Comparing Edward Scissorhands In Beauty And The Beast

Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands tells the story of a young man named Edward, an inventor’s unfinished creation with scissors for hands. After a long period of isolation, this “uncommonly gentle man” faces the challenges of living in society and falls in love with a beautiful teenage girl, Kim. When analyzing the movie, it can be argued that Edward Scissorhands is in fact a modern take on the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast. The main themes in Beauty and the Beast are that of loneliness, difference and, most importantly, that inner beauty is the source of love. These three aspects are the same ones we retain from Edward Scissorhands.

Firstly, Edward and Beast both live alone in a huge castle, isolated from the rest of the town. Edward’s inventor …show more content…
In Edward Scissorhands, Edward’s dark clothing, pale scarred face, strange hair and, of course, lack of human hands are what make him such a curiosity in the pristine, pastel uniformity of the little suburb he is suddenly brought into. Although the residents’ first uneasiness is quickly overcome by Edward’s sweet innocence and the many services his scissor hands can offer, they eventually cast him out due to a misunderstanding and even set out to kill him, calling him a freak and a monster. This behavior shows how difficult it is for people to accept the differences of others, and how readily they judge and distrust anyone who does not conform to their norms. In comparison, although kind hearted Beast remains confined to his isolated castle throughout the story, the reader can tell that it is to avoid the incivility of a contemptuous society. Indeed, despite his excellent, sweet and thoughtful character, he is so ashamed of his appearance and modest wits that he feels his very presence is unbearable to a ‘normal’ person. This is an indication of the shallow ideals held dear by a society which cannot recognize its own monstrosity. In addition, in both stories both protagonists’ distinctness is emphasized by their names. Edward does not possess a last name but is called ‘Scissorhands”, similarly to Beast, who is also named after his appearance. This …show more content…
Edward and Beast struggle with their appearance, but Kim and Beauty also face a great challenge: accepting feelings they are scared to harbor. Although they are frightened at first, both girls are swiftly won over by their new friend’s rare, genuine and sweet personality. Indeed, Edward and Beast, despite their physical unattractiveness, have such a beautiful nature that they win the heart of the prettiest girl in town. Their goodness of character is shown in various ways; a common example to both stories is their selflessness. Edward, knowing he will be in trouble and lose everyone’s esteem if he gets caught breaking in someone’s house, still does it without hesitation, simply because his beloved Kim asked him to. As for Beast, he lets Beauty return to her father for a while because, although it pains him immensely, he cannot stand the thought of upsetting her. Another way that the same idea is emphasized in both stories is when Kim chooses Edward over her handsome but mean-spirited former boyfriend and when Beauty remarks to Beast, “I prefer you, just as you are, to those, who, under a human form, hide a treacherous, corrupt, and ungrateful heart”. Each girl has chosen to prefer inner beauty over the meaninglessness of good-looks, and this what both stories are really about. Therefore, the presence of the core theme from Beauty and the Beast in Edward