Topic > The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi: The Learning Experience Through the Negative Consequences of Youthful Behavior

The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi is undoubtedly one of the most acclaimed works of literature. The story is about a boy, who is a puppet made of enchanted wood, who tries his best to become a boy in real life. Over the course of the book Pinocchio is faced with numerous decisions which he has the possibility of disobeying for personal enjoyment; however, his disobedience directly results in karmic punishment. Readers can draw many themes from the story such as morality and ethics, identity, and some subthemes including peer pressure, the importance of education, and laziness. The most important overarching theme within The Adventures of Pinocchio, however, is learning from the consequences when choosing natural impulses over altruism. Not only for Pinocchio himself, but also for the readers. This is observed in every section of the novel. The most distinct points are present: in the exposition when Pinocchio escapes and Geppetto ends up in prison, during the climax when Pinocchio believes that the blue-haired fairy is dead, and finally at the end of the story when he becomes a real boy overcome the negative influence . Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The first distinctive sequence of events that demonstrates the overarching theme occurs during the exposition of the novel. Pinocchio's origin is presented as a piece of wood that cried and laughed like a child discovered by Master Cherry, who is a carpenter. The piece of wood is given to Geppetto who then builds it into the puppet, Pinocchio. From the beginning, he is a mischievous puppet who is cheeky towards his creator. He escapes down the street and eventually causes Geppetto to be arrested on suspicion of child abuse. His selfish decision causes him to become hungry and his feet burn. “If I hadn't run away from home and if dad were here now, I wouldn't starve.” He says. This is the crucial moment when Pinocchio begins to know the repercussions directly caused by his actions based on natural impulse. Carl Van Doren points out this in his introductory essay to the novel, "he is forced to recognize his own stubborn impulse to do things that he believes to be natural but which he has been told are spiteful." After recognizing his mistakes, Pinocchio cries with Geppetto returning from prison. His delinquency is reciprocated with punishment from Geppetto himself, but Pinocchio obviously does not immediately become considerate after this event. Many similar events happen like the above event, however one particular climactic scene within the novel gives Pinocchio the distinctive awareness that his actions have more effects than he thought. The blue-haired fairy is characterized as Pinocchio's protector and appears at important moments to warn him of his behavior. In chapter 23 of the novel, Pinocchio experiences events in which he is led to believe that the blue-haired fairy is dead. As he approaches the fairy's house, he discovers a tomb that directly mentions Pinocchio as the cause of his death. This directly affects Pinocchio and causes him to suffer severe emotional pain. His mourning is a turning point where he finally understands the weight of his actions. In The Hidden Pinocchio: Story of a Subversive Puppet, ML Rosenthal suggests that Pinocchio “is forced by the most painful kind of experience to accept responsibility. The change comes because he sees, even if sporadically, that those he loves are suffering because of him.” After this experience, Pinocchio is influenced by his newfound responsibility to find and help his father, when a pigeon informs him of his.