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As Nathaniel Brandon once said “…first step towards change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.” In Edward Scissorhands directed by Tim Burton, the society are all very aware of Edward’s differences but they are reluctant to change their views and fully accept him.The film reveals how Edward is isolated because he is different and how society selfishly exploits the unique talents of Edward and then when their feelings change and they regard him as dangerous, they reject him. However the Bogg family provide a sense of belonging and acceptance for Edward. Edward Scissorhands makes important comments about society’s inhumane treatment of people who differ from the norm, ignoring that all people deserve to be treated equally and with respect. …show more content…
Edward has scissors for hands and is talented at cutting and shaping hedges and also hair, people admired him for this but soon feared him. When the Bogg’s family discovered Edward’s talent everyone wanted him to cut heir hedges, hair, and dogs hair. They forced him to do this for free, the community objectify him and see him as someone they can use for their own benefit. When Jim forces Edward to break into Jim’s house he thinks Edward is too stupid to understand what is going on so Jim thinks he can get away with it, he only uses Edward for his scissors to unlock the door and when they get caught they flee and leave Edward there to face the consequences. The community thinks Edward did it because he has the potential to be dangerous. People who have special talents or can do something no one else can are taken advantage of and are …show more content…
The Bogg’s family have accepted Edward scissorhand’s into their family and have made him feel loved. When Edward was first introduced to bill he ignored the fact that he is different and tries to make small talk. When Kim first sees Edward she is horrified and overwhelmed but in the end falls for Edward and ends up loving him. When Edward enters the restaurant to meet the Bogg’s family, they all scotch over to make room for him and ask him how his day was, this shows to the audience that he has been ‘adopted’ into the family and they care for him. When Edward was in jail Peg and Bill come to see him and are upset at what he has done but Peg blames it on herself, this gives the impression that Peg has taken the role of a motherly figure towards Edward. The Bogg’s family have shown that they care about him and see him as a part of their
Individuality is rejection, whether it be a rejection of society or a rejection by society. Burton explores the consequences that can derive from rejection and how appearances may differ from reality. The work of Tim Burton consists of a unique style unlike any other. Not only do his films convey his ideas of individuality to the audience, it is done in a distinctive Burton way. Burton’s style of the formal elements of German Expressionism, gothic horror, and unique characters allow him to convey his ideas. His views of individuality are evident through the work of his film 'Edward Scissorhands' and short film 'Vincent'.
From the very beginning, Edward is cast as the monster – but is he really? We first see Edward when Peg searches for the owner of a dark, ominous, gothic mansion. She climbs up a set of gigantic spiral stairs that lead to “Edward’s room”. The setting is quite dark and the only lighting is coming through a gaping hole in the roof. Her curiosity gets the better of her, and as she examines this foreign place, we can hear in the bac...
Since the communist era, the concept of conformity has been tested on humans thinking it would bring a sort of comfort. These regimes rapidly crumbled due to their often authoritarian nature. Following these dictatorships, we often associate conformity with misery. Similarly, in Edward Scissorhands, through the characterization of Peg Boggs, the symbolism of Edward’s castle home and the change in Edward’s behaviour, director Tim Burton rejects conformity since it leads to fakeness, boredom, and corruption and, instead, promotes the benefits of authenticity and old habits.
Using the production elements of symbolism; especially hands themselves, and the use of allusion to elements from other genres; particularly those from fairytale and gothic romance/horror films, Tim Burton has directed the film in such a manner to illustrate, emphasise and ridicule the materialism and lack of imagination of society. The film however, is prominently a satire which has certain elements from fairytale, comedy and horror genres. Through the choices made by the director, the audience is invited to become aware of the inhumanity present in the way society functions, especially in its prejudiced treatment towards people who do not conform. The use of allusion in Edward Scissorhands is one of the most important choices in production that has been made by director Tim Burton. In order to fully appreciate and understand the plot, the movie is dependant on the audience being able to recognise certain references and elements emulated from other films.
