Summary

In Chapter 5, Geppetto encloses an image of himself and relates that the photo was taken when he was imagining that Pinocchio’s existence might lead to fame for him. The photo was taken while Pinocchio was at school, when Geppetto “was expecting not just a boy, but a fortune” (80). The memory now shames him, and he remains deeply concerned about Pinocchio’s whereabouts and well-being.

One day, Geppetto finds one of the sea beast’s teeth and decides to carve flowers upon it. The process leads him to consider other losses in his life, including the loss of his hair at a relatively young age. He procured a blond wig, keeping it even though it never suited him and began to thin over time. “I did not abandon my wig, we belonged together,” (88) he felt. The wig was lost when he was swallowed, and...