, per request I am required to make an entire blog post regarding him and his life.

      Paul Zindel was born on May 15, 1936 and passed on March 27, 2003 and began his career professionally in the late 1960's. One of his first works consisted of The Pigman and was largely successful, inspiring the continuation of his career until his death in 2003. I presume that he began his career because of his love for literature, because as well as being a successful writer, he was also a playwright.

Nayah V.G.

If i could talk to my main character(John from the pigman ) i would say "WHAT ARE U DOING GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER!!!!!!!!"

I would say that because all throughout the book he keep making the selfish and rash decisions and only think for himself. I mean he has his best friend he is taking for granted and keep dragging her in these situations and because he is her best friend she will alway confined in him. I am not saying he is a bad guy he is there for her even if she does not know it.   (end pretty good though)

he acts as if he has noone which it is clear as day he does he just doesn't want to open up that part that he does not truly know himself. He takes things way too far especially when it comes to trouble making as could see if you read the books.Maybe he should take others into consideration instead of just himself.

Author : Paul Zindel

Paul Zindel was an American playwright, an educator, and a novelist. He was born in 1936 and died in 2003.
He writes books that are kind of based on him. He based his book on Nonno Frankie.

(Lauren E.) About Paul Zindel

The author of The Pigman is Paul Zindel. He has wrote many books like My Darling, My Hamburger, The Pigman's Legacy, The Pigman & Me, To Take a Dare, and many more. He was born on Staten Island, New York in 1936. His parents were divorced and him and him mother moved around New York City very frequently. He attended Wagner College on Staten Island and received his Master's Degree in science. He also taught chemistry for 10 years. Along with writing books, he also made plays and they were usually about his books. In 1968, The Pigman had came out. It was a very big hit.

One of his plays called The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds earned him the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The Pigman won 6 awards, which made Zindel very well-known. He got inspired to write the book because when he was younger he had an adult he referred to as his "Pigman". His "Pigman" had taught him a lot just like Mr.Pignati had cared and taught John and Lorraine many things. His "Pigman" was named Nonno Frankie. I think that Jophn and Lorraine were kids like Paul in real life. What I mean is that Paul was John and he had a friend that stuck by his side just like Lorraine did. The author had many things happen to him just like John and Lorraine did.

(lily)about the author

The author of "The Pigman" is Paul Zindel.He was born in Tottenville,Staten Island,NewYork.  Some of the past books that he has written include "The Pigman's Legacy", "The Doom Stone", "My Darling My Hamburger", " The Gadget", and 49 other books.All together Zindel has written a total of 53 books in his lifetime.All but one of his books aimed for children and teens. Zindel took a creative writing course with the playright Edward Albee while he was an undergraduate. This was most likely one of the first starts in his career and his love of writing.

I believe that Zindel carried his passion for writing over to "The Pigman" because he has written multiple books based on it. This shows us how much he enjoyed writing the first pigman book.I believe that he wrote the book because of that. He probably had an idea in his mind of a story and carried it through into this book.The book was also originally made for stage and screen but it didn't work out. Since this didn't happen he turned it into a book.He may have also had some of these things happen to him in his past and decided to write some down.

About Paul Zindel

The author of The Pigman and many more is Paul Zindel. He has written a total of 53 books. He has won 2 awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Margaret Edwards Award. Zindel's first book was The Pigman in 1968. He later wrote other series like "The Zone Unknown" and "Hawke Mysteries". He later than died by cancer in 2003. Zindel had lung cancer.

Zindel was influenced to write a young adult novel from a editor. The editor saw his first piece "The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds" and thought it would be a good idea for him to try to write a book. I think if he wasn't influenced by the editor than he still would of made books, here's my reasoning. I think he still would of made books because I think he understood how well his play went that it would be a good idea for him to start writing books. I think that his style would of also stayed the same. His play was in the style of his books.

Paul Zindel

   Paul Zindel, If you don't know, is the author of the book, the Pigman.  Paul Zindel was born on Staten Island, New York.  His parents were divorced when he was just a kid, so it was just him, his mom, and his sister.  He moved around a lot, so school was hard.  He eventually got a masters degree in science.  Before he started to write books, he was a professor in chemistry.
    He wrote plays as well.  One of his plays, The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigold, went on the tv.  Someone named Charlotte Zolotow saw the potential in the play and urged him to become a writer.  Paul was able to write over 50 books and plays before he died of cancer in 2003.
    I feel that Paul Zindel wrote the Pigman because of two things.  In the book, the Pigman dies.  Before this book was published, his mother died.  I feel he wanted to express his feeling by writing what John and Lorraine were feeling.  I also feel he wrote this book to talk about his friend, Nonno Frankie.  Who acts like to Pigman.

