Rediscovering Disney’s Pinocchio: The puppet who becomes a real boy

We have all heard about Pinocchio, the wooden marionette who gets transformed into a real boy. It’s a classic Disney movie, first released way back in 1940. Most of us must have watched it when we were little but probably have forgotten the story or didn’t understand it then. I too had watched it when I was little, probably around 7 years or so. I too didn’t understand the story back then but was merely fascinated by the animation. I became interested in watching it again after hearing it getting referenced in many of the lectures by famous Canadian clinical psychologist Dr Jordan B. Peterson. So, I utilized my free time during this lockdown to relish watching this timeless classic once again.

It is the story of a wooden marionette created by a poor old woodcarver named Geppetto. One night when he finished making Pinocchio, he saw a wishing star just before going to sleep. So, he wished Pinocchio to turn into a real boy. After he fell asleep, suddenly, a beautiful fairy appeared and turned Pinocchio into a wooden boy, saying Geppetto deserves to get his wishes fulfilled for he has spread so much happiness to others. However, she says he’ll become a real boy only if he proves himself worthy of it by being brave, truthful and unselfish, and learns to choose between right and wrong by listening to his conscience. Pinocchio doesn’t know what conscience is so the fairy appoints Jiminy Cricket to be his conscience. When he wakes up, Geppetto is elated to find out that his creation has come alive and his wish has come true – almost.

Next day he sends Pinocchio to school to get some education but in his way to the school, he gets tricked by a cunning fox, and in the pretext of making him a rich and famous actor he sells him off to a puppeteer named Stromboli. Stromboli turns out to be a tyrant, and he takes all the money and encages Pinocchio in his caravan. Jiminy Cricket tries to free him but he fails. Luckily, the fairy reappears and comes to the rescue. She asks them what happened but Pinocchio lies to her instead of telling her the truth, so consequently, his nose elongates as a punishment. This is undoubtedly the most iconic scene in the movie and probably the whole Disney cinematic history. His wooden nose grows longer after each lie he tells. Eventually, Pinocchio can’t help but notice his nose has become awfully long. Then he solemnly apologises to the fairy, to which the fairy replies, "You see, Pinocchio, a lie keeps growing and growing until it’s as plain as the nose on your face." Then he learns his lesson, and she turns his nose back to normal and sets him free. However, she warns him that it’s the last time that she can help him.

Unfortunately, while Pinocchio is returning home he is once again tricked by the fox and is sold off to an evil coachman who collects stupid and unruly boy and sells them for hard labour after turning them into donkeys. The coachman lures the boys into a secluded place called Pleasure Island where the boys can indulge themselves in any kind of decadent temptation ranging from consuming tobacco to uninhibited vandalism. Once the boys have spent enough time being bad, they begin to succumb to a deadly curse that exists over the island, which turns them into donkeys because they made a complete "jackass" of themselves by behaving like destructive animals. Once they completely transform into donkeys and lose their ability to talk, they are thrown into crates and taken to the salt mines, circus or any other place for hard labour.

Fortunately, Jiminy Cricket finds him and they both escape from the island before Pinocchio turns into a complete jackass. This time they both reach home safely, but they see that Geppetto is missing along with his pets. They then find out through a magic letter that Geppetto had been swallowed by a monstrous whale while he went out looking for Pinocchio. So they go out to find him, and Pinocchio risks his life to save his father from the belly of the whale when he eventually finds him there. They all escape from the whale and reach the shore safely, but unfortunately, Pinocchio is found dead. After that, they take him home, and while they are all mourning his death, the fairy reappears and revives Pinocchio and turns him into a real boy because he finally proved himself to be brave, truthful and unselfish. Everyone is exhilarated by this, especially Geppetto, and they all celebrate the occasion.

The moral of the story is still relevant in today’s world when we are daily inundated by unlimited temptations more than ever – in the form of social media, free online porn, materialism, gluttony, and so on. In these tumultuous times, we should look inwards and listen to our conscience, make an educated decision, and move forward with bravery, truthfulness and unselfishness, so that we too can transform into better and stronger individuals, and empower ourselves instead of becoming dummies or puppets or braying jackasses.