The Pigman, by Paul Zindel is a novel about two teens, John and Lorraine, who befriends Mr. Pignati. Mr. Pignati is a lonely and elderly man who grieves over his deceased wife, and is referred to as the "Pigman" because of his collections of pigs. One of the main characters, John, frequently expresses his many traits throughout the story to take Lorraine and himself through many experiences and changes in his way of life.

One of John's most effective traits is his power to convince. Although he may not be able to convince his stingy parents about everyday topics such as his future career, he can convince his friend Lorraine to participate in many activities involved with Mr. Pignati. He first convinces Lorraine to take a donation from the Pigman to their phony charity fund. Lorraine hesitated at first, but John slowly convinced her that it was the...