The Pigman

The Pigman Summary | Chapter 1 Summary

John Conlan and Lorraine Jensen begin recanting the tale of The Pigman by signing an "oath" wherein they declare that they will record the facts surrounding their acquaintance with Mr. Angelo Pignati. John and Lorraine are sophomores at Franklin High School in New York when they meet Mr. Pignati, and they share a few months of their lives in this book, explaining their relationships with each other and this special adult friend of theirs. John writes the first chapter, and explains that he and Lorraine are writing this book on a typewriter in the school library, under the watchful eye of the librarian, Miss Reillen. John explains that they call Miss Reillen "the Cricket" because of the sound her nylons make when they rub together under her too-tight skirts. The Pigman is full of details like this, explaining the origination of nicknames, and other lore common to the two writers and their friends. John explains that if Miss Reillen didn't work in the library, which is supposed to be quiet, no one would probably notice this cricket-like noise.

John also gives some background about his own reputation as a bit of a troublemaker. He was known as "the bathroom bomber" and the organizer of such pranks as rolling rotten apples on the floor when a substitute teacher would turn her back. He explains that these pranks were when he was a freshman, and he says he has given up this "kid stuff" now that he is a sophomore.

John also tells us in the first chapter that Lorraine has laid down a ground rule for him about swearing. In their oath, they promise to tell the truth, and they call their work a "memorial epic," so Lorraine has decided that swearing isn't really appropriate. She allows that if John does need to swear, he can type @#$% and if it is a particularly bad curse word, he can indicate that with @#$%. John decides that this is an acceptable solution, since readers will be able to use their own imagination in interpreting his curses. Those minor details out of the way, John allows Lorraine to continue their story with Chapter 2.