The Adventures of Pinocchio

Content Warning: The source material uses outdated and offensive language about individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities. This guide includes this language in quoted material when necessary.

Collodi’s belief that parents should be gentle, patient, and loving is illustrated throughout the story as the author paints the picture of ideal parenthood in Geppetto’s character. In the opening chapters, Geppetto’s violent temper is emphasized, such as during his physical fight with Mastro Cherry, initiated when Geppetto hears his derisive nickname, Polendina, “and growing angrier each moment, they [go] from words to blows, and finally beg[i]n to scratch and bite and slap each other” (3). This fight, sparked by a single word, illustrates Geppetto’s tendency to quickly resort to physical violence to solve his problems. Initially, he treats Pinocchio with this same anger and impatience: “‘Stop laughing!’ said Geppetto angrily; but he might as well have spoken to the wall. ‘Stop laughing, I say!’ he roared in a voice of thunder” (5). His metaphorical voice of thunder illustrates the extent of his anger toward Pinocchio, merely for laughing. The ineffectiveness of this manner of parenting is illustrated by Collodi through Pinocchio’s decision to run away from Geppetto.