Friday, February 8, 2013

Lennox-Edward's Fairy Tale


Edward Scissorhands is very similar to a fairy tale. There’s romance, there’s tragedy, there’s a protagonist, there’s an antagonist and there’s a lesson to be learned, but poor Edward doesn't get your typical Disney fairy tale ending. The beginning of the film starts off with a grandmother telling her granddaughter what sounds like a magical story. Once we’re in the story we see our protagonist, Edward. Now others may disagree with me but Edward was very similar to the princess I grew up watching: Disney Princesses. Like Ariel, Cinderella, and Snow White, Edward loses a parent at an early age and is forced to try and understand the world alone. Edward is also misunderstood by the town’s people just as Cinderella is misunderstood by her step sisters and Ariel is misunderstood by her sisters. Now, I will stop comparing Edward to women. Edward is also similar to the beast in Beauty and the Beast; Edward is seen as a monster; Kim is the beauty; Kim’s boyfriend is Gaston. The sort-of fight seen was similar to the fight seen in Beauty and The Beast. The guy who thinks the Beast is most dangerous fights him and loses the fight and his life. Kim kissed Edward like Belle kissed the beast, but Edward did not miraculously turn into a man like the beast; he remained the same. I also found Edward to be similar to be similar to Peter Pan because he does not age, but the one he loves does. He also reminds me of Pinocchio due to the fact that he was created. Edward did not get the fairy tale ending like Cinderella, Snow White, Ariel, The beast and Pinocchio. Edward ended up alone in his own little world. It is not revealed that Edward is too happy or too sad. He does create beautiful ice sculptures and causes it to snow a beautiful snow that Kim still enjoys in her old age. The lesson to be learned here is that people should not judge someone by their outside. Kim is hoping to pass this lesson on her young granddaughter. 


1 comment:

  1. This post was definitely eye-opening! I never would have thought to compare Edward to the Disney princesses, but you are so right. It is very interesting that we can compare Edward to so many of the "traditional" fairy tale characters that we have come to know through stories and films. I too mentioned that he was like the Beast in Beauty and the Beast, but I did not think to compare Kim's boyfriend to Gaston. While they are quite similar, I would say there is one major difference between them - Kim actually goes for the arrogant guy in Edward Scissorhands, while Belle in Beauty and the Beast wants nothing to do with Gaston (but of course, Kim does change her mind eventually). I also liked your interpretation of the film's moral. Through the story, Kim's granddaughter can definitely learn not to judge someone by their outward appearance, which is something many traditional fairy tales teach.
    - Ashley Lay

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