Edward Scissorhands By Tim Burton And Identity By Julio Noboa Polanco

Society constantly projects the idea of originality and being unparalleled, but blindly cages us in the standard of being accepted. The movie Edward Scissorhands by Tim Burton and the poem “Identity” by Julio Noboa Polanco, demonstrates the struggle of finding one’s identity when being led into one pathway. Although individuals are told that there is beauty and radiance in being unique, there is still fear found in individuality and comfort in conformity. The texts venture in a labyrinth of dilemmas between the desires of fitting in and not letting the wages of society mold you.
Most individuals are easily influenced by the principles of society due to the fact that it is projected as normal and acceptable. In Edward Scissorhands, the neighbourhood is filled with multiple people whom are all the same. All the families live in similar houses, all aligned perfectly in the neighbourhood, all the women are housewives, and all the men go to work; their lives appear as perfect and peaceful. Because of this, individuals who live differently feel as though they are an outcast; the society surrounding them make them feel unwanted and redundant. Almost entirely, individuality leads to loneliness. Outcasts will often feel compelled to mold themselves in order to

become acceptable; Edward himself was willing to go through surgery to get rid of his Scissorhands, evidently losing his uniqueness to be adequate.
On the contrary, other individuals take advantage of the conformity in society; they strive to become the most desirable to gain popularity and authority over society.

By the virtue of society, these individuals feed into them so that they’ll be craved by everyone. The character Jim in Edward Scissorhands is deemed to be perfect; he and his family are rich, has a clean and perfect reputation, and has the whole neighbourhood drooling over him and his family. These individuals have become complacent in being society’s idea of perfection; this complacency gives them comfort because they’re idolized by everyone. Following society’s standards will always give you company; almost everyone is striving for the same

goal.
However, some individuals refuse to find satisfaction in being normal because they want to claim their own life. In the poem “Identity,” the narrator clearly states that they’d rather be an outcast than a social casualty. The 4th stanza in their poem says “I’d rather be unseen, and if / then shunned by everyone, / than to be a pleasant-smelling flower, / growing in clusters in the fertile valley, / where they’re praised, handled, and plucked / by greedy, human hands.” Although being an individual will lead into loneliness, they’re willing to go down that path just so they can be free of any standards. When following society’s rules of acceptance, inevitably, those people are going to be used and taken advantage of repeatedly for the pleasure of others. The narrator endeavors through the chains of society so that they’ll be able to grow for themselves; they want to battle through mountains of discouragement, solitude, and havoc so they’ll find an oasis within themselves.
In the long run, society plays a major role in everyone’s lives and it’s only up to us to take in action of how we’re going to respond. Some may desire to fit in society, some may be completely immersed in the visions of society, and others may take a turn and lead their own life. It is only up to us to find the charisma in society or in ourselves. Being unique is like a birthmark on everyone’s body; others show it with pride, whereas others may try to hide it beneath their clothes.