Pinocchio, Puppets and Modernity

This study examines the enduring significance of Pinocchio across the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, situating him not only as a product of the nineteenth century’s fascination with dummies, puppets, and marionettes, but also as a dynamic figure who transcends his origins. The collection identifies Pinocchio as a being of “fluid identity,” defined by transition, difference, vitality, otherness, displacement, and metamorphosis—qualities that render him a profoundly modern, even postmodern and posthuman, cultural icon.

Pinocchio, Puppets and Modernity ventures into this rich yet underexplored territory, re-evaluating Pinocchio’s lineage and legacy while illuminating both the broader cultural contexts and the specific manifestations of the mechanical–human interface across theatre, the visual arts, literature, radio, and virtual reality—resonating with the digital transformations of our age.