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Name
Course
Tutor
Date
Comparison of Yasha Frank’s Pinocchio and Collodi’s Pinocchio
Yasha Frank’s adaptation of Collodi’s Pinocchio extensively alters both the theme and the main
character of the original story. While the character of Pinocchio in Collodi’s novel, The Story of
a Puppet, is highly active and hard headed, in that he does not listen or follow the rules, the
Pinocchio portrayed on Frank’s play, Pinocchio is very passive, docile, and does not present so
much hard headedness as the original one. Seeing that these was in late 1930s, early 1940s, a
period marred by government suppression of citizen protest or disobedience after the great
depression, this change in Pinocchio’s character might have been to reflect the prevailing
political obedience and passivity of the citizens. It is also possible that the passive and good
natured character of Pinocchio is also appealing to the people to be more caring and less greedy.
Caring is one of the tests that Pinocchio has to go through before he can become a human boy in
the play. Therefore, most of these changes are political in nature. The play wright is using the
character to make political commentary. This it is no surprise that the character of Pinocchio is
killed at the end of the play; but unlike in the novel there is much care and mourning after his
death.
The themes of family and a happy childhood are very prominent in Yasha Frank’s play.
However, there is also the theme of greed and social relations that involve caring for each other
Name
Course
Tutor
Date
Comparison of Yasha Frank’s Pinocchio and Collodi’s Pinocchio
Yasha Frank’s adaptation of Collodi’s Pinocchio extensively alters both the theme and the main
character of the original story. While the character of Pinocchio in Collodi’s novel, The Story of
a Puppet, is highly active and hard headed, in that he does not listen or follow the rules, the
Pinocchio portrayed on Frank’s play, Pinocchio is very passive, docile, and does not present so
much hard headedness as the original one. Seeing that these was in late 1930s, early 1940s, a
period marred by government suppression of citizen protest or disobedience after the great
depression, this change in Pinocchio’s character might have been to reflect the prevailing
political obedience and passivity of the citizens. It is also possible that the passive and good
natured character of Pinocchio is also appealing to the people to be more caring and less greedy.
Caring is one of the tests that Pinocchio has to go through before he can become a human boy in
the play. Therefore, most of these changes are political in nature. The play wright is using the
character to make political commentary. This it is no surprise that the character of Pinocchio is
killed at the end of the play; but unlike in the novel there is much care and mourning after his
death.
The themes of family and a happy childhood are very prominent in Yasha Frank’s play.
However, there is also the theme of greed and social relations that involve caring for each other