Pigman, Things About My Author

My author's name is Paul Zindel, he has written The Pigman and Me, The Pigman's Legacy, My Darling, My hamburger, The Gadget, Reef of Death, The Doom Stone, and many more. I think he wrote this book because it happened in real life, like an experience that he had. Or he may just have a really weird imagination. 

Paul Zindel

Paul Zindel is a playwright, novelist, and educator. He was born in 1936, and died in 2003. Paul Zindel grew up in New York City, and went to college for chemistry at Wagner College. He went to work as a Chemistry and Physics teacher at Staten Island for 10 years.
Zindel wrote his first play in high school (The Effects of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds). The play went to broadway in 1970 and 1971. It was then made into a movie in 1972. Paul Zindel has written 53 books, like My Darling, My Hamburger and The Doom Stone. He also wrote the rest of The Pigman series. Zindel was also a playwright, and wrote plays such as The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, and Amulets against the Dragon Forces.
I think Paul Zindel wrote The Pigman because he might of experienced something like this, or had his own Pigman in life. Perhaps Zindel had a friend that had a Pigman, since the book doesn't seem written like the author experienced what he was writing about. Maybe Zindel just thought it was a good idea, and that it would make an impact of teen lives.

Paul Zindel

The book, The Pigman, is written by Paul Zindel. Zindel also wrote books such as The Doom Stone, My Darling My Hamburger, and The Gadget. I don't really know exactly why Zindel wrote the book, but I know that he also wrote 2 more books about the Pigman so I assume it is his most popular book series.

I think he might just be writing a random story or maybe a friend's story because he doesn't seem to be relatable like he experienced it. I don't have much to say on the topic other than that he didn't seem to write it with a passion in his heart.

(Will S.) Author Research

        Paul Zindel was an american playwright, young adult novelist, and educator. He has written plays to make it on Broadway, in 1970, and 1972. His successful play even get made into a movie in 1973 by 20th Century Fox. He has also written a total of 53 books. Every book, except for one, is aimed towards teens and children. He would always write about real stuff that's happening, which is what got some books band. His book, "My Darling My Hamburger dealed with abuse at home and teen sexuality.
       Other books sometimes he would contain teen pregnancy, abortion, language, and sexual themes in them. "The Pigman" deals with love and finding new friends. I think Paul Zindel wrote about these tough subjects and made them real in his books, because he knows what teen life is like today. I admire his ability to put it to a story that is so close to how a real teens life would be. I think the characters in the books he has published have the ability to speak to young teens today.

Nayah V.G.

My author is: Paul Zindel
He has written:
~The doom stone
~The Gadget
~Reef of Death
Etc...
It is one of his more relate able ones to children of are age and show the cost of that type of behavior

About Paul Zindel (Fahad)

The writer of "The Pigman", is Paul Zindel. Paul has written more than 50 books, but the most popular ones are, The Pigman's Legacy and  My Darling, My Hamburger. He has written a sequel for the Pigman which is The Pigman's Legacy, in addition he has written an autobiographical The Pigman and Me. I think the the book Pigman is about him and how he felt when he was younger or how he feels now that he is old, when people messed with him.

Paul was born and raised in Staten Island in New York. After teaching in high school science for several years, he decided to become a playwright. His first play, The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-moon Marigolds, won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. His Drama caught the eye of a children's book editor Charlotte Zolotow. She contacted him and and asked him to try writing a novel for teenagers. That's when he wrote Pigman. The Pigman has won over 5 awards.

A Little Bit Of Research on Paul Zindel (Erin M.)

The author of The Pigman is Paul Zindel. This man has written many plays and books and majored in chemistry. Some books he has written include The Pigman & Me, The Gadget, and My Darling, My hamburger. A list of plays he has written include Secret Affairs of Mildred Wild, Amulet Against Dragon Forces, and The Affect of Gamma Rays On Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds.

I think Paul Zindel wrote this book because he may have had a real life Pigman. He may have had the urge to write down a story, or maybe this came out of a brain storm. It also might have been something he had thought about for a long time.

Paul Zindel-By Zach Parmer

The author of the pigman is Paul Zindel. Paul Zindel has written many different books. He has written the pigman,The Pigman man and me, The Pig Mans Legacy, and doom stone. I think that Paul wrote the pig man in order to appear to the younger audience and talk about stuff that they want to talk about.

