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Pinocchio in Dramatis Personae
As literary concepts, dramatis personae emerge in the works of Vladimir Propp in reference to
the tendency of fairy tales to incorporate a broad range of character types. One such persona in
Collodi’s tale is the protagonist Pinocchio around which the story revolves. The author creates a
series of events that characterize the escapades of his central character around which the story
revolves. He further develops numerous characters including helpers and villains that help his
storytelling as the plot unfolds.
One of the key turning points of the story is Pinocchio’s rude awakening upon
encountering the sly Cat and Fox who conned him with the promise of multiplying his gold.
Collodi introduces these characters in a way that the reader understands how an unsuspecting
person would fall for the tricks of professional con artists. Experience teaches us that tricksters
use deceit, psychological manipulation, and emotional blackmail to deceive their victims and
prey on their weaknesses. When Pinocchio encounters Cat and Fox, the former was disguised as
blind while the latter pretended to be lame. “The lame Fox leaned on the Cat and the blind Cat let
the Fox lead him along” (Chapter 12). As cleverly orchestrated as it was, this trickery
automatically appeals to Pinocchio’s emotions by provoking sympathy. The level of deception