The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley was first published in 1818 amidst a world of changing views and religious uncertainty. Since this time, the story of Frankenstein and his monster has been appropriated numerous times by novelists and film-makers alike, each new version reflecting the values of an alternate context, the original text altered by the demands of changed cultural and contextual ideals. An appropriation of Frankenstein, Edward Scissorhands (1990) directed by Tim Burton, is a parody of middle-class America with contextual influences from the 1950s and late 1980s. Edward Scissorhands plays with the same notions of creation and idea of the monster or ‘outsider’ as in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, showing too a Gothic influence, especially through setting. The portrayal and role of women, however, varies significantly within these texts. As a result of the differing audience, context and purpose, the story of Edward Scissorhands shows alternative views of the key issues and concerns raised in the original Frankenstein novel.
The notion of creation is something that has preoccupied the minds of humans since the beginning of time and just as the concept permeates the story of Frankenstein, the idea also lays ground to the story of Edward Scissorhands. Victor Frankenstein’s “fervent longing to penetrate the secrets of nature” and desire to have “A new species … bless me as its creator and source” shows evidence of the instability of the church and religion following the period of Enlightenment, where empirical reasoning was valued over spiritual beliefs. As the wife of a Romantic poet, Mary Shelley asserts a Romantic and hence negative view of Victor’s greedy intentions to usurp the power of God in the divine power of creation and the giving of life. Relevant in the late 1980s and early 1990s, at the time of production of Edward Scissorhands, because of increased interest in the area of cloning, the notion of creation was of greater fascination as a technological advancement as reliance on scientific thought and practice continued to be widespread. In Burton’s Edward Scissorhands, the archetypal mad scientist and inventor, played by Vincent Price, also endeavours to build a man. The story of the inventor who “created a man” is framed as a bedtime fairytale. His ventures to mechanically create life and the product of his experimentation are not seen, as they are in Frankenstein, to be horrifying and monstrous. However, similarly to Victor Frankenstein in Mary Shelley’s novel, the inventor in Edward Scissorhands hides away in a secluded, dark and haunting environment to work on his creation, suggesting that there would be a certain level of resistance to his work. Although the basis of Edward Scissorhands is very much involved with ideas of creation, unlike Frankenstein, the focus is removed from the ethics of such actions and becomes and issue background to the main concerns of film.
The Term Paper on Who Was More of a ‘Monster’, Frankenstein or His Creation?
One approach to this question would be to say that the creature in ‘Frankentein’ was himself the only monster. However, as we soon realise, the creature is benevolent at heart and only becomes monstrous due to the unjust way in which society treats him. The bleak, miserable world which Shelley portrays, full of hypocrisy, oppression and prejudice gains exposure through the depiction of ...
The response of society when faced with these monsters gives insight into societal norms and viewpoints of acceptance. While Frankenstein deserts his monster, the hideous form of his creation too much too bear as “breathless horror and disgust filled my heart”, the inventor in Edward Scissorhands “…was very old” and “died before he got to finish the man he had invented. So the man was left by himself, incomplete and all alone”. In both texts the ‘monster’ is abandoned and, seeking company, finds its way into the community. In Frankenstein the outside world is blatantly unwilling to accept the monster because of his fearsome appearance. The monster’s innocence is corrupted by the cruel and destructive society, as observed by Elizabeth who notes that, “men appear to me as monsters thirsting for each others blood”. This view of society is mirrored by Burton, choosing however to conceal the prejudice behind a façade of tolerance and acceptance. The façade permeates the suburb, the perfectly trimmed hedges and manicured gardens hiding the dysfunctional and insular individuals, families and society as a whole. The attempts to integrate Edward cause just as much damage to him and leave him feeling just as alienated and alone as the monster in Frankenstein.
The Male and Female Role
From a young age we are taught to behave a certain way according to our gender. Boys are taught to be masculine and that they are the providers for the family and girls are taught to be feminine that they are the ones who give comfort and emotional support; for example parents will buy boys trucks and buy girls dolls. With these continued ways of thinking males and females will always be trapped ...
