The Human and Posthuman in Edward Scissorhands - Essay Example

The Human and Posthuman in Edward Scissorhands The tension between the human and the posthuman can be felt on many levels in Tim Burton’s 1990 film Edward Scissorhands. Before delving into the complex interaction between those two ideas, we must first define what the terms “human” and “posthuman” mean in the context of this discussion. The former is easy enough to recognize. A human is a member of Homo sapiens sapiens, a species which prides itself on being the most intelligent group of organisms on planet Earth. According to Hayles (1999), however, the advent of the technological revolution means that this conception of the human being is no longer valid. Computers have become so intelligent that they now have the ability to perform calculations at a rate their creators could never dream of matching. She predicts that sometime in the very near future computers will also be able to match the human brain’s ability to store and process information. When that breakthrough occurs, computers gain the ability to respond to environmental stimuli in exactly the same way that humans do. In other words, humans will soon be able to create machines with human consciousness. This situation has resulted in what Hayles calls the posthuman, an entity that blurs the line between human and machine, between a physical brain and a virtual one. She also identifies all living human beings of the modern age as posthuman. To see ourselves as posthuman is a compelling new way of interpreting the world. Literature students may find the rationale behind the idea of the posthuman rather familiar, and with good reason. As Bartlett and Byers (2003) note, the demise of the assumption that a human being can be clearly defined is in keeping with the postmodernist trend of Western literature in the twentieth century. They also cite Haraway’s (1985) conception of the cyborg as the most well-known image of posthumanism in modern society. It is precisely this image of a half-human, half-machine that encapsulates humanity’s greatest fears about technology (Clark, 2003). To put it simply, humanity is afraid of being surpassed. Anyone with a passing familiarity with modern advances in science knows that cyborgs going to become a reality within the next few decades, if not the next few years. Anyone with a passing familiarity with the principles of robotics will also recognize that these future cyborgs will be superior to regular humans by virtue of not only their intelligence but also because their more efficient, more long-lasting bodies. Edward is a cyborg. He is a combination of several very odd parts (including a cookie heart), but he is programmed to have very human traits. Clark’s reasoning provides one more reason why the neighbourhood is affected so powerfully by Edward’s arrival. They are not frightened simply because of his monstrous appearance or his strange behavior. They are also afraid that he might represent the next stage of human evolution: something that is not merely half-human and half-machine, but is completely machine. And yet, as this paper will demonstrate, Edward is more human than the all the residents put together. All of the arguments that will be presented in this paper might lead the reader to assume that Edward Scissorhands falls squarely within the realm of science fiction. However, in true posthuman fashion, the film transcends boundaries and defies simple classification. Edward Scissohands is as much part of the fantasy genre as it is part of the science fiction one. It is a fable that arises from the director’s conviction that monsters are completely misunderstood in the realm of filmmaking. Burton asserts that they are always made out to be the villains, when in fact they usually have “more sensitive souls” than the so-called protagonists of the story (cited in McMahan, 2005, p. 63). In addition, McCallum (2008) argues that this postmodern fable of a film is directed primarily towards children. Through its juxtaposition of the human and inhuman on all of the levels that this paper will discuss, the film introduces children to new definitions of what it means to be human. However, children are not the only responsive audience to the film. Markley (2007) suggests that Edward Scissorhands has achieved cult status in subcultural audiences such as fantasy/science fiction fans, Goths, and B-movie aficionados, because they identify with the protagonist’s profound alienation. Thus, Edward Scissorhands has played a significant part in shaping the consciousness, or subjectivity, of a new generation of human beings. In contrast to Hayle’s conception of humanity as both human and posthuman, the characters of the film are clearly delineated. Normal human beings are represented by the inhabitants of a generic, nameless suburb that is an amalgamation of design elements from forties, sixties and eighties America (Booker 2007), while the posthuman is embodied by the eponymous Edward, who is not actually a human but only the creation of a kind, elderly man who is simply named The Inventor. Edward’s body may appear to be human, albeit a mutilated one, but in fact his body and mind are products of the efforts of one scientist. The tension between the human and the posthuman is most immediately conveyed to the viewer through the characters’ physical appearance. Edward’s scarred face, gothic outfits and ghastly-looking hands are presented in stark contrast to the conventional and ostensibly wholesome community. He is also contrasted with the young, beautiful, and unblemished Kim, who is the community’s most obvious symbol of perfection. The decrepit mansion on the hill and the pastel-hued, picture-perfect suburban neighbourhood are also on the opposite sides of the architectural spectrum. However, all of these characters’ outer appearances are deceiving. Their inner natures are the exact opposites of what one might expect. If one was to speak of morality, the individual posthuman is more human than the collective group of humans. As the psychologist explains to the neighbourhood policemen, the outwardly wild and threatening Edward is actually a gentle, loving soul who simply does not know anything about the conventions followed by everyone else. Although the neighbourhood makes him out