View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Lorraine reads a great deal about ________.

2. As a freshman, John is known for orchestrating childish pranks and even has the nickname of the ________.

3. After their first face to face meeting with Mr. Pignati, why does John feel that he and Lorraine should accompany the man to the zoo?

4. In the first chapter of The Pigman, John explains that he and Lorraine are writing a book on a typewriter where?

5. When Lorraine first calls Mr. Pignati, she tells him that she's doing what?

Short Essay Questions

1. During their first phone conversation, why does Lorraine listen to Mr. Pignati's jokes?

2. What does John feel Lorraine lacks in?

3. How does Lorraine feel about Mr. Pignati when the police take her and John to their homes after the party breaks up?

4. Describe how and when Lorraine and John first meet.

5. How does John feel about the way the world treats older people?

6. What brings about Mr. Pignati's death?

7. Why does Lorraine's mother ask her to skip school one day?

8. How does John convince Lorraine that it's all right for them to cash the check they collected from Mr. Pignati under false pretenses?

9. Explain how John and Lorraine end up having their first kiss.

10. Describe telephone marathon, the game John and Lorraine play with a couple of their friends.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Even though John appears shallow at the start of the book, by the end we witness much greater depth than first meets the eye. Discuss John's transformation and evolution as seen from the reader's viewpoint.

Essay Topic 2

The author uses a unique literary tool to tell a story in The Pigman. He has his two main characters retell the series of events in writing, in their own words through alternating chapters. Explain what makes this literary technique effective. How does it add interest level to the narration? How does the reader get a broader perspective through the use of this technique?

Essay Topic 3

Several minor characters serve important roles in the book. Describe the relevance of the following characters:

1. Norton, friend of John and Lorraine.

2. Conchetta, Mr. Pignati's deceased wife.

3. Kenneth, John's brother.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 876 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample