The Pigman, by Paul Zindel, is a story told by two best friends, John Conlan and Lorraine Jensen. When Mr. Pignati (the Pigman,) an old generous man, becomes part of their lives, the reader is shown that the three characters all have one trait in common: loneliness. Despite their age differences and other dissimilarities, this loneliness plays a strong role in forming a unique friendship between the three characters.

Both John and Lorraine have poor relationships with their parents, who regard them as disturbing burdens. Lorraine's father is dead, and her mother, Mrs. Jensen, works as a private-duty nurse. Mrs. Jensen's ethics and values are questionable: she steals from her patients and urges Lorraine to stay home from school to clean their apartment. Lorraine feels sorry for her mother, but it's obvious that these issues make her deeply uncomfortable. Another troubling aspect of the relationship is the negative...