Edward's scissorhands are this film's symbol of the outsider's inability to communicate, to "touch" those he loves and whose companionship he craves. But as well as being symbolic of what Edward is deprived of, they are also a source of creativity and offer him - for a time - a way into the community. Although, ironically, Edward is a sweet, virtually harmless character, the danger represented by his scissorhands is important to the film's story and its visual language.

In the scene where Peg brings Edward home for the first time, she introduces him, and us, to her home; the first shot of the house's interior shows a typical bland, rather empty American livingroom - then, abruptly, Edward's deadly blades enter the extreme foreground of the image. This striking moment dashes our hopes that somehow Edward's presence can be happily absorbed by the family without any damage.

The potential hazard is also part of Edward's attraction. Danger, as we all know, can be very sexy; Joyce's toe-curlingly erotic experience of having the scissorhands flying around her hair is the film's hilarious confirmation of that. When she tries to seduce Edward, rather than avoiding his hands, she grabs a blade to cut open her clothes.