Question

In at least two hundred words, discuss the character transformations that occur in "Bernice Bobs Her Hair." How do these transformations relate to the structure of the story?

Answer 1

Answer and Explanation:

F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story "Bernice Bobs her Hair" can be divided into three major parts when it comes to its structure. In the first part, Bernice is Marjorie's unpopular cousin who ends up either boring or annoying anyone who dances or talks to her. In the second part, Bernice is under Marjorie's guidance, and she quickly becomes popular. Finally, in the last part, Bernice is so successful that Marjorie, jealous, sets her up and forces her to get her hair cut. As we will see below, each part is closely related to the way Bernice's character changes.

Now, let's focus on the three most important characters:

Marjorie does no seem to change throughout the story. She does not like Bernice at all and, even though she helps her during the second part, she does not do it out of compassion or love for her cousin. She does it to make her own life better, so that she can stop taking care of Bernice. In the end, when Bernice takes revenge by cutting Marjorie's hair while she sleeps, the narrator does not reveal how that affects Marjorie. Given her personality, she may have been angry, but was probably able to pull it off.

Warren is the boy both Marjorie and Bernice like. Warren too does not seem to evolve. He goes from liking Marjorie in the first part to liking Bernice in the second part and back to liking Marjorie in the final one. Warren serves as a catalyst for the climax of the story since it is because of him that Marjorie sets Bernice up.

Bernice is the one who changes the most. She goes from weak to powerful quite quickly. In the first part, Bernice is very much influenced by the values of her mother's generation. She thinks being feminine means being fragile. However, once she opens her mind to Marjorie's teachings in the second part, Bernice soon becomes empowered. She sees there is more to being feminine - she can be strong and sensual, for instance. In the end, after falling into Marjorie's trap, instead of going back to her old, helpless self, Bernice sneaks into Marjorie's room and cuts her cousin's hair while she is asleep. Old Bernice would never have had the courage to do that. But in the third part, her evolution is complete, and Bernice is now a brave, decisive woman who can stand up for herself.