Bernice Bobs Her Hair

“Bernice Bobs Her Hair”

Have you ever at one time or another felt like an outsider? Many people do, trying desperately to fit in with their social counterparts. Whether it be in school, at work, or life in general, many yearn to be accepted by their peers and feel as though they are a part of some sort of “club” that is viewed by others as the “in” crowed. F. Scott Fitzgerald tries to express this turmoil with the short story “Bernice Bob’s Her Hair”. He attempts to show the inner workings of the popular youth and the means in which one can successfully enter it. By creating the distinct characters of Marjorie, Bernice and Warren, one can see the realistic lives of youth in America and what they do when it comes to achieving and successfully maintaining one’s popularity.

In the world of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Marjorie is portrayed as a self assured, popular young woman. This was shown very early in the story, during which a party was taking place. After noticing that Bernice, her dopey cousin, was consuming much of Oswald’s time, she proceeded to Warren to ask if he could take over being Bernice’s company and dance with her. Warren submissively said yes, even though he desperately wished to spend time with Marjorie. As he did so, Marjorie was whisked away by a boy to dance, the second or third of the evening. Her status gave her the convenience of asking favors, with the confidence of knowing that they would be carried out without resistance. This confidence also emerged after she told Bernice what a drag people like her are to be with. When Bernice went up stairs later on that day and announced to Marjorie how right she was, Marjorie's immediate response was “I know”(1). This “know it all” attitude arose again when she declared that the reason Madonna did not smile in her world renowned portrait was because her teeth were crooked, even though it is widely assumed and most probable that it was due to that period in time; at that time is was very uncommon to smile for a portrait since it did not look dignified or proper. She also felt confident after noticing that her achievement in bringing Bernice into the popular realm started to surpass her own popularity. As she saw that Bernice was wooing Warren away from her at a picnic gathering, her reaction in the park was “I can get him back” (1). It seemed Bernice had “stolen private property” which allegedly belonged to Marjorie (1). Sometime being popular will make one more territorial and suspicious of others which might hurt them in the long run.

Without Marjorie’s guidance, however, Bernice would have stayed the naпve and shy, thus keeping her from being accepted by the popular crowd. It was evident in the very beginning of the story that she was uncomfortable in social situations. When Warren asked her if she would like to dance at the party, she immediately told him that is was too crowded to dance and when asked to go out to the veranda, she muttered that it was too hot and proceeded to stand there. It seems that Bernice, being a poor conversationalist, feels too uncomfortable being with others. In a group Bernice is more likely to be stay inconspicuous and just listen rather that beginning or entering a conversation.

Another example of her shy persona was when Warren and Bernice sat down on the veranda. It was apparent she was very nervous about the situation; her knees were pressed together so tightly one could have cracked a nut between them. Bernice is also very naпve and Marjorie took full advantage of that. Her innocence led her to believe that Marjorie could make all her dreams come true, question nothing, and following all orders from her. This is apparent at the dinner table when she announced that she was going to bob her hair in the near future, which was seen as an act of sheer rebellion against the cultural norm at that time. This is what brings the youth to take interest in her and is the tactic Marjorie thought would bring Bernice attention. Another specific instruction Marjorie gave to Bernice was to ask the boys what they thought of the idea. So right after her proclamation, Bernice unwaveringly asked Charley Paulson, making everyone wonder whether she was actually going through with it. Later on it would come to be a true when Marjorie, jealous of warren showing interest in Bernice, comes out to say that the bob idea was a joke and “only a bluff of hers”(1). This backed her into a corner. Telling them the truth would result in the loss of her friends, while going through with bobbing her hair would also have the same consequence. It was