Pinocchio

Pinocchio is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel The Adventures of Pinocchio (1883), by the Italian writer Carlo Collodi. Carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a small Italian village, he was created as a wooden puppet, but dreamed of becoming a real boy. He has also been used as a character who is prone to telling lies and fabricating stories for various reasons. The story has appeared in many adaptations in other media. Pinocchio has been called an icon of modern culture, and one of the most reimagined characters in the pantheon of children's literature.

Fictional character biography
Aspects of Pinocchio's character vary depending on the interpretation, although basic aspects such as his creation as a puppet by Geppetto and the size of his nose changing due to his lies or stress remain present across the various formats.

Pinocchio is known for having a short nose that becomes longer when he is under stress (chapter 3), especially while lying. His clothes are made of flowered paper, his shoes are made of wood and his hat is made of bread (page 16 of Collodi's Le Avventure di Pinocchio). In this, the original tale, Collodi describes him as a “rascal,” “imp,” “scapegrace,” “disgrace,” “ragamuffin,” and “confirmed rogue,” with even his father, carpenter Geppetto, referring to him as a “wretched boy.” Upon being born, Pinocchio immediately laughs derisively in his creator’s face, whereupon he steals the old man’s wig.

Pinocchio’s bad behavior, rather than being charming or endearing, is meant to serve as a warning. Collodi originally intended the story, which was first published in 1881, to be a tragedy. It concluded with the puppet’s execution. Pinocchio’s enemies, the Fox and the Cat, bind his arms, pass a noose around his throat, and hang him from the branch of an oak tree:

''…a tempestuous northerly wind began to blow and roar angrily, and it beat the poor puppet from side to side, making him swing violently, like the clatter of a bell ringing for a wedding. And the swinging gave him atrocious spasms….'' ''His breath failed him and he could say no more. He shut his eyes, opened his mouth, stretched his legs, gave a long shudder, and hung stiff and insensible.''

Clothing and character
Pinocchio is a marionette (a wooden puppet that is maneuvered with wires) and not a puppet (that is controlled by the hand that occupies the interior of it). In the book, however, he is often called, improperly, puppet, hence the misunderstanding. This is for a unique feature: the piece of wood from which it is derived is animated, so Pinocchio, while still remaining a simple wooden marionette, moves alone, walking, talking and eating (as in the Chap. XIII, at the Osteria del Gambero Rosso in the company of the Fox and the Cat). Pinocchio is basically good, but often falls into the temptation to get carried away by bad company and is prone to lying. Because of these characteristics he often finds itself in trouble, from which, however, he always manages to get out. In the course of the novel there are some transformation: after promising the The Fairy with Turquoise Hair to stop being a puppet and he wants to become a real boy, flees with Candlewick in Land of Toys, and ends up becoming, after five months of plenty, in a Donkey, finishing in a company of clowns. In the last chapter Pinocchio, out of the mouth of The Terrible Dogfish with Geppetto, finally stops being a puppet and becomes a real boy (thanks to the intervention of the Fairy in a dream).

In the novel specific details on Pinocchio's clothing are not provided. However he is often depicted with a pointy hat, a jacket and a pair of colored, knee-length long pants (hence called "cropped"). In fact, the book mentions "a dress of flowered paper, a pair of shoes from the bark of trees and a cap of bread crumb". In the Disney version, the appearance is very different, and the character is dressed in Tyrolean style, with Lederhosen and a hat with a feather.

The nose
The best-known of Pinocchio's characteristics is his nose, which grows in length when he tells a lie: this appears in chapter XVI. In addition to immediate and obvious references of a sexual nature, it should be noted how Collodi himself, in Note gaie claims how "to hide the truth of a speculum animae (mirror of the soul) face [ ... ] is added to the true nose another papier-mache nose".

The nose only appears a couple times in the story, but it reveals the Blue Fairy's power over Pinocchio when he acts disobediently. After struggling and weeping over his deformed nose, the Blue Fairy summons woodpeckers to peck it back to normal.

Literary analysis
Some literary analysts have described Pinocchio as an epic hero. Like other Western literary heroes, such as Gilgamesh and Odysseus, Pinocchio descends into hell. Pinocchio also experiences rebirth through metamorphosis, a motif found in fantasy or speculative literatures.

Throughout the work, Pinocchio is chastized for his lack of moral fiber, and his repeated desire to have fun and reject responsibility. Since Collodi was frequently involved in writing for the sake of Italian Unification and the new republic that came from it, the book can be seen as an element in nation-building. Before writing Pinocchio, Collodi wrote several elementary school textbooks for the new nation's schoolchildren (in a series called "Littly Johnny"). Pinocchio follows the structure of peasant folk-tales of peasants who venture out into the world but are naively unprepared for it and get into ridiculous situations. At the time, this was a serious problem where much of the Italian peasantry was immigrating to cities and places like the United States. In the industrialization of Italy, laborers were needed more and more in the cities who could be reliable. The main imperatives demanded of Pinocchio are to work, be good, and study. And in the end his willingness to provide for his father and devote himself to these things transforms him into a real boy with modern comforts.

