full title A Day No Pigs Would Die
author Robert Newton Peck
type of work Autobiographical fiction
genre Rural American Novel
language English
date of first publication 1972
publisher of first publication Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
narrator Robert Peck
point of view First person
tone Lighthearted, optimistic
tense Present
setting (time) Late 1930s
setting (place) Learning, Vermont
protagonist Robert Peck
rising action Robert receives a pig as a gift from a neighbor. He and the pig become best friends.
climax Pinky has to be killed so that the family will have enough to eat in the winter.
falling action Robert's father dies.
themes The trials of becoming a man; the difficulty of being an outsider; free will versus expectations; acceptance of the inevitability of life
motifs Death; education; consistency; possession
symbols Haven's tools; Haven's signature
