Wednesday, March 18, 2015

In The Pigman, what is John's main problem?

I feel this question has to be answered by some reference
to John's family situation, and in particular the way that his father is constantly
pressurising him to join his profession and ignores John's own desires and ideas for
what he what might want to do. Consider how his family situation is presented in Chapter
Seven, and how his father brings up the topic of his working with him by suggesting that
John goes and works with him after school. John's response indicates the profound lack
of communication that occurs between himself and "Bore," as he touchingly refers to his
father:



I
almost choked on a mouthful of yams when he said that. I mean, I've bene over to the
Exchange and seen all the screaming andbarking Bore has to do just to earn a few bucks,
and if he thought I was going to have any part of that madhouse, he had another thought
coming.



John's problem
therefore in part stems from the pressure he is put under to follow in his father's
footsteps but also at the same time his desire to follow his own path and explore the
things that he is interested in. This leads him to be rebellious and to go against his
parents as he seeks to assert his own will and discover his own likes and
dislikes.

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