Luzdivina Sara Diaz Solar
Italian Children’s Literature
Disney’s Pinocchio
December 2015
A brief introduction to this work
Le avventure di Pinocchio is a children’s novel written by Carlo Collodi. At first, it was a serial and then it was completed as a book novel in 1883. The story of the puppet Pinocchio is one of the most famous and, however the book is one of the least read, in spite of the numerous translations and adaptations made over the years and around the world. The original story of Pinocchio and Gepetto was overshadowed by the culture made around the story of the inspired Disney film released in 1940.
Pinocchio is an animated film produced in 1940 in America by Walt Disney. The plot of the film is based on the Collodi’s novel…show more content… He is called Jiminy Cricket and he is a main character of the film. At first he appears as the narrator of the story of Pinocchio. He starts to be the conscience of Pinocchio and also his friend. He tells him the difference between good and the bad things, he gives him advices besides they both have a good friendship and he is always with him. After the movie, according to the work of Wunderlich and Morrisey there are two elements that are transformed dramatically after the Disney’s film the killing of Il Grillo Parlante and the species of the animal that swallows Gepetto and then Pinocchio.
Poverty is an important topic throughout the Collodi’s novel. Gepetto is a poor man who fights for giving his son clothes, books and food. In the Disney’s adaptations of Geppetto it is not clear if Geppetto is poor or not. In the film, he seems to have enough resources to meet the basic needs of his son as good clothes and food. He is a toymaker and in his house there are all the basic things.
Pinocchio’s behavior in the original book is characterized by disobedient and rebellious. He treats Gepetto bad when he can’t get what he wants “Collodi portrays conflict between parent and child as a natural and expected occurrence, not a deviant one. He also illustrates that adulthood is not achieved within the confines of the family, but rather that the child must leave the family”.…show more content… He loves his father Gepetto and he tries to do good actions. Sometimes he fails but because of his innocence above all. He learns and he changes.
“Pinocchio is one of those fortunate souls who does not always get what he wants but most assuredly gets what he need” (Morrissey, Thomas )
Death
Death appears many times throughout Collodi’s Pinocchio. The death of the Talking Cricket, the death of the Blue Fairy, the attempts of the murderers of killing Pinocchio. Specially in one scene when Pinocchio is escaping from the murderers and he founds a house and ask for help and there is a girl in the window who claims that she is dead:
“Allora si affacciò alla finestra una bella Bambina, coi capelli turchini e il viso bianco come un’immagine di cera, gli occhi chiusi e le mani incrociate sul petto, la quale, senza muover punto le labbra, disse con una vocina che pareva venisse dall’altro mondo:
— In questa casa non c’è nessuno. Sono tutti morti.
— Aprimi almeno tu! — gridò Pinocchio piangendo e raccomandandosi.
— Sono morta anch’io.
— Morta? e allora che cosa fai costì alla finestra?
— Aspetto la bara che venga a portarmi via.