Blog Response #3

Who is your author?

Paul Zindel

What have they written in the past?

The Doom Stone, The Gadget, Reef of Death

Why do you think that they wrote this book?

Maybe to express some sort of bottled emotions.

Eliana C. B.

Who is your author?

Paul Zindel

What have they written in the past?

1 The Pigman and Me

2 The Doom Stone

3 The Gadget

Why do you think that they wrote this book?
I think he/she wrote this book because he had an interest of a first person story and it seems a little bit mysteryous

The Pigman: Conflict so far

   In The Pigman, the current conflict is that John and Lorraine are trying to keep the truth about them not being actual charity workers from their parents and Mr. Pignati.  Since it is John and Lorraine against everyone else, I feel that this conflict is a Man(John and Lorraine) vs. Society.  The conflict that is through out the story, is Man(John and Lorraine) vs. Man.  I say this because both of the characters are trying to cope with the loss of the Pigman by writing a story about him.
   Each character has their own problems too.  I feel that John has another, Man vs. Man, conflict because he is dealing with his trouble, or addiction, to smoking and drinking.  Lorraine problem is also Man vs. Man because she has to deal with he personal self-esteem constintaly because of how her mom always makes fun of her.

Main Conflicts

There hasn't been a climax yet but John's conflict is Man vs Man since he takes himself lightly yet he doesn't know he has advantages. John doesn't want to believe he is special. There are little conflicts from here to there like Mr. Pignati hiding something even though in the story he acts very friendly. John has bad role models (parents). Lorraine's mom is insane. I don't know any events that have complicated conflicts since i'm behind the group.  John had picked up from his parents with smoking and drinking and I don't know if he'll ever solve that problem since attempts from the past have failed.

Main Conflict (Seth Holmes)

           I think that Lorraine is struggling with telling the truth. She is really putting off the fact that she is lying. She made up a charity so she could talk to Pignati longer. John and Lorraine both accepted the money Pignati offered. Now Lorraine is feeling bad about lying. She has been putting up with it when she should tell the truth. This leads up to ask, what events have complicated her conflict further?

         They went to the zoo with the man they lied to and this is when she becomes really sad towards Mr. Pignati. She is really regretting taking his money. She also is regretting declining his offer to go to the zoo with him. He isn't doing anything wrong but the kids are and she feels bad for that. I don't think that the kids will be able to solve this problem with out any harm because I think that he will think they have been lying the whole time, about there interest, charity, and their kindness. I also think that he won't forgive them and think that the kids betrayed him. I feel that these reasons back up my opinions and infrences

(Lily Cadden) Main conflict

The characters in the pigman are struggling with man vs. man. John and Lorraine are struggling with honesty towards the pigman. Since they ripped of mr. pignati because they said they were a fake charity they felt bad afterwards. The events that complicated the conflict even further  was that once john and lorraine met mr. pignati they realized how nice he was and started to become friends in a way, so they may want to tell him about the fake charity. I feel like the characters will try to solve the conflict without harm but i'm pretty sure there will be a little harm done because the pigman probably trusted them.

(Lauren E.) The Pigman Main Conflict

I think that the main conflict is man vs. man. I think this because the characters are trying to decide what is happening with Mr. Pignati and how he is feeling. The characters are struggling with their home life like not having very money money, John is needing to make better choices, etc. John and Lorraine know that Mr. Pignati has been sad because his wife has been in California for a month. The idea that they don't know why Mr. Pignati is being all social with them is the reason that the conflict has gone further. I think that John and Lorraine will somewhat solve the problem. I think this because they will find out more about Mr. Pignati and not be as worried. That is what I think will happen.

Main Conflict (Natalie Keller)

Man vs. Man because Lorraine and John are struggling to see who should write the book. Lorraine thinks she writes it better but so does John. They both have different points and opinions so the book is different. They both say the same points but in their perspective which makes the book better. I don't think they will solve their conflict, I think it is going to be this way the whole book. 

It is also Man vs. man because John smokes and drinks causing himself harm. It said his dad was an alcoholic too which is where he probably got it from, I'm guessing. 

Conflicts so far...

So far our group isn't sure about the overall main conflict, mainly because there hasn't been one. Since we can't find a main conflict, I'll just be talking about some of the little conflicts between the main characters.