to be a bloodthirsty and lecherous freak of nature, nothing could be farther from the truth. Edward only injures others through his natural clumsiness which has been compounded by his social awkwardness. As shown in the scene where he naively talks about Joyce’s attempt to seduce him, Edward’s conception of sex is about as developed as that of a very young child. The adjectives “bloodthirsty” and “lecherous” are better suited to the neighbourhood itself. Not only did some try to take advantage of his innocence, they also tried to lynch him on the basis of unfounded accusations. The only support that Edward receives in this bewildering new world comes from the Boggs family, most especially from Mrs. Peg Boggs, and her daughter Kim. Mrs. Boggs hit upon the idea of adopting Edward. Unfortunately, her kind intentions are not enough to integrate Edward into an environment hostile to his inherently dangerous yet innocent nature. Kim, on the other hand, manipulated Edward into breaking into her boyfriend Jim’s house, only to abandon him after the police arrive. Only much later in the film does she begin to genuinely care for him. Nevertheless, the Boggs’ best efforts are not enough to shield Edward from their neighbours’ ignorance, jealousy and manipulation. The natural-born human beings are shown to be mostly vicious and animal-like, while the Frankenstein-like creature is proven to be the most compassionate and human-like. Most of the “normal” human beings never realize this contradiction. To the very end, they persist under the illusion that Edward is an inferior being—perhaps even an abomination—that must be destroyed. The dark, decaying mansion, which is normally portrayed as a place of supernatural danger and nameless evil, becomes the only home left a saintly recluse after he is rejected by hypocrites with an incurable “holier-than-thou” mindset. The tension between the human and the posthuman is further heightened by the revelation of the grandmother’s true identity towards the end of the film. Apparently, while Kim and all the other inhabitants of the neighbourhood grow increasingly old and frail, Edward retains his youthful vigour. When asked by her granddaughter why she has not made contact with him all this time, Kim replies, “I want him to remember me the way I was.” Her reply not only expresses her nostalgia. It also implies a great deal of frustration with the natural process of aging. Rubin (2003) identifies this frustration as one of the reasons why posthumanism is such an alluring idea to some of the most accomplished scientists of the modern age. These well-known futurists include roboticists Alan Turing (cited in Copeland, 2004), Hans Moravec (1990; 2000), and inventor Ray Kurzweil (with Grossman, 2004; 2005). Both have written extensively about their discontent with the frailty of the human body and the longevity of the machine. Edward is an object of fear and loathing to the community; he is also an object of repugnance to himself. Edward is much more virtuous and admirable than any of the other characters, and his hands are blessed with the extraordinary gift of sculpting objects into fantastic shapes. Nevertheless, he remains deeply unhappy because he is unable to touch anyone without injuring them. Director Tim Burton (cited in Edelstein, 2005) stresses that Edward’s inability to touch others is synonymous with his inability to communicate, and that this helplessness dooms him to be eternally misunderstood. This, according to Burton, is the essence of the entire film. The tactile aspect of human communication is often overlooked by normal humans, but one only needs to imagine having scissorhands to appreciate how essential it is to develop personal relationships. In this instance, normal human flesh remains superior to machines. It is assumed at the end of the film that the two main characters never meet again. Kim and Edward are permanently alienated from each other because they envy each other’s intrinsic nature. Such an unhappy ending suggests that Burton believes that the tension between the human and posthuman is an irreconcilable one. References Bartlett, L. & Byers, T.B., 2003. Back to the Future: the humanist matrix. Cultural Critique, [Online]. 53 (Winter), pp. 28-46. Abstract from Project MUSE. Available at http://muse.jhu.edu/login. [Accessed 10 November 2008] Booker, M.K., 2007. Postmodern Hollywood: what's new in film and why it makes us feel so strange. Westport (CT) : Greenwood. Clark, A., 2003. Natural-born cyborgs: minds, technologies, and the future of human intelligence. New York: Oxford University Press. Copeland, J., ed., 2004. The essential Turing: the ideas that gave birth to the computer age. London: Oxford University Press. Edelstein, D., 1990. “Odd man in.” In K. Fraga, ed., 2005. Tim Burton: interviews. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. Ch. 4. Edward Scissorhands, 1990. [Film] Directed by Tim Burton. USA: Twentieth Century Fox. Haraway, D., 1991. A cyborg manifesto: science, technology, and socialist-feminism in the late twentieth century. In Simians, cyborgs and women: the reinvention of nature. New York: Routledge. pp.149-181. Hayles, N.K., 1999. How we became posthuman: virtual bodies, cybernetics, literature and informatics. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Kurzweil, R. & Grossman, T., 2004. Fantastic voyage: live long enough to live forever. N.p.: Rodale. Kurzweil, R., 2005. The singularity is near: when humans transcend biology. New York: Viking. Markley, R., 2007. Geek/goth: remediation and nostalgia in Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands. In L.M.E. Goodlad & M. Bibby, eds. Goth: undead subculture. Durham: Duke University Press. pp.277-292. McCallum, R., 2008. The struggle to be human in a posthuman world. In New world orders in contemporary children’s literature: utopian transformations. Ch. 8. McMahan, A., 2005. The films of Tim Burton. N.p.: Continuum International Publishing Group. Moravec H., 1990. Mind children: the future of robot and human intelligence. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Moravec, H., 2000. Robot: mere machine to transcendent mind. New York: Oxford University Press. Rubin, C.T., 2003. Artificial intelligence and human nature. The New Atlantis, 1 (Spring), pp. 88-100. Read More