Pinocchio was a little wooden boy who wanted to be real. Jiminy Cricket served as his conscience. He went through a series of temptations, he was deliberately led astray on more than one occasion, and after persevering and proving himself, he was granted his one wish: to be a real, live boy.

It's not clear where Pinocchio got the notion that he wasn't "real," but most likely it came from his adopted father, Gepetto. Gepetto wanted a son and fashioned one out of wood, thinking that this was as close as he was ever going to get to having a child of his own. Rather than rejoicing when his son comes to life, Gepetto expresses regret and bemoans the fact that his son is not "real".

Obviously Gepetto's disappointment is conveyed to Pinocchio. Like most children deprived of affection and approval, Pinocchio becomes dissociative and detaches himself from reality. He is unable to distinguish right from wrong and must be provided with a live-in caretaker to advise him in these matters.

Rather than celebrating his wooden-ness and the things that make him unique, Pinocchio is taught to always strive towards collectivity and to conform to some pre-conceived notion of what Gepetto deems acceptable.

There would be some advantages to being made of wood, after all. You wouldn't age, at least in the sense that humans do. Although you would probably have to be stripped and re-varnished every few years, which would hurt like a bitch. You would never get sick, but you would have to watch out for termites and woodpeckers. You wouldn't ever have to worry about medical bills, especially when your dad was a carpenter.

But whatever the advantages or disadvantages, the fact is that some people are different and these differences shouldn't always be treated as disabilities. Gepetto should have been happy! He had a son! He should have said "Pinocchio, one day you may be real, but whatever happens, you're my boy and I love you! So in the meantime, be good, go to school, and keep away from the fireplace!"

The message is simple: Conform.