Analysis of the Last Line in The Pigman Essay

The Pigman: Essay Question

The very last lines of Zindels novel:

There was no one else to blame anymore Our life would be what we made of itnothing more, nothing less. Baboons. Baboons. They build their own cages, we could almost hear Mr. Pignati whisper, as he took his children with him. (Zindel p. 149)

Perhaps he's making a comparison between the baboons at the zoo and the people in the story (John, Lorraine, Mr. Pignati). The real baboons are locked up in the cages. The human "baboons" are in cages as well. They're prisoners of their own behavior, locked up and stuck because of the things that they've done. John and Lorraine and lots of other people in the world get caught and stuck not because someone else trapped them but because their own bad behavior put them in virtual cages.

I believe that there is an extremely important theme that also helps to explain the meaning of the last lines. Growing up, is the most prevalent of this novel. Both John and Lorraine are products of dysfunctional families and, like all of us, find it easy to point to their parents as the source of their problems. However, as they create this relationship with Mr. Pignati, they begin to mature and recognize that, in spite of the temptation to blames others, in the end, life is what each of us makes of it and we are the only ones we can blame when it goes wrong.

When John, Lorraine, and Mr. Pignati were at the zoo, and the attendant informed them that Bobo died last week (Zindel p.141), Mr. Pignati died too. I think Bobo, in a way, represents the human mind and spirit in this case. When you have no hope, no happiness, and not even a friend to talk to, your spirit dies. I think Bobo is a representation of Mr. Pignati because once he dies, so does Mr. Pignati. Bobo was, in a realistic way, his life.

The final comment by John is a metaphor for how humans also build emotional cages that prevent them for fully experiencing their lives and being happy. When Lorraine responds to John, What do you care? (Zindel p. 144) he realizes that even though he makes it appear that he does not care, he does. Hes been preventing himself from enjoying so much because of the image he created. Also, its affected how happy he is, or in this case, is not.

The quote from John means that if you say Im not going to enjoy life, nothing is going good for me, life is pointless, then it will be. The cage will be made out of whatever you make it with. Also, the cage could be a good or a bad thing, depending on your perception. If you have a positive outlook, it might be a good reminder, holding you in place, and keeping balance between too much good and bad. However, if your outlook is more negative, you might see it as a barrier, something holding you back that you cant overcome. But, I believe, that the cage is only there if you want it to be, and if it IS there, then its YOUR fault. Its important to remember that the cage is only as strong as you want it to be.

Overall, I think these final lines are saying how youre in control of your life, and nobody else. Its saying that you need to take charge and steer yourself in the right direction. No one is going to be at your side constantly to remind you to turn on your blinkers, and they arent going to drive the car for you. Furthermore, whatever images you may have, they are what you make, not what other people want you to be, and in order to control that image, you have to understand that. I think that if you dig deep enough, all hes trying to say is we are in control of ourselves, and if you know how to control it, youll be okay. Just as long as you dont let anyone else make up your mind for you or tell you otherwise.