Disney version
When Walt Disney Productions was developing the story for the film Pinocchio (1940) they intended to keep the more obnoxious traits from the original story, but Walt Disney himself felt that this made the character too unlikable, so alterations were made to incorporate traits of innocence to make Pinocchio more likable. Pinocchio was voiced by Dickie Jones. Today the film is considered the finest Disney feature ever made, and one of the greatest animated films of all time, with a rare 100% rating on the website Rotten Tomatoes. n the video game adaptation of the film, Pinocchio lives out (mostly) the same role as the film, traveling through the world filled with temptations and battling various forces. This incarnation later appeared in Who Framed Roger Rabbit voiced by Peter Westy, Disney's House of Mouse voiced by Michael Welch, and Kingdom Hearts voiced by Seth Adkins. Elijah Wood portrayed the real-boy version of Pinocchio in the live-action segments for the updated Jiminy Cricket educational serials "I'm No Fool" and "You" in addition to the new shorts of "I'm No Fool" in the early 1990s. Pinocchio makes also a cameo appearances in Teacher's Pet and Tangled. In the video game Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion Pinocchio is featured as one of the many iconic Disney characters kidnapped by the evil witch, Mizrabel in her plot to dominate their world; he's imprisoned alongside Genie in the Cave of Wonders until eventually being rescued by Mickey Mouse.

Other media

 * The story is set in a charming villa in Collodi, where Carlo Collodi had spent his youth, in 1826. This villa is now named Villa Pinocchio.


 * Pinocchio appeared in the 1911 adaptation, a live-action Silent film, and he is performed by Ferdinand Guillaume.


 * A 1936 adaptation was planned, but it was never entirely completed and is now considered lost.


 * Mel Blanc voiced Pinocchio in a 1953 radio adaptation of the story. This is the second adaptation of Pinocchio with Mel Blanc involved, as Mel voiced Gideon the Cat in the 1940 Disney film until all of his lines were deleted, save for three hiccups.


 * Pinocchio appeared in the 1972 adaptation, voiced by Roberta Paladini.


 * He was portrayed by Sandy Duncan in a 1976 television musical film.


 * He had a guest appearance in Episode 876 of Sesame Street, performed by Frank Oz.


 * Pinocchio appeared in the "Señor Wences" episode of The Muppet Show, performed by Steve Whitmire. His puppet was built by Bob Payne.


 * He appeared in Filmation's 1987 epic animated film Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night voiced by Scott Grimes.


 * Pinocchio appeared in the 1993 Direct-to-video adaptation by GoodTimes Entertainment, voiced by Jeannie Elias.


 * He appeared in the horror film Pinocchio's Revenge played by Verne Troyer and voiced by Dick Beals. He appears as a killer puppet.


 * He was portrayed by Jonathan Taylor Thomas in The Adventures of Pinocchio. Thomas also voiced the title character's puppet form.


 * Pinocchio also appeared in the sequel The New Adventures of Pinocchio, played by Gabriel Thomson (who also voiced his puppet form).
 * In the paintings series "La morte di Pinocchio", Walther Jervolino, an Italian painter and engraver, shows Pinocchio being executed with arrows or decapitated, thus presenting an alternative story ending.


 * 12927 Pinocchio, a main-belt asteroid discovered on September 30, 1999 by M. Tombelli and L. Tesi at San Marcello Pistoiese, was named after Pinocchio.


 * Pinocchio was featured in Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child voiced by Will Smith.


 * He was portrayed by Seth Adkins in the television musical film Geppetto.


 * He appeared as a supporting character in Shrek, Shrek 2, Shrek the Third, and Shrek Forever After, voiced by Cody Cameron. He was also featured in Shrek the Musical, originally played on Broadway by John Tartaglia.


 * Pinocchio appeared in the 2002 Pinocchio film, played by Roberto Benigni while the English dub voice was provided by Breckin Meyer.


 * He appeared in Pinocchio 3000 voiced by Sonja Ball. This version is a robot that was built by Geppetto.


 * In the manga series MÄR, there is a knight of the chess pieces named Pinocchio who was created by Diana.


 * In the web series RWBY, the character Penny is inspired by Pinocchio.


 * Pinocchio also is featured by the K-pop girl group f(x) in their first album's lead single Pinocchio (Danger).


 * He appeared in Once Upon a Time, played by Eion Bailey. He appears in Storybrooke in the form of a mysterious man named August Wayne Booth. In the Enchanted Forest, his younger self is played by Jakob Davies. Following his near death by Tamara, the Mother Superior restored Pinocchio to his child self.


 * Pinocchio appeared in the 2012 adaptation.


 * He was used as the mascot for the 2013 UCI Road World Championships.


 * Pinocchio appeared in GEICO commercial's bad motivational speaker 2014 and 1991's clay animation Halloween by Sheldon the Snail.


 * In Russia there is an analogue Pinocchio are Буратино


 * The leadoff track "Peter Piper" on Run DMC's Raising Hell album contains the lyric "...and if I lie my nose will grow/ like the little wooden boy named Pinocchio..."


 * In the shōnen series One Piece, Usopp of the Strawhat Pirates is modeled after Pinocchio, with his long nose and frequent exaggerations.


 * Part 6 of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure features an evil version of Pinocchio, brought to life by Bohemian Rhapsody.


 * In Avengers: Age of Ultron, the story of Pinocchio is referenced to symbolize the cybernetic villain Ultron becoming free of his masters (the Avengers) orders. A dark version of the Disney Pinocchio song "I've Got No Strings" is also quoted by him, and used in promotional material for the film.