John and Lorraine are both struggling with bad home lives, John having an alcoholic dad that introduced him to beer, and Lorraine having a pretty insane mom that thinks all men are creeps. John also struggles with his own addictions to alcohol and cigarettes, which he has to deal with every day since he doesn't know not to. Lorraine struggles with not telling Mr. Pignati that they aren't charity workers, and she has a hard time allowing him to buy stuff for her.

Lorraine isn't sure about continuing to visit the Pigman since he has obviously been hiding something about his wife's strange vacation to California. This has caused the conflict of the character's personality and home lives to be complicated, since they have the chance to have a better adult in their lives. John and Lorraine love Pignati, and both are conflicted on whether or not they should tell their parents since Lorraine's mom is insane, and John's parents are also bad role models. This just pushes the fact that John and Lorraine hate their parents, and their homes, and just want to get away and have a better life.

I'm not sure if the characters will solve their conflicts, but since I've read ahead to what our group has set on (like Henry has said), certain things complicate their relationship with Pignati, that could lead to more harm if they don't deal with it right. The thing that happens to Pignati grants John and Lorraine lots of freedom, which they've never had, and so far I don't think John is taking it well. Overall, I'm still not sure if John and Lorraine will ever solve their conflicts.

Conflict So Far...

In our group we have all pretty much read ahead and so while Eden and Katherine are talking from their perspective, we actually wrote down to read at a slow pace. I am going from that slow pace and from that pace we should be at chapter 7. By chapter 7 though, there are no main conflicts, so I have decided to write this on just some inferences and small conflicts. My first point is the fact that Lorraine and John still haven't told Mr. Pignati that they don't actually work for a charity organization. I assume that they will tell him but at this point they haven't.

John is a character that I feel has a sort of sense that he doesn't care what people think and based on that, doesn't care about other people. He seems like he secretly does care about some people, but only the dear to his heart. I feel his cold and harsh family has shown him not to show affection to others but when others such as Lorraine show friendship and passion to him, he doesn't know how to react so he acts almost awkwardly nice in a sense. Another thing to point out is Mr. Pignati's wife is gone and I feel that there will be more about that in the future but this is all I really have for now. Bye I guess for now.

Conflict

       In our story, the main character is a man named Mr. Pignati. Throughout we see Pignati acting... odd. He seems friendly but the narrators can always tell that he's hiding something. Pretty early on in the text it's discovered that the wife who was "away on a trip" had actually passed away, when we see the main characters find papers from the funeral directors. This doesn't serve as a primary conflict (as the conflict of the text only comes within the climax) yet it has smaller problems like this.

       This conflict only seems to be there to add depth to Pignati, and give the main characters a reason to continue to visit him. It helps paint the picture of a sad old man, just looking for someone, anyone to talk to.

Immpression of John

     The activities that John partake in are not something I would do. I surely would like to call a random number and see how long i could keep them on the phone, I wouldn't think this is a good thing to do though. I think John is kind of funny and nice. The things he does may not be the actions of a good child, but his personality shows that he is just having fun. I like John as a character, if we existed, he would probably be someone I would strive to become friends with, sadly. John is a nice character and I'm excited to see how his story plays out as we read the rest of the story.

Main Conflict (Erin M., Fahad H., Will S., Zach.)

What We Think The Characters Are They Strugglinf With...

Erin: Man vs. Himself
Fahad: Man vs. Man
Will: Man vs. Himself
Zach: Man vs. Himself

Why Do You Think That?

Erin: John and Lorraine are struggling with emotional issues. John has a problem with smoking and drinking and Lorraine has self esteem problems.

Fahad: Because he does all the pranks and he sets off the bombs, so he gets in trouble.

Will: John has problems with smoking and drinking.

Zach: John is always getting in trouble.

What Events Have Complicated Your Conflict Further?

Erin: Them meeting the Pigman through a prank. They don't know how to react to him.

Fahad: That he keeps on smoking and drinking.

Will: I like John but he needs to lay off alcohol and smoking.

Zach: John never gets out of situations.

Do You Think That The Characters Will Solve The Conflict Without Causing More Harm?

Erin: Maybe. Lorraine seems to be more open, and John seems like he wants to quit.

Fahad: I don't think so. John is not going to solve the problem with bad habits.

Will: No, because of how John acts.

Zach: John is never going to solve his problems with his bad habits.

ElianaB

In The Pigman the characters are struggling but putting themselves in complicated situations that that could soon regret.

The events are complicating the conflict further because the main female character goes along with the male main character who doesn't make very good choices.

Yes and no, because most of the things the male main character does is very bad and i hardly think it will stop but maybe with some influence from the female main lead he will stop.

