Discussion Topic
Examples of metaphors in Paul Zindel's The Pigman
Summary:
Examples of metaphors in Paul Zindel's The Pigman include comparing Mr. Pignati to a pig to symbolize his jovial and generous nature, and describing the Conlan house as a "cemetery" to reflect the emotional emptiness within John's family. These metaphors enhance the reader's understanding of the characters and their environments.
What is the metaphor in chapter 13 of Paul Zindel's The Pigman?
Chapter 13 is the house party chapter. Mr. Pignati is in the hospital and John and Lorraine decide to host a teenage party in his home. This chapter is written from John's perspective, which starts out justifying his decision by saying he is pretty sure that the Pigman would want them to have a party in his house. John brags about the drinks, the guests, the band, and that once people from a church dance across town hear about it, they ditch the dance just for him and Lorraine. John also says:
"I mean, this was turning out to be the party of the year. The house was a great pleasure palace, it really was" (150).
Metaphors compare two unlike things using a "to be" verb, such as, is, was, were, etc. In this case, John compares the house to a pleasure palace using "was." To John and Lorraine, the house...
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doesn't just seem like a pleasurable place just on the night of the party--it's their favorite place to be every day. These two kids find so much joy when they are in Mr. Pignati's house that it truly is a pleasure palace to them. Both of John and Lorraine's own homes are filled with sadness, rejection, and distrust. Conversely, when they are at the Pigman's home, they are happy, accepted, and trusted.
Can you provide a metaphor example from The Pigman?
In addition to the solid metaphors provided by the previous answer, a good example of a metaphor can be found in chapter 13. Chapter 13 is one of the chapters that is narrated by John, and it is the chapter in which he and Lorraine have a party at Mr. Pignati's house. Before the party takes a turn for the worse, John and Lorraine are having a great time. The house is the complete opposite of their own broken and depressing homes. John sums up his feelings about Mr. Pignati's place with a great metaphor:
I mean, this was turning out to be the party of the year. The house was a great pleasure palace, it really was.
Obviously Mr. Pignati's house is not really a pleasure palace. It is a normal, run-of-the-mill house; however, compared to John's home and Lorraine's home, Mr. Pignati's home is a real place of happiness and relief. In their eyes, Mr. Pignati's home is the greatest place on Earth and the place where they feel most happy.
One striking metaphor in The Pigman is in the following passage:
"And when I came up to the cage to see these ugly blood-sucking creatures, I had to look right into this little kid’s face that had a smirk on it. He made me feel as though I was a bat in a cage and he was on the outside looking in at me. It all made me very nervous" (page 62).
In this passage, in which Lorraine is looking at caged bats in the zoo, she uses a simile (a comparison that uses "like" or "as") to compare herself to a caged bat, but the comparison of herself to a caged animal runs through this passage and is a metaphor. She is like a caged animal because she lives with her mother in a very unloving and restricted environment in which her mother monitors nearly her every movement.
Another metaphor is "The Pigman, John, and me--three little monkeys" (page 101). Lorraine compares John, the Pigman, and herself to three little monkeys while they are roller skating. They are similar to the three little monkeys that they see in Beekman's pet store hugging each other in desperation. The monkeys cling to each other for support, just as John, the Pigman, and Lorraine cling to each other because they don't receive much love from anyone else.