Eljumaily-Edward's Fairytale

Frankenstein, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk…..all of these common old fairytales rely on some sort of final moral lesson. What happens, however, when these fairytales are thrown into the cruel and unforgiving modern times that we live in? Edward Scissorhands performs just that complicated feat, turning a fairytale much like the Frankenstein monster’s into a tragedy of rejection and isolation. This isn’t much of a change from the original tales, but the combination of modern violence and ancient moral adventure makes for a much more complex tale. Edward’s quest into suburbia and his escape back into his mansion show the true colors of the seemingly clean and perfect town that the Bogg’s live in.

            One of the most surprising parts of Edward’s new home and family is that other than Peg and her children, there seems to be no moral foundation. Everyone gossips, cheats, steals, and gangs up against those who are different. Although the whole idea of bringing Edward into town was meant to help a lonely young boy out, it only showed him the true terrors of the world and ended up with him being run out. Much like Frankenstein, Edward only wants to help and do well, but is gradually seen as more and more of a freak and more of a liability.

            In almost every fairytale, the main character has some sort of incredible talent that makes up for their disability. The Frankenstein monster had incredible intelligence, but was misunderstood because of his grotesque image. Edward makes beautiful art with his hands, and at first the people of Suburbia take to him and love what he does. As it becomes clearer and clearer however that Edward is not anything like the rest of the people, they begin to take every excuse they can to make him seem like a dangerous creation. He turns down the seductress, gets used for theft, and always gets into trouble with his scissor hands.

            The moral of the fairytale that Burton tries to base this story on is less of a moral and more of a warning. As a troubled artist, Burton knows what it is like to feel rejection and fake love. Although everyone loves Edward and his talent from the start, they end up chasing him out of town. Burton tries to portray how he feels about the industry he works in by showing that everybody only loves you for a certain amount of time, until your talent gets old. The moral is to see through those who will give you false hope and love only for your talent and to stay close to those who truly love you. This is why Edward finally returns to his home on the mountain, knowing that Kim loves him and saved him.