Angelo Pignati


In the novel The Pigman by Paul Zindel, the character of Angelo Pignati is a mysterious one. Mr. Pignati is a static character however throughout the story as more of his character is revealed it would seem that he is a static character. In the beginning he seems desperate and mad. His house says a lot about him, he is too eager for company, has hidden secrets but at the same time he is a compassionate and affable person. Through all this the two main characters, John and Lorrain, and the reader tends to approve of the unusual friendship that forms between Mr. Pignati and the reader. But, the impression received by the state of Mr. Pignati's house was quite a strong one.
When John and Lorraine first arrived at ‘The Pigman's' house their eyes took in more than they could handle;” We had to walk through a hall that had a lot of old junk…living room had all that old stuffed furniture with lace things covering furniture arms…the room was dark because the two windows were covered…there were pigs all over the place.” (Zindel, 36 & 42). The usual reaction to a house like this and a desperate owner would be too run off. Yet, the two main characters stayed and though there thoughts of something eerie about the owner and his house were more than confirmed. During their first couple of visits to the awry house, the fact that Mr. Pignati is so eager for company and desperate for a listener is so clear that they can't help but reconsider coming again.

There is always a cause for misery and John and Lorraine were determined to figure out what Mr. Pignati's reason was. During the rising action, they figure out that the reason of his loneliness and hidden sorrow is the death of his dear wife, Conchetta.
“She's dead…We loved each other…We were each other's life.” (Zindel, 103). At this part in the story Mr. Pignati's character begins to seem as that of a person who has been through a lot and has fallen apart due to the death of a loved one. At this point in the story the fact that he is too willing to take these children as his own doesn't seem weird but understandable instead. As becomes his character. He no longer is perceived as ‘creepy' or ‘desperate', he becomes compassionate and lonely.

His compassionate feeling for things other than humans – like animals – makes him more loveable but also more so a stranger. “[His] best friend…the ugliest, most vicious looking baboon [ ] ever-seen…” (Zindel, 56). He treats John and Lorraine – complete strangers to him – as his close friends from the moment he sees them. He seems easy enough to befriend however there is something peculiar about him which is discovered later on in the story and which carries and explanation for his desperateness and his friendship with the baboon from the zoo Bobo. Mr. Pignati has a very static, and mysterious character

The only words that describe Mr. Pignati best are mystifying, friendly and lonely. “He laughed as usual…looked like a kid – so happy we were here” Though it seems as if Mr. Pignati's character constantly changes throughout the story it actually stays the same throughout the story. More and more Mr. Pignati's character unravels and as the reader learns more it seems as if his character is changing. However, it is easy to see that Mr. Pignati's character revolves around the same three words; puzzling, affable and lonely throughout the whole story.