On August 25, 1958, Timothy Walter Burton was born (“Biography”). Burton had a painful childhood in which the relationship with his parents and brother was non-existent (Morgenstern). Thanks to his intense feeling of isolation, his visual talent began to develop. The comfort found in hobbies such as writing and drawing led him to attend the California Institute of the Arts, which led to his first job in any artistic field at the studios of Disney animation (“Biography”). Burton has since been considered one of the most visually gifted writers, artists, and filmmakers America has ever seen (Hanke). His short stories, poems and film scripts center on an inner darkness that he has slowly acquired since childhood. He throws himself into everything he writes and gives the simplest characters deep, complex meaning. His famous darkness and symbolism is shown in his book The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy and Other Stories. The book contains a collection of his short stories, poems and illustrations about a variety of fictional characters who can be compared to Burton and his life. Tim Burton's home life and previous struggles had a significant impact on his work. In my article I will draw parallels with his life and work and prove that there is reasoning and beauty in his way of being. Tim Burton was born in Burbank, California to Jean and Bill Burton. Her mother owns a small cat-themed gift shop in Burbank called Cats Plus and her father works for the Burbank Parks and Recreation Department. He has a younger brother, Daniel, but they rarely speak. Not much is known about Burton's relationship with his family. When asked about his family, “he speaks with great reluctance. . ...... middle of paper ....... He uses his work as a form of therapy and puts his heart and soul into everything he touches. The pain of not being accepted by his peers and family carries over into his work. His past nightmares come out on paper. Without the judgment and pain inflicted on him, he could never have been as great as he is today. Every aspect of his work has been affected by his life, from relationships to being put down to feeling alone. He rose from the ashes of his past, took all the pain and transformed it into something truly beautiful. Works Cited “Biography”. The Tim Burton Collective. Internet. March 15, 2011. Burton, Tim. The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy and Other Stories. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publisher Inc., 1997. Print. Hanke, Ken. “Tim Burton.” Movies in Review1992. Vol 43, 11-12. Print.Wilner, Norman. “Tim Burton.” The Toronto Star 1991. Print.