Bernice Bobs Her Hair
Analysis
Biographical
• Fitzgerald’s writing document the lives of the
‘hip young things’ that were kicking up their
heels in the 1920s.
• This new generation of youth astonished their
elders. They were ‘bold and infuriating’ and in
some way Fitzgerald’s characters could be said
to have provided a template for the modern
socialite.
The Jazz Age
• Fitzgerald coined this term in 1922 – a little
later than when he wrote these short stories
but very relevant to Gatsby.
• The 1920s were also known as The Roaring
Twenties.
Flappers and Philosophers
Fitzgerald’s ideas
• Fitzgerald strove to faithfully and
entertainingly depict the changing face of
youth in his time.
Fitzgerald’s Female Characters
• The women are envisioned as forwardthinking, revolutionary "flappers"
slang for the kind of new, fast-talking, Charleston-dancing,
jazz-listening, leg-baring gal that em.erged at this time
Fitzgerald’s Male Characters
• The men, who either narrowly missed or
survived the horrors of World War I, are
labelled "philosophers."
The Title
• This title sums up the hedonistic modus
operandi of the period: life might be short, so
you might as well make it as sweet as possible.
hedonistic
self-indulgent, pleasure-seeking, debauched
modus operandi
technique, way of doing things, procedure
The characters
• While this story is not as dramatic as some
other of Fitzgerald’s works, there are still the
same themes and ideas coming through.
Inter-Generational tension
• The young characters in this story have very
different ideas to that of their parents.
• They don’t want to live for the future…they
live for now!
Marjorie
• She claims to be a ‘gardenia girl’ which is a
blossom that is very beautiful but whose
beauty fades fast.
(Part II, page 2)
Bernice
• In contrast to Marjorie, Bernice represents a
more traditional kind of womanhood.
• Bernice is totally boring and totally predictable
• She is so predictable that Marjorie is able to
manipulate her.
The tension between Marjorie and
Bernice
• It is this tension that reflects the social
conditions of Fitzgerald’s time.
The Plot
• New girl arrives in town, and is taken under the
rather uncomfortable wing of the queen bee.
• She learns the ABCs of popularity, and quickly
becomes popular herself.
• Soon enough, the student eclipses the master;
the queen bee is disturbed and seeks vengeance
(which then backfires on her).
• The upstart triumphs in the end, and the social
order is ultimately shaken up. End of story.
Mean Girls much?
• Rather than saying it’s a direct rip-off, we can
focus on the reason for these similarities.
• They are similar because they are both based
in fact.
– Girl Culture is girl culture. It’s been the same for
ages.
Ideas and themes
• The vicious nature of female competition is at
the core of this story.
• Different concepts of femininity are also being
explored by Fitzgerald.
– What do we expect of girls and what makes a
woman?
One Conclusion
• One conclusion that can be reached is that
there is no strict definition of femininity.
• Any concept of an ‘ideal woman’ can never
cover the spectrum of people out there in the
world!
– Creating a model of an ideal woman causes
competition, jealousy, and all-round trouble.
Bernice
• We are not sure about what happens to
Bernice after the story ends.
• The moral of the story however…
– Hopefully all of the diverse definitions of
womanhood (humanhood) will someday be
equally accepted, and will be able to live together
peacefully.
The end of the story
What do you think happens at the end of the
story?
Write a paragraph that tells what happens the
next morning – either for Bernice or Marjorie or
Warren.
Share with your partner.
I will ask for volunteers to read theirs out.