Geppetto is an elderly, impoverished woodcarver living alone. Discovering an oak branch after a storm, he carves it into a marionette, Pinocchio, seeking companionship and a son. The fairy of the oak tree brings the puppet to life at Geppetto's wish. His paternal dedication shows in early interactions. After authorities return the runaway Pinocchio, Geppetto replaces the puppet's burnt feet without reprimand. He sacrifices his only coat to buy Pinocchio a schoolbook, highlighting his selfless care. When the puppeteer Sneeroff captures Pinocchio, Geppetto embarks on a prolonged search, enduring hardships including imprisonment and a shipwreck that strands him on Devil's Island.

Geppetto's resilience persists during their separation. Reuniting with Pinocchio on Devil's Island, they survive alongside a girl named Gina. Geppetto helps transform the island into a habitable place, demonstrating enduring resourcefulness. Following rescue, he returns to Europe only to face renewed peril: the army arrests him for alleged association with "dark magic" and sentences him to exile on Devil's Island.

En route to imprisonment, Pinocchio intercepts the transport. Their escape from a subsequent shipwreck and confrontation with a sea monster strands them again on Devil's Island. After a final rescue, Geppetto sees Pinocchio selflessly secure medicine for ill children, an act leading to the puppet becoming a real boy. The narrative concludes with Geppetto reunited with his now-human son and their companions.