Story Analysis: Bernice Bobs Her Hair
“Mean Girls”
In the story, “Bernice Bobs her Hair”, Bernice is visiting her cousin Marjorie for a couple of weeks. Marjorie has many friends, and socializes with her peers very well. On the other hand Marjorie’s cousin, Bernice, is the complete opposite. Bernice is quiet, doesn’t know anyone in town and is very awkward when others attempt to socialize with her. Although Marjorie tries to convince her friends to dance with Bernice at parties, no one really wants to be around Bernice. Throughout the story we see how Bernice and Marjorie first get along but like all teens they fight to be the most popular and recognized by their surroundings.
In “Bernice Bobs her Hair” Bernice is the protagonist of the story because she is one of the main characters that has conflict within the plot and attempts to resolve it. In the beginning of the store Marjorie seem to be nice to Bernice. At first she tried to show her how to be more social and popular like her. When Bernice finally gains popularity and is suddenly wanted by men, Margie grows jealous of what she had become. We later learn that her intentions were not good ones after all. This made Marjorie …show more content…
become the antagonist in the story.
In “Bernice Bobs her Hair” there are many types of conflicts with the protagonist.
The Protagonist experiences an internal conflict, conflict vs. society, and a conflict vs. a person. One example of an internal conflict within the story is when Bernice tries to change herself in order to feel accepted by everyone. An example of a conflict vs. society is when Bernice is goes to parties with Marjorie and no one wants to dance with her because they think she is boring. This is a conflict with society because she is not being accepted by her peers and is left as an outcast. The last example of conflict is vs. person. Within the story we find that Marjorie becomes jealous of Bernice’s quick popularity. Marjorie feels as if Bernice is taking her spot light. Marjorie tries to bring down Bernice and expose her for the phony she
is.
“Suddenly she drew in her breath sharply and an expression flashed into her eyes that a practiced character reader might have connected vaguely with the set look she had worn in the barber's chair -- somehow a development of it. It was quite a new look for Bernice -- and it carried consequences.”(Fitzgerald 22). At this point in the story Bernice has an epiphany and her character is completely different from what it was in the beginning of the story. In the story we see a development within the character Bernice. Bernice first started in the story as a social outcast and was a very shy character. As the story goes on Bernice begins to develop in to social butterfly and comes out of her comfort zone. She slowly figures out what she needs to say, and do in order to be accepted by others. The conflicts that Bernice had with Marjorie as teens show us that even back in the day the struggle to be accepted still happens today.
Citation
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. "Bernice Bobs her Hair." This Side of Paradise Flappers and Philosophers. F. Scott Fitzgerald. Gramercy, 1996. 314. LitFinder. Web. 5 Oct. 2011.
In the story, “Bernice Bobs her Hair”, Bernice is visiting her cousin Marjorie for a couple of weeks. Marjorie has many friends, and socializes with her peers very well. On the other hand Marjorie’s cousin, Bernice, is the complete opposite. Bernice is quiet, doesn’t know anyone in town and is very awkward when others attempt to socialize with her. Although Marjorie tries to convince her friends to dance with Bernice at parties, no one really wants to be around Bernice. Throughout the story we see how Bernice and Marjorie first get along but like all teens they fight to be the most popular and recognized by their surroundings.
In “Bernice Bobs her Hair” Bernice is the protagonist of the story because she is one of the main characters that has conflict within the plot and attempts to resolve it. In the beginning of the store Marjorie seem to be nice to Bernice. At first she tried to show her how to be more social and popular like her. When Bernice finally gains popularity and is suddenly wanted by men, Margie grows jealous of what she had become. We later learn that her intentions were not good ones after all. This made Marjorie …show more content…
become the antagonist in the story.
In “Bernice Bobs her Hair” there are many types of conflicts with the protagonist.
The Protagonist experiences an internal conflict, conflict vs. society, and a conflict vs. a person. One example of an internal conflict within the story is when Bernice tries to change herself in order to feel accepted by everyone. An example of a conflict vs. society is when Bernice is goes to parties with Marjorie and no one wants to dance with her because they think she is boring. This is a conflict with society because she is not being accepted by her peers and is left as an outcast. The last example of conflict is vs. person. Within the story we find that Marjorie becomes jealous of Bernice’s quick popularity. Marjorie feels as if Bernice is taking her spot light. Marjorie tries to bring down Bernice and expose her for the phony she
is.
“Suddenly she drew in her breath sharply and an expression flashed into her eyes that a practiced character reader might have connected vaguely with the set look she had worn in the barber's chair -- somehow a development of it. It was quite a new look for Bernice -- and it carried consequences.”(Fitzgerald 22). At this point in the story Bernice has an epiphany and her character is completely different from what it was in the beginning of the story. In the story we see a development within the character Bernice. Bernice first started in the story as a social outcast and was a very shy character. As the story goes on Bernice begins to develop in to social butterfly and comes out of her comfort zone. She slowly figures out what she needs to say, and do in order to be accepted by others. The conflicts that Bernice had with Marjorie as teens show us that even back in the day the struggle to be accepted still happens today.
Citation
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. "Bernice Bobs her Hair." This Side of Paradise Flappers and Philosophers. F. Scott Fitzgerald. Gramercy, 1996. 314. LitFinder. Web. 5 Oct. 2011.