Edward Scissorhands

Conformism in an aspect of our life which, although we don't like to admit it, influences ourselves well as the opinions and traits of others as a social class. Intolerance and discrimination against difference is inherent in conformity, Tim Burton's film 'Edward Scissorhands' and the anonymously written poem 'About school' explore these idea through means of techniques such as symbolism, repetition and motifs. Both the cinematic elements and poetic devices conveyed in these texts showcase an idea of conformity but share differences and similarities respectively. Each text will be analysed comparatively to further expand our knowledge of techniques conveyed and the ideas they portray respectively.

The anonymously written poem "About school' …show more content…
Throughout the film, he is at first accepted with kindness and welcoming arms as well as timidness and curiosity, but as the film progresses, he is later exploited for his creativity and slandered into exile through means of gossip and accusations. Throughout the film, various camera angles are used to showcase his difference, as evident in various close up shots, one example being when Edward was confronted by the townspeople as he was being apprehended an attempted break in which was used to emphasize his disconnection from those around him, rather than the wide angle shot used in the scene which was used to encapsulate the townspeople as a single body, rather than as separate individuals. Symbolism ans use of colour are also used throughout the film to portray Edward's difference, as shown in Edward's pitch black clothing in comparison to the lively and enriched colours of the town, effectively making Edward stand out against the town. This technique is further used through the sky in the film to show his difference and exile as all negative events occur during a time where the sky is either pitch black or gray in colour. The genre of the film also heavily affects his experiences in the film, as the genre is partially Gothic as well as partially fantasy. Gothic texts typically highlight an individual who is contempt or disconnected with society, as …show more content…
In regards to their similarities, both texts share a main protagonist who is brought into a world of conformity, both of these protagonists experience a world of perfection and stereotypes, where individuality is heavily scarce. Perfection can be seen throughout both texts such as the houses in the town which are perfectly coloured and identical, as well as the cars which drive in unison. Perfection is also seen in the poem through the school which have gray and stiff rooms which are just like each other. This is also seen through the teacher who commented on him for not wearing a tie just as the other boys do. In regards to difference, although both protagonists were brought into a life of conformity, Edward was willingly brought into the town, whereas the boy was brought against his will and repeatedly voiced his anger as a result. Unlike Edward, who managed to break out of his conformist lifestyle and reverted back to his old ways, the boy ended up changing his ways and eventually conformed to his new life in conformity. Both texts, through differences and similarities, managed to successfully emphasize and highlight the idea of conformism as an inherent aspect of our society using their respective