Edward Scissorhands Discourses Of Meaning

Tim Burton in his film “Edward Scissor Hands” communicates the dominant perspective that forcing others to conform to societal norms is a negative, paticurly when the focus is on someone who is marginalised through no fault to his own. In this instance, Edward is the brain-child of a well meaning inventor, however the Frankenstein sub-genre of film provides intertextuality that is wrong and irresponsible to play god with creation of life. Therefore, from the start, Edward is constructed as an other within a normality society. Although the intentions of those close to Edward are good, his destiny is to be marginalised. Burton constructs the discourse of Changing a person’s individuality is bad, Disabilities should not be ridiculed or discriminated and Taking advantage of those who are challenged are wrong. The audience is positioned to accept Burton’s dominant view-point by using technical and symbolic film code and successful techniques such as marginalisation, the binary opposition of good VS evil and intertextuality. This essay will further explore the discourses identified within the film and how the audience is positioned to accept Burton’s ultimate point-of-view.

The particular imagery associated from this film allows the viewer to see the discourse of changing a person form who they naturally are portrays to the audience the difficult question whether they should and in most instances like Edwards the answer is no. In this instance, Pegg Boggs Mother to the main character Kim, try’s to change Edwards’s outer appearance by giving Edward clothes that are the socially accepted ones and using make-up to hide scars which show identity and individuality to make Edward look acceptable to the social norm that she lives in. There is also happy and lively music in the background when Edwards’s environment is changed from a large dark mansion to a more socially accepted home to denote change is in the air. After the “make-over” Pegg shows Edward a full length mirror to reflect his appearance back to the audience and show how much he has changed but he then proceeds to cut his suspender while this reflects part amusement it also show that Edward is not suited to these clothes and that he is not accustomed to this change. Eventually Edward cannot change enough to fit into his new environment because of his hands (which have scissors for fingers) and as such is isolated and targeted by the socially normal mob which does not reflect the best interest of the persons change and therefore the attack of both verbal and physical outrage is a negative.

The way Edward is ridiculed throughout the movie points out another discourse or meaning in the movie, that Disabilities should not be ridiculed or discriminated like Edward is in the story plot. At one point Esmeralda a Religious Devout portrayed as a fanatic labels Edward a “perversion of nature” and proceeds to be biased in her judgement about Edward and attempts to sway the other housewives in their judgement. Also Jim the jealous boyfriend of Kim continuously calls Edward names such as Freak and the likes of it and also seeks to provoke Edward into a fight (Which Jim would lose re. Scissor hands) and even has even stated the unfortunate fact that “whatever you touch you destroy”. The viewer also see’s throughout the movie Edwards hands being the butt of many jokes , One joke is particularly emphasised at a garden party