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| Beauty and Beast
The world
from the view of a child can seem trustworthy and magical because of the
reoccurring fairy tale lessons they learn that become an absolute truth to
them. Childhood is a precious time for learning, but these false fairy tales
really teach children nothing about the world today. The world in which we know
today is cruel. Good does not always triumph over evil. The guy does not always
get the girl, etc. But everyone in society knows these stories, so we all know
the morals that these stories teach us. If that’s true, then, where do they go
when we get older?
Childhood is a time to be creative and different but as we get older,
society teaches us that we should not be that way anymore. Modern society just
sees childhood as phases that everyone eventually grows out of, and then they
conform, like they are supposed to. But Edward Scissorhands can’t conform. He
will never be able to leave this stage of life because creativity is all he has
that makes him a part of the community, for a while. But eventually, the
community decides that he can’t live here because he will never be able to
conform to their standards. He can never be finished. This apparently
beautiful, perfect town rejects him because he will never be normal. The town’s
flaw is programmed into every mind of the residents. They take on look at him
and see a monster that does not match their pretty, bright houses, and their
cookie-cutter lifestyle. The town violates the moral code that every fairy tale
teaches every child, to accept everyone for who they are, unless they do bad
things. But Edward never does anything bad; he doesn't seek out harm on other
people. He just wants their acceptance, but they are unable to give him that
because they see him as bad due to his lack of hands. He just like the Beast
from Beauty and the Beast, no one
accepts him because he looks like a monster, but on the inside he just wants
someone to love him for who he is.
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Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Dupuis: Fairytales and Edward
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I get what you are saying, Amy, and while I do not agree with some of it (such as society trying to crush out creativity from people as they grow into adulthood), I like what you are implying with Edward’s child-like nature.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think Edward is in a stage that is not childhood or adulthood. He is sort of stuck in the middle (I do not mean that he is a teenager, which is something different). He is thrust into an entirely new world that he never really grasps throughout the movie. And what does he do in that new, suburban world? The only thing he really knows how to do – indulge his creative side. I get the feeling that people (especially the housewives) look at him as a sort of “useful freak,” which makes me kind of sad. If we are not allowed to express ourselves in ways we find comfortable and enjoyable, then how are we supposed to find happiness?
Charles Elkins
I too saw Edward as a child, but the way you stated it was interesting. I thought of him as a child in the sense that he was naïve to the rules of the society, but the fact that you stated, the fact that he is still a child in the mindset of creative work and nonconformity hits the mark perfectly. It is strange to see how kids can be more willing to be individualistic, yet we still see them as illiterate in a sense to the world. I also thought your take on fairy tales was interesting too. I never really thought of fairy tales as truly teaching kids to accept everyone. I always saw them as teaching kids to accept people who only fit into the social norms of the fairy tale’s time, whether the character did something bad or not. That’s why I feel he fits the beast role perfectly too.
ReplyDelete-Allison Davis
Allison,
ReplyDeleteI truly enjoyed the way that you brought up childhood. Fairy tales are often told to children so it definitely makes sense to bring it up! Childhood is an important time for creativity in a person's life and Edward missed out on that. He was left alone for a long time and still retains a child like aspects. He is very curious and still in a creative period as he sculpts hedge animals and though it is very colorful, tacky town's people stifle individuality.
-Skyllarr Trusty