Edward Scissorhands Mental Illness

Edward Scissorhands is a film which focuses on the story of a man named Edward, who is actually a creation designed by an inventor. This inventor passes away before finishing this creation, leaving Edward almost complete, yet lacking hands. Instead, his hands are composed of various scissors. After the passing of his inventor, Edward is left in isolation, until an Avon sales representative Peggy Boggs, stumbles upon him during her sale route. Seeing Edward has no one, Peggy brings him home to live with her and her family. The rest of the movie shows Edward trying to adjust to a life in suburban society that he’s previously only viewed from the confines of his home. Chaos ensues as Edward tries to navigate relationships with the array of people …show more content…
Edward avoids eye contact, does not converse with others unless forced to do so, and has extreme difficulty making friends. Edward displays a lack of joint attention in a scene when a neighbor is attempting to hold a conversation with him and he is unable to look away from his work to focus on what she is referring to. Edward also exhibits restricted and repetitive patterns that are the last classic feature for the disorder, and also key symptoms according to the DSM-5. Aside from the newspaper clippings, Edward also enjoys using his hands to create large and intricate ice and garden sculptures. Because of his ability he is later employed at a hair salon and styles the hair of the neighborhood women. Edward has a compulsory notion to use his hands and is fixated on things he can cut and form with his hands, such as his statues. It is suggested that Edward has Asperger’s specifically because he is a high-functioning person. Edward doesn’t exhibit language issues, but rather chooses not to speak due to a disconnect with peers. He also has very narrowed interests that he excels at – the garden and ice sculptures he is able to make with his