Student Question
How does Lorianne wish her mother was more like Mr. Pignati in The Pigman?
Quick answer:
Lorraine wishes her mother were more like Mr. Pignati because he brings joy and fun into her life, contrasting with her mother's bitter and strained demeanor. Mr. Pignati's genuine kindness and ability to enjoy life provide Lorraine with a sense of peace and happiness, which she longs for in her relationship with her mother. Lorraine desires her mother to be less serious and more capable of having fun, which would improve their relationship.
Lorraine and her mother have a very strained relationship, but as far as parents go, she is all she's ever had. Lorraine doesn't know parent-child relationahips to be any different than the example set forth by her single mom--until she meets Mr. Pignati. At first Lorraine is taken aback by how happy the Pigman is. She doesn't quite accept his joy as reality because she says the following on the first day they meet him at the zoo:
"I felt sorry for the old man because people just don't go around smiling like that all the time unless they're mentally unbalanced or harboring extreme anxiety" (57).
Good thing she gives the guy a chance to teach her what it means to be able to actually trust and have fun with adults. Naturally, as she and John hang out with Mr. Pignati more, Lorraine compares him with her mother. She pities...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
her mother because being a nurse is a stressful and demanding job. But as she realizes that she is actually having fun with an adult, she says the following:
"Sometimes just after I put the light out, I'd see his face smiling or his eyes gleaming as he offered me the snails--some little happy detail I thought I had forgotten--and I'd wish she knew how to have a little fun for a change" (86).
Hence, the way that Lorraine wishes her mother were more like Mr. Pignati is by having a little fun. Her mother's interactions with her are too strenuous, bitter and difficult. Life would be more manageable for both of them if they could have some fun together.
How does Lorraine wish her mother were more like the Pigman?
Lorraine and her mother don't have a good relationship because her mother is verbally condescending and cheap. Her mother has suffered a lot in her adult life because Lorraine's father cheated on her and divorced her. After that, her mother was never the same. In fact, her mother takes out all of her bitterness and doubt on her daughter rather than providing a safe and loving home. As a result, Lorraine is drawn into the genuinely loving character of Mr. Pignati. She learns a lot from a man who has suffered in life as well, but who still wears a smile on his face. He is always respectful of Lorraine and treats her like an equal, if not like a daughter. Lorraine is able to find peace in her life for knowing Mr. Pignati and explains her desires for her mother to be like him as follows:
"Lots of times I'd cry myself to sleep, but more and more I felt myself thinking of the Pigman whenever I felt sad. Sometimes just after I put the light out, I'd see his face smiling or his eyes gleaming as he offered me the snails--some little happy detail I thought I'd forgotten--and I'd wish my mother were more like him. I'd wish she knew how to have a little fun for a change" (86).
As the passage indicates above, Lorraine wishes that her mother could have a little fun once in awhile. Both she and Lorraine would benefit from having fun; but as it is, her mother has a difficult career, feels like she failed in her marriage, and it has all hardened her so much that it's as if she is incapable of loosening up enough to have fun.