Character Analysis
The magic of Disney works in many wonderful ways. It can turn a puppet into a real boy. And—what's more impressive—it can turn a sad, lonely old man who talks to his puppets into a sympathetic father-figure.
Seriously: when you look at Geppetto's life through the lens of reality, he seems like the kind of super-depressing character that would be written by Tennessee Williams. In fact, his heir apparently is Joaquin Phoenix's character in Her…who's not exactly a happy-go-lucky dude.
But, viewed through the rose-tinted lens of Disney, Geppetto's a great dude. He spends half his life building things that bring joy to others, and the other half having a grand old time with his surrogate family. What could be better than that?
Family Guy
Geppetto doesn't have an actual family, but he seems to create a kind-of/sort-of family with every creature he meets. He treats his cat Figaro like a son. He treats his fish Cleo like a daughter. Even before he sees that fateful wishing star, he tells Figaro that he would love it if Pinocchio were to become a real boy.
Against all odds, Geppetto's wish is granted. This might not have happened if he wasn't such a great guy, however. Check it out:
THE BLUE FAIRY: Good Geppetto, you have given so much happiness to others. You deserve to have your wish come true.
Instead of taking fatherhood slow, however, Geppetto dives straight into the deep end. He sends Pinocchio off to school the morning after he comes to life, for example, assuming that everything will go perfectly.
Spoiler alert: it doesn't.
In this way, Geppetto shares some of that same naivety that makes Pinocchio so susceptible to con artists and bad guys.
Father Knows Best?
Even though he doesn't always make the wisest decisions, Geppetto more than proves his love for Pinocchio. Think about how he reacts when Pinocchio goes missing: he drops everything he's doing and shuts down his business to scour the earth for his lost son.
Geppetto is even still worried about Pinocchio's well-being when he's starving inside Monstro's belly. Check it out:
GEPPETTO: I never thought it would end this way, Figaro. Starving to death in the belly of a whale. My poor little Pinocchio. He was such a good boy.
In the end, Pinocchio proves that he's a chip off the old block by sacrificing his life to save Geppetto. Geppetto would've definitely done the same had the clog been on the other foot. Luckily for our lacrimal glands (those are the little guys that produce tears), however, the Blue Fairy waves her magic wand and gives Pinocchio the gift both he and Geppetto have been craving the whole time—Pinocchio's humanity.
Now Geppetto finally has a real family. It's taken a lot to get to this point, but the payoff is worth every second spent inside that stinking hunk of blubber.