Pinocchio Character Analysis

In Pinocchio, Carlo Collodi presents an array of relationships Pinocchio has with characters he met on his journey. Two prominent figures Pinocchio encounters the most often is Gepetto and the Fairy. Gepetto, the father figure, is the woodcarver who made Pinocchio out of wood while a spirit, also known as the Fairy, is Pinocchio’s mother figure who decided to take him as her son after helping him several times. With them, Pinocchio goes from Marionette that was full of mischief to a human boy that honors his father and mother. Along similar lines, The Bible provides stories of change brought to people through their parents’ presence. As a child that is susceptible to parents’ authoritative figure, this blind compliance is harder to ask of children

The Fairy forgives Pinocchio time and time again despite Pinocchio’s disregard for her. Consequently from experiencing a near-death situation from drowning, Pinocchio began to see the endless love his maternal figure showers him through forgiveness and her patience with him. After he turns back into a Marionette from a donkey, Pinocchio admits, "She is my mother, and, like all other mothers who love their children, she never loses sight of me, even though I do not deserve it” (Collodi 112). He knows he had taken advantage of the Fairy yet, she does not give up on him because she is his mother and that is demonstration of filial piety. Similarly, in The Bible, there was a parable of the two sons and the father. The youngest son asked his father for his inheritance to leave home and ends up exhausting his funds. From desperation, he goes home to his father for forgiveness and “... his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him”(The Bible, Luke 15:20). This is very noteworthy and noble of the father. Typically, inheritance is passed down to the son when the father passes away. With the youngest son asking the father for his share is almost the same as if he want to live without his father in his life. The son, like Pinocchio, had come back so he would not starve to death and be without money. As much as the son wanted to tell his father that he was wrong and wanted to work for his living as a front, after seeing his father welcome him back with such joy, the son was ashamed by his foolishness and tells his father, “...Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son”(The Bible, Luke 15:21). Although the youngest son and Pinocchio did not demonstrate filial piety, their parents