In her novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley and the film Edward Scissorhands by Tim Burton their creations have a desire to be loved. Which leads them on a journey of acceptance for themselves and others. Everyone has felt the need to find why they are here on earth; we all search for answers we are no different from them.
Throughout the book, the creature doesn’t show emotions that lead towards being a monster. Animals do show emotions, for example, I watched a video about a mother seal who had a miscarriage and she did not understand why her baby was not moving, it resulted in her having real tears. In the beginning, we see the first emotion that the creature has, which is a sense of belonging. After the creature was forced to fend for himself, he finds a family in the woods that he starts to observe and want a place of belonging in their family. . The creature knows that he is ugly and doesn’t look like a human, but he still wants to belong. To belong to a family and feel wanted, he wants to be beautiful. This is a human desire. He shows how much his looks
Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein shows the progression of maturity in many characters seen in the book. The monster in the book shows a significant amount of maturity at the end of the novel, however, the maturity progression is not seen because story is Victor’s narration. The wretch knows his murders were wrong and ultimately accepts responsibility for his deeds. In the beginning of the book, the monster has the maturity of an infant and knows not of the way humans behave. The monster lacks nurture and self-control and is emotionally disordered (Brown 148). The monster in Mary Shelley’s gothic novel Frankenstein matures throughout the book, ultimately taking responsibility for his actions, and inflicting upon himself the punishment he believes that he deserves for his sins.
In Ring Lardner’s short story “Haircut”, the narrator is a straightforward barber, who goes by the name Whitey. The story is about Whitey tells a customer about the well-liked regular at the local barbershop, Jim Kendell. At first the barber makes it seem that Jim is a good old fella, but depending on some people’s views, and on Jim’s actions towards people, they will quickly discover that Jim is a selfish jerk. Keeping this in mind there are two important questions that are brought up throughout the story, which are if Jim’s life actually matter to the town and was Jim an evil person; personally, I believe that Jim was not a completely evil person and that the town did not value his life.
Wuthering Heights and Frankenstein - Theme of the divided self Theme of the divided self within Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Thematically, the divided self is one of the most interesting themes within both novels and is of great importance to the development or ruin of the characters in both Wuthering Heights and Frankenstein. Both authors when primarily exploring this theme focus upon the physical, mental or spiritual division within certain characters. & nbsp; In Emily Bronte's novel Wuthering Heights, the principal characters Cathy and Heathcliff are presented as needing this division within themselves to recognise their need for each other. This endurance of physical, mental and spiritual division whilst alive, allows them only tragically to experience when in death, complete entity within themselves. & nbsp; Primarily Cathy is not depicted as divided; instead, she is presented as belonging to a family unit, which seems to stay intact until the arrival of a 'gypsy brat.'
Throughout time man has been isolated from people and places. One prime example of isolation is Adam, "the man [formed] from the dust of the ground [by the Lord God]" (Teen Study Bible, Gen. 2.7). After committing the first sin he secludes "from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken" (Teen Study Bible, Gen. 3.23). This isolation strips Adam from his protection and wealth the garden provides and also the non-existence of sin. Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, is able to relate to the story of Adam and the first sin to help her character, the Creature, associate with Adam. The Creature is able to relate because "[l]ike Adam, [he is] apparently united by no link to any other being in existence" (Shelley 124). In other ways the creator of the creature, Victor Frankenstein, also identifies with the tale of the first human, but with a different character, God. "God created man in his own image" (Teen Study Bible, Gen. 1.27) and unlike Frankenstein "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good" (Teen Study Bible, Gen. 1.31). Frankenstein brought a life into the world but did not take the responsibility to lead and guide his creature to benefit himself or the created. Unlike God's creature who did in turn prosper. Instead of prosperity Frankenstein receives a life of loneliness and responsibility of many unnecessary deaths. The Creature, like his creator, lives his life in isolation from society. His only goal is to be loved and accepted by those around him. Through these circumstances the effects of isolation and loneliness are brought to life by the creature and the creator thought their pasts, social statuses, emotions, and dreams and fantasies.
