Themes Analysis and Interpretations Edward Scissorhands Edward Scissorhands

Themes, Analysis, and Interpretations Edward Scissorhands

Edward Scissorhands, when conceived and invented, was no specific race, assumed no class distinction, and belonged to no family structure.

Instead, Edward was given exceptional talents which he used to sculpt highly creative objects. He was "born" with the desire for individual expression.

Conformity Upon entering the Boggs Family and suburbia, Edward begins to experience pressures of conformity. Immediately, changes are made to his appearance and ideas are instilled in his mind in order to make Edward a "normal" citizen.

The “norm” The issue of the "norm" and its attainment, are developed through specific female characterizations and, in general, gender relationships.

By examining the female roles in this film, one can see clearly the manifestation of conformist ideals in the community. Women, for instance, are most aggressive in their interaction with Edward.

Peg, his adopted mother, produces her husband's old clothing to wear over his patched leather suit. As the local Avon representative, she also attempts to "suburbanize" his facial appearances by comically applying various cosmetics products.

Men in the Community Men in the community also attempt to impose their own values on Edward. At a neighborhood barbecue(Karen Schwartz), Edward earns the respect of the males by displaying his expertise in hedge sculpting. The male obligation of lawn maintenance prompts each to invite Edward to landscape his own lawn, fearful of not meeting the new standards of the community.

Community Standards Edward's relationship with each gender reveals the suburban mentality in which he is placed. Community rituals, as well as taboos, become defined as the film progresses through each situation. The necessity to conform to community standards regarding these rituals is of the utmost priority.

The stereotypical suburban housewife lives in this Florida community. In fact, Burton exaggerates each characterization, in order to fully depict these aspects of suburban attitudes. First, women are trend setters. There is a need for each housewife to maintain a certain position in the competition for new styles and modish ideas.

In one scene, for instance, one woman discovers Edward's creative skill in trimming dogs' hair (different from shrubbery). The next scene proceeds to show a line of women, representative of the entire neighborhood, dog in hand, waiting to have their own pets receive a similar haircut. Joyce, one neighborhood woman, thoroughly impressed with her puppy's haircut, insists on having Edward cut her own frizzy mane. Once the women observe Edward's skill in trimming women's hair (different from dog's hair), the long line becomes one for their own hairstyle renovation.

There is very little individual decision making in this event, or those that follow. The neighborhood women fully abandon their opinions, trusting blindly in Edward's tastes and judgments to determine their "personal" styles.

In this sense, Edward Scissorhands is accepted as the only creative, individualistic force in the community. As the plot develops, however, the women perceive his diversity as threatening and as a sign of evil.

One of the ladies, Joyce, tries to seduce Edward. It is after his rejection that she labels him a freak. She further outcasts him by claiming that he had attempted to rape her while they were alone. The specific events that follow are an excellent example of a modern-day witch hunt.

Women also serve as the keepers of the community. In a sense, they are the inspectors who "police" the daily activities of the individual citizens.

The "grapevine" is dramatized, depicting women rushing to the telephone to report the latest gossip to their friends. Gossip includes any minor disruption in the normal routine of the day. For instance, when Peg was first seen driving with Edward, the neighborhood network communicated the news within a few minutes. The more significant gossip would require a community meeting, located at a certain street corner with all women present for group discussion.

The status of a housewife in the community is revealed through another suburbanite ritual. At the neighborhood barbecue(Mandy Dainis) scene, women are more than eager to hand-feed Edward a sample of their homemade party dip. Each special-recipe dip represents a certain level of achievement for each individual housewife. Ironically, as each woman strives for personal distinction, the act of bringing the party dip reaffirms the conformist ideals of suburbia.

Male Roles As each car files down the street, the men of the household assume their roles as providers. This ritual is reinforced by the fact that no men are seen during the day throughout the film. As the traditional suburbanite breadwinner, males are portrayed to value only a few, straight forward qualities: discipline and financial stability.

Edward's differences both appearance-wise and talent-wise gained him acceptance into a tightly knit suburban community. However, at the conclusion of the film, it is these differences which lead to his hostile expulsion from the community.

The results of numerous attempts to mold him into a product of suburban ideals, proved only to be superficial. During time of crisis, the citizens immediately blamed the one who was different among themselves. Edward was targetted for anger, criticism, and eventual reparation for the evils present in the community.

In retrospect, Peg re-evaluates her initial decision: "You know, when I brought Edward down here to live with us, I really didn't think things through. I didn't think about what could happen to him, or to us, or to the neighborhood. And now I think, maybe it might be best if he goes back up there. . . because at least there he's safe. . . and we'll just go back to normal. “ In recognizing the inflexibility of the suburban community, she simultaneously reveals the essence of suburban culture itself. The absolute necessity for maintaining this "normal" state drives the people and all component parts of suburbia in their common direction.

The film, Edward Scissorhands, portrays a suburban community that protects itself through exclusion. It is the typical suburbia, described by Robert Fishman in Bourgeois Utopias which is based on the principal of exclusion.

Through exaggeration, Tim Burton, the director of the film, offers an insight on the misunderstanding, mistreatment, and exploitation often experienced by "outsiders". "Outsiders" can include a broad group of people.

In the class readings, we have seen that this could include anyone of a different race, class, religion, sexual orientation, or even mentality.

As in Edward Scissorhand's case, many of these victims are talented, creative, and intelligent. However, their potentials are never realized in the hostile environment of exclusion.

When coupled with the ideal of conformity these barriers will only perpetuate the problems. Furthermore, the denial of selfexpression will only deprive society from growth and development. Burton's commentary seems not to pertain only to suburbia, but possibly to all exclusionary elements of society.