Despite the attempts made by Kim Boggs, who seeks to mother Edward, to cover his facial scars and ‘normalise’ his appearance, Edward becomes a novelty and spectacle to the neighbourhood, Kim’s own son wanting to “bring him to show and tell on Monday”. Realising Edwards ability and creativity, people later exploit Edward’s naivety for their own personal gain. The community eventually turns against Edward with a mob-like mentality as the novelty of his scissored hands wears off, the hysteria and anger towards Edward driving him away. In the end Edward turns to live in his own secluded utopia because, just like Frankenstein’s monster, he is shunned from society because of his differences. Influence from the preoccupation and concern of political correctness during the 1980s is evident in this parodied 1950s suburbia, no-one seeming capable to point out his obvious disfigurement, instead preferring to call it “exceptional”. Having “had no context” and “been completely without guidance”, Pegg Boggs find Edward and she, just like Victor Frankenstein, brings the vulnerable Edward into society but does not give him the tools to deal with the world. As a parody, this is reflective of the ‘others’ within society – criminals and murderers – and how society plays its part in the construct of issues in its negligence. The apparent tolerance of the outsider is evident, reflecting a period where the ideas of multiculturalism and antidiscrimination were becoming popular. In this way, the story of Edward Scissorhands becomes the allegorical tale of the outsider, a story of those who live on the margins of society. In both Frankenstein and Edward Scissorhands there is denial and rejection of responsibility which is what leads to the alienation and driving out of both monsters from the narrow-minded and insular societies. Both texts suggest that it is society that is the greatest monster.
The Essay on Female Roles: A Contrast
Women play many roles in the societies of today and those of past. They have been gatherers and they have been homemakers. These days they wear the new mask of the conformity of the business world. The suits hide their figures and their femininity is stripped away. This stripping did not begin in this decade nor the one before it and certainly not the one before that. This subject began long ...
The portrayal of females in both texts is stereotypical of the period from which they come; those in Frankenstein serving to reinforce values of the early 1800s and those in Edward Scissorhands reflecting the role of the middle-class American wife. In Frankenstein female characters play only a very small role and are seen as weaker and in need of protection, in accordance with the views of women in the early 1800s. Men are dominant, Victor regarding “Elizabeth as mine – mine to protect…”, this idea reinforcing the dependency of women on men and their role as the inferior sex. The female role is totally usurped by Frankenstein in his creation of the monster, however, in his failure to nurture the creature the importance of the role females play within the domestic sphere is once again reinforced. The female characters in Edward Scissorhands are also flat and superficial stereotypes, typical middle-class American wives of the 1980s. The females are materialistic and gossipy, protective of the well defined roles within their family and the community. Having picked Edward up on a whim, Peg is unwilling to accept responsibility of the boy, again making the decision that Edward is expendable, deciding “and now, I think it might be better if he goes”. These shallow female characters serve not to reinforce the position of females in this role but to undermine and criticise it. Female stereotypes are used in each text for different purposes in commenting on the role of females within society.
Setting plays a major role in creating atmosphere and meaning in both Frankenstein and Edward Scissorhands. The many different settings in Frankenstein, although spread across a number of counties and environments, are predominantly dark and gothic in nature. There are many sublime scenes of the Swiss Alps and the Arctic where ice “closed in the ship on all sides”. Haunting and often dark scenery add to the foreboding atmosphere, the natural beauty of many moments also serving to contrast against the hideousness of the monster. Burton, however, uses contrast to heighten the effect of the stereotypically gothic castle that seems to hang hauntingly over the technicoloured suburban town. The town is pristine; the clouds above the neighbourhood are even digitally perfected. This image, mirroring the development and growth of suburbia during the 1950s is starkly contrasted by the dark and looming decrepit castle. Inside cobwebs hang and a predominantly grey colour palette is used to dampen the mood. The brightness and perfection that seems to emanate from the town is also symbolic of the façade that hides the imperfections and bigotry of the neighbourhood. Setting is as important in establishing the gothic environment as it is to further comment on a 1980s society.
The Research paper on Grotesque: Frankenstein vs. Edward Scissorhands
Grotesque Research Paper In literature, the word “grotesque” is used to describe an individual that appears abnormal or bizarre to the other characters. A Grotesque character induces disgust, caused by his villainous outlooks, as well as empathy, as his personality contrast his outside, in other words is very likeable and nice. Despite trying to fit in and feel normal, the society will not accept ...
Although a different story with a different purpose, Edward Scissorhands is inadvertently an appropriation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the ideas first presented in Mary Shelley’s novel evolved to suit a different audience and context. In Edward Scissorhands, values from an historical context are used in conjunction with those of the time of its production to question certain societal values and parody the world of suburbia. Although showing semblance to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the effects of an altered context expose the concerns and values of a world two hundred years later.
