Bernice Bobs Her Hair

Marjorie is the antagonist of the story, whose character, though compelling, remains flat. In contrast to Bernice, Marjorie begins the story already well-known and well-liked for “having a fairylike face and dazzling, bewildering tongue” (357). This description also imbues Marjorie with an otherworldly charm that further contrasts with Bernice’s ordinary qualities. Marjorie’s dialogues with Bernice and her mother confirm her alignment with Jazz Age opinions and fashions, another contrast to Bernice’s traditionalism.

Marjorie’s primary motivations are her desire for entertainment and independence. After the first dance, she complains to her mother about being responsible for Bernice because it ties her to traditionalism and interferes with the freedom of her movements at parties. When Bernice confronts her, Marjorie demonstrates a firm, if uncaring, confidence in her opinions and a refusal to sincerely apologize. Though Marjorie knows Warren has feelings for her, she does not stop flirting with other men, because that, too, would be a denial of what she wants.

Though F. Scott Fitzgerald does not show Marjorie’s reaction to Bernice cutting her hair and departing, Marjorie’s behavior up to that point confirms that she does not significantly change within the scope of the narrative. She selfishly ruins Bernice’s social prospects and wins back Warren’s attention merely to maintain a familiar enjoyment. After Bernice’s haircut, Marjorie tells Bernice she is sorry for the social ridicule she might face at the Deyo dance, but she sleeps that night with an “untroubled conscience” that indicates a lack of true remorse (380). Overall, Marjorie demonstrates a sharp awareness of her society, paired with a refusal to have her own actions limited by another’s feelings.

Nineteen-year-old Warren, who “casually attend[s] Yale” (357), provides the male gaze of desire and condemnation in the story. He is the first of the main characters to be introduced and aligns with the crowd at the opening dance. He, like his peers, enjoys pleasant conversation and varied entertainment. Though he does not demonstrate explicitly traditional or modern fashions himself, he is drawn to Marjorie, who represents Jazz Age trends. Except for Marjorie, he regards most with “hypercritical” evaluation (373), though he doesn’t hold himself to the same standards. In Part 1, for example, he thinks pityingly of the couples he observes but then scolds Bernice for making a pitying remark about the same acquaintances.

Though Warren is the story’s romantic interest and is Marjorie’s pining devotee, he is not one of the “sad birds” she describes to Bernice (368). While Charley Paulsen is immediately charmed by Bernice’s newfound witty conversation, Warren assumes the attention she receives is out of charity. He also offers no support or loyalty to Bernice when she has her hair bobbed. As a result, while Marjorie directly refuses to commit, Warren also demonstrates Detachment in Modern Relationships.

Were it not for that detachment, Warren’s courtship of Bernice could have signaled him developing beyond a flat character. However, his motivations for spending time with her are undefined, and he remains as passively interested in her at the end as he was at the beginning. Instead, he and Marjorie remain paired. Their link is confirmed when he takes her on an errand, leaving Bernice behind with her newly bobbed hair, and when Bernice leaves Marjorie’s severed braids on his front porch. In the end, Warren and Marjorie are alike in their confident criticism of others and blindness to their own moral failings.

As Bernice’s aunt and Marjorie’s mother, Josephine Harvey provides a matronly perspective. When Marjorie complains to her about being responsible for Bernice, Josephine makes several attempts to soften Marjorie’s judgments but otherwise does not challenge or redirect Marjorie’s self-assurance. She has difficulty understanding Bernice’s social struggles, as “modern situations were too much for her” (362). This sense of being overwhelmed is reinforced near the end when she is “both worried and grieved” by Bernice’s bobbed hair (379). Though Josephine could use her age and wisdom to guide and support either young woman, she instead remains sidelined by the force of modern social changes and her own desire to avoid discomfort.

One of the youngest suitors at 16 years old, Otis is so tired of dancing with Bernice in Part 1 that he jokes to friends about beating her off with a two-by-four. Yet by Part 5, when Bernice has risen in status, he delays a planned trip and follows Bernice “with a puppylike devotion” (373). At the climax, Otis encourages Bernice to “[c]ome through” in getting her hair bobbed (375). These moments make Otis a representative of the Jazz Age youths’ impulsivity and inconstancy.

Charley is introduced in Part 4 as a representative of the “sad bird” kind of men on whom Bernice practices her social skills. He fits this role since he lacks “height, beauty, and social shrewdness” and is easily charmed by Bernice’s flattery (369). He is not developed beyond this scene, but his role as a pawn in the game of courtship develops thematic ideas about Detachment in Modern Relationships.

Of the group of suitors, Draycott holds the most potential as someone Bernice could have connected with as her true self. Instead, Bernice alienates him when she becomes Marjorie’s pupil. He represents traditional Christian moralism since he is “studying ministry.” This stance is confirmed when he is offended by a suggestive story Bernice tells while they dance, and when Bernice anticipates his judgment after her hair is bobbed.