Family Theme Analysis

Though Lorraine Jensen and John Conlan are quite different in most regards, they do have one major thing in common: they both come from dysfunctional families that don’t provide them the love, comfort, and support they need to flourish. John’s father (Bore) is recovering from alcoholism and constantly criticizes John, often comparing him to John’s successful older brother, Kenneth. John’s mother, meanwhile (the Old Lady), is a nervous, timid woman who is obsessed with ensuring that John doesn’t agitate his emotionally volatile father—and in the process, she often fails to address John’s needs. Lorraine, meanwhile, is raised by her single mother who works long hours as a home nurse to support Lorraine. Lorraine’s mother constantly criticizes Lorraine’s appearance and has convinced her that she’s overweight and unattractive—neither of which are true. She’s always warning Lorraine about the evils of men and boys—and threatening to punish Lorraine if she catches her “in a car, necking like a slut.” And if Lorraine does something her mother deems bad enough to warrant punishment, she beats her.

Growing up in unsupportive and sometimes unsafe environments affects John and Lorraine deeply, though they respond to their parents’ bad parenting in different ways; while Lorraine internalizes a lot of her pain and develops a low self-esteem, John engages in reckless behavior like drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes and acts out in school and at home. While the book hints that Lorraine and her mother might be capable of salvaging their relationship in the future, the book’s ending offers no definitive sense of closure for John or Lorraine, and it’s possible that they’ll continue to endure abuse, neglect, and a lack of support from their families. At the same time, both characters undergo significant personal growth over the course of the novel, despite coming from dysfunctional families. While The Pigman rather optimistically suggests that children from dysfunctional homes can persevere and grow despite their families’ failure to give them the love and support they need, the book also demonstrates the serious, lasting effects that parents’ failures can have on their children.