The Irresponsibility In Paul Zindel's 'Homestuck'

In Homestuck, by Andrew Hussie, the narrator truly states, “Being a kid and growing up. It’s hard and nobody understands.” Kids have to figure out responsibility, relationships, and more as they transition into adulthood. John Conlan and Lorraine Jensen learn many life lessons throughout the book The Pigman, by Paul Zindel, as they meet Mr. Pignati and face the consequences of their irresponsibility. Only after the death of Mr. Pignati, John and Lorraine rue that they hadn’t acted with more maturity, and decide to recount their experiences with Mr. Pignati in an attempt to make some sort of amends. John and Lorraine find that they must live their own life without accusing others for their faults and mistakes. On many occasions, John and Lorraine attempt to lessen their responsibilities and curb the blame to others. For example, after their destructive party and being scolded by her mother,

At the end, when he contemplated his decisions, John finds that “There was no one else to blame anymore… And there was no place to hide—no place across any river for a boatman to take us. Our life would be what we made of it- nothing more, nothing less.” (148-149) After Mr. Pignati dies, he now comprehends that he cannot hide from his responsibilities, he cannot hide “[any] place across any river.” He has to live his own life, and his decisions are not the faults of others. John, still thinking about Mr. Pignati, also uses an apt analogy: “Baboons. Baboons. They build their own cages, we could almost hear the Pigman whisper.” (149) One of the cages built is one of the habit of blaming others, and like a cage, it restricts one from growing, from moving. It is a treacherous habit, and John now recognizes how unreliable accusing others is. Seeing the faults of their previous ways, John and Lorraine must have undoubtedly abandoned such