The pigman wife, Conchetta never appeared in the novel, but the readers assume that she died from natural causes or probably an illness.
At the beginning of the novel, she has been dead for several months and his husband, Angelo Pignati was grieving and mourned her still.
How old was Conchetta Pignati When She Died?
Conchetta and Angelo Pignati had been married for more than two decades before she passed out and knowing Angelo was in his fifties, we might assume that his wife was also about the same age at the moment of her death.
Who Tried to Discover More About the Pigman and His Wife?
Two children, around 15 years old, John and Lorraine were, at first, doing pricks by making random phone calls to people for charity. After reaching Mr. Pignati’s phone and talk to him, they decide to come over his place.
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At first, Angelo Pignati tells them that his wife is on a vacation to her sister in California, probably because he had not yet accepted his wife’s death and he was not ready to tell people about it.
This makes Lorraine think that he might have killed her and keep her body somewhere in a basement. Soon enough, by making frequent visits to Mr. Pignati, they find the funeral bill.
How was Conchetta’s Personality Like?
We might not know much about her physical appearance, but we do learn a lot about her personality while she was alive from Angelo Pignati himself.
On John and Lorraine’s first visit, Mr. Pignati mentioned that his wife would normally keep their house tidier, so we believe she was responsible for housekeeping and was a good wife.
Then, we come to learn that the Pignati’s have had a happy marriage, in which they shared a true love and friendship based on mutual respect and affection. They both shared a life filled with jokes and laughter, gourmet food and wine, as well as deeply and meaningful conversations.
Further on, we find out that one of the only remaining things Mr. Pignati keeps as a reminder of his wife was her collection of porcelain pigs.
When later in the novel, Mr Pignati leaves the house to John and Lorraine in his absence, they invite other persons and the collection of porcelain pigs gets destroyed in an accident.
This makes Angelo really sad, but he does not blame John and Lorraine, as he shares a kindly affection towards them and sees them as the children he never had with Conchetta.
How is Conchetta’s Death Perceived by the Other Characters ?
Even after she died, Conchetta had an enormous impact in the novel and multiple consequences. Her husband loved her so much, that he had not yet learnt how to live without her, she is present in all his stories and their story soon become a role model for the young John and Lorraine.
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Not having a proper mother and father figure and having a rich imagination as teenagers, they truly consider it to be a perfect love story and wish they had parents like Mr and Mrs. Pignati.
We can say that Conchetta really manages to stay a vivid character with the help of the others, being alive in Angelo’s memories and John and Lorraine’s imagination.
What is the Main Symbol in the Novel?
The main symbol is death (as Mr Pignati also died in the novel of a heart attack), and also true relationships.
Getting to know Mr. Pigman and learning so much about his kidness and the love and affection he shared for his wife while she was alive and even after she has died, John and Lorraine not only get inspired and start to develop mutual feelings for each other, but also they come to learn about the fragility of life and loss.
They shortly start to understand the depth of true love and how Mr. Pignati feels now that he was alone and try to cheer him up whenever they can, even if they cause him more trouble than good.
So, even if Conchetta Pignati never appeared in the novel, we can definitely imagine what kind of person she was, because she was for sure missed.
Her character was one of the most important ones, having a tremendous impact and showing others the true importance of sharing the precious moments with the ones you love.