Nayah V.G.

The Pigman's main conflict would probably be, man vs himself.
~What my character is struggling with so far in the book is most likely himself because he is the one causing      himself to be in these situations.
~ What has made it more complicated is that he is getting himself in trouble with not making good                      decisions(like the pranking)
~Yes i think he could do this cause just from the beginning  he seem like deep down he is a good guy like in      most books and movies he will probably realized he needs to clean up his acted. ~<3

Discussion

        In our group we discussed our characters and our impressions of them. We talked about things that spoil the story (to which we cannot speak of on our blog). However, we talked about the characters as well. We all mutually agreed that we dislike the character of John, as well as that we all said that Lorraine was a one-dimensional character. We all seemed to have a distaste for the book as well as all of the characters in the story.

Opinion on The Pigman

The book is interesting and I actually wanna read more of it. The book does a really good job keeping the reader's attention. This book doesn't relate to me at all since I haven't tried the fruit roll or prank people in the bathroom. I'm not a senior or a smoker so I have nothing related to John.

The Pigman... so far

      From what I've read of The Pigman, it's pretty good! I am enjoying the book so much that I constantly want to read ahead. I found the subject of the first and second chapter quite good so far. I really enjoyed the fruit roll from the 1st chapter. This book so far, doesn't relate to me in any way shape or form. I don't cuss, I tend to not get in trouble in class (usually). And I don't smoke. I am still enjoying this book, though. I'm excited to finish it.

(Gurtej S.)The Pigman: Lorraine

    "Two sophomores, John and Lorraine, play prank calls on random people from a phone book where they see who can keep the person talking longest.  Lorraine called someone named Angelo Pignati.  When she, called, she noticed something strange about him, how he was dire to talk to someone. Her call lasted for hours.  Most people usually would catch their prank, but Mr. Pignati actually believed what she was doing, so ended up actually trying to give her money."  That is all that was learned from all the way up to chapter five.  Seeing, that most people have no idea who either John or Lorraine are, I'll give some information about Lorraine
     Lorraine Jensen is a 16 year old sophomore that goes to Franklin High.  When she moved their, she didn't have any friends.  She would always sit by herself on the bus, and would never talk to anyone.  One day, when the bus was full, John Conlan sat next to her.  He started to annoy Lorraine by laughing hysterically on the bus.  She started to laugh too, then some how, became friends.  To me she gives the impression of a really nice and expressive girl, who is too shy to show it.

The Pigman, so far

The book is very relatable to middle schoolers. It talks about school pranks and what this kid named John does in classes. There has been no mention about the Pigman or anything about him. The book seems like a good one, and so I am excited to read what's next. 

This book relates back to me because I can understand what it feels like to be in school and the struggles. 

(Lily c.) Main Character Reflections

John's actions tell us a lot about who he is as a person. In the story he tells about how he always has this annual bomb in the boys bathroom that he sets off.He never gets caught which means he must be pretty sly and smart. John also has a meeting with his friends every once in awhile to prank call strangers and see who can keep the stranger on the phone the longest.This tells us that he is not afraid to get into trouble and is not very shy around random people.Since he and Lorraine made this whole book about the pigman he must be curious. By talking with the pigman he seems very social as well.

His habits involve pranks, joking,cursing. He likes anything that involve making people laugh embarrassing people, and making new friends. He dislikes school, teachers, or people that tell him what to do. I like my main character. He is very daring and doesn't care what gets him into trouble.By having these characteristics he seems very interesting to me. I feel like anything can happen with him and that makes it more intriguing to read.

(Lauren E.) Impressions of the Main Character

Since I am reading the book "The Pigman" by Paul Zindel, the main characters in the book are John and Lorraine. I am going to talk about John because I think so far he has a bigger spot than Lorraine.  I personally think that John is not very smart. I think this because he has not made the best choices so far. For example, he was smoking in the bathroom at school, he let off bombs, and he was prank calling random people's numbers. This shows who he is by showing some of the actions he has done, and so far they are not very smart. This can show a lot about John. 

I personally have mixed feelings about John. I do because I think that he could either be a good person or a bad person. For example, smoking and letting off bombs are not good things, so he was bad for doing that. He probably shouldn't have prank called because I have a feeling that is going to let to something happening in the book later on. He could also be a good person because Lorraine said he was funny and would sometimes care about other people. I have a prediction that John will end up changing in the book at some point. I think this because since they called Pigman, he will change. This will hopefully change him into a better character.