Genre
Children's fiction; fairy tale
Setting and Context
The story is set in a fairy-tale version of Italy.
Narrator and Point of View
The narrator is an unnamed third-person limited omniscient narrator; the point of view stays primarily with Pinocchio.
Tone and Mood
The tone is comedic and didactic; the mood moves between playful and despairing.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is Pinocchio; antagonists include Geppetto, the Fairy, the Fox and the Cat, the little man who sells him as a donkey, and the dogfish.
Major Conflict
Pinocchio wants to become a real boy who is obedient and studious, but first he must overcome the indulgences of his lazy, work-shy nature.
Climax
The novel reaches its climax when Pinocchio gives away his hard-earned money in order to help the Fairy, who has fallen ill. As a reward, he wakes up to find himself magically transformed into a real boy.
Foreshadowing
Understatement
Allusions
The chapters in which Geppetto and Pinocchio are swallowed by a giant dogfish could be considered an allusion to the Biblical tale of Jonah, who is swallowed by a whale.