An idea becomes a vision, the vision develops a plan, and this plan becomes an ambition. Unfortunately for Victor Frankenstein, his ambitions and accomplishments drowned him in sorrow from the result of many unfortunate events. These events caused Victors family and his creation to suffer. Rejection and isolation are two of the most vital themes in which many dreadful consequences derive from. Victor isolates himself from his family, friends, and meant-to-be wife. His ambitions are what isolate him and brought to life a creature whose suffering was unfairly conveyed into his life. The creature is isolated by everyone including his creator. He had no choice, unlike Victor. Finally, as the story starts to change, the creature begins to take control of the situation. It is now Victor being isolated by the creature as a form of revenge. All the events and misfortunes encountered in Frankenstein have been linked to one another as a chain of actions and reactions. Of course the first action and link in the chain is started by Victor Frankenstein.
This passage contains a wide array of literary devices, ranging from syntax to figurative language. These devices all help to describe the situation Jim is in, in this part of the book. He stayed the night at the Cutter’s house instead of Ántonia, which resulted in him being injured and humiliated. From the figurative language and imagery at the start of the passage, such as, “My lip was cut and stood out like a snout. My nose looked like a big blue plum” (161), the sheer damage is shown to its full extent. This connects to the larger motif of the past or childhood that backdrops the entire novel, as it is this kind of very drastic experience that impacts someone. Such an event serves an important role in the development of an adolescent, and the repercussions of this event may be elaborated on later in the book.
Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein is book about the importance of human relationships and treating everyone with dignity and respect. The main character of the book is Victor Frankenstein who is a very intelligent man with a desire to create life in another being. After he completes his creation, he is horrified to find that what he has created is a monster. The monster is the ugliest, most disgusting creature that he has ever seen. Victor being sickened by his creation allows the monster to run off and become all alone in the world. Throughout Frankenstein, Mary Shelley uses the theme of human relationships to illustrate the bond that man has with other beings and the need for love and affection. The importance of human relationships is shown throughout the book in many ways. Victor’s mother says to him, “I have a pretty present for my Victor—tomorrow he shall have it”(18).Victor is very excited that he has such a precious gift that will always be his. They become very close and refer to each other as cousins. However, there is a deeper a relationship between the two, and Victor vows to always protect and take of the girl whose name is Elizabeth. Mary Shelley uses this quote to explain how special Elizabeth is to Victor and that she is gift sent to him. Victor’s mother reinforces this again when she says to Victor and Elizabeth, “My children, my firmest hopes of future happiness were placed on the prospect of your union. This expectation will now be the consolation of your father. Elizabeth, my love, you must supply my place to my younger children. Alas! I regret that I am taken from you; and, happy and beloved as I have been, is it not hard to quit you all? But these are not thoughts befitting me; I will endeavour to resign...
The idea of duality permeates the literary world. Certain contradictory commonplace themes exist throughout great works, creation versus destruction, light versus dark, love versus lust, to name a few, and this trend continues in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. The pivotal pair in this text however, is monotony versus individuality. The opposing entities of this pairing greatly contrast against each other in Frankenstein, but individuality proves more dominant of the two in this book.
The relationship between Frankenstein and his monster can be used as a metaphorical map to understanding Sigmund Freud's conception of the "super-ego," or in other words, the human sense of guilt and conscience. Frankenstein's sense of guilt develops around the violent, aggressive way he creates his monster. The monster causes the ripples of guilt to grow by causing him to fear losing his love ones, losing his source of protection, and punishment for his sins. After it is fully developed, Frankenstein's guilt and the monster's overshadowing presence serves as guides for understanding how the super-ego works to punish a soul through a constantly aggressive, nagging feeling of anxiety. Viewing Frankenstein through Freudian lenses as well is George V. Griffith a professor of English and Philosophy at Chadron College in Nebraska, he points out in his critical evaluation of the novel that "Victor and the monster are the same person" (3).