By Tiarne Hamam 1. Name of text: Edward Scissorhands 2. Composer: Tim Burton 3. Text type: Film 4. What is the text about?
Edward Scissorhands is about Edward, a Frankenstein-like creation with scissors for hands, who is left alone unfinished in his creator’s mansion. Many years after Edward was created, local Avon saleswoman Peg Boggs visits the broken-down Gothic mansion on the hill where Edward lives. There, she finds Edward alone, and upon realizing he is virtually harmless she decides to take him to her home. Peggy’s inquisitive neighbours like Edward and begin to exploit him. Edward is then rejected from the town after a few misunderstandings. Edward stabs Jim in the stomach and pushes him away, causing him to fall out of a window to his death. Kim confesses her love for Edward and shares a kiss with him before leaving to tell the townspeople that Jim and Edward are both dead.
5. What ideas are conveyed about the outsider?
In the film, Edward Scissorhands, Tim Burton reveals to his audience how people who are different are often rejected by society. This is illustrated by the main character Edward who is excluded within the community. Edward is excluded due to the fact that he is physically different from everyone else; he has scissors for hands. We first see Edward inside a dark and gloomy mansion secluded from the rest of the town, showing that it doesn’t belong. The contrast used between the main street containing pastel coloured houses, coloured cars and people wearing bright clothes, showing that Edward is not like them, he is an outsider.
We see him though Peggy’s eyes and the high camera angle used makes Edward seem insignificant and vulnerable. Edward seems to have been socially excluded for a long time and wants to be a part of something. This is shown in the opening scene in this conversation.
Peg Boggs: “Why are you hiding back there? You don't have to hide from me - I'm Peg