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Bernice Bobs Her Hair Essay

702 Words3 Pages

Marjorie’s Accidental Aid People seldom consider the consequences of their actions. The story, Bernice Bobs Her Hair by F. Scott Fitzgerald perfectly represents how people struggle with the implications of their choices. In this story, there are two girls, Bernice and Marjorie. These girls are cousins. Throughout the story, Marjorie is motivated by personal gain, although Marjorie’s actions end up helping Bernice. First Marjorie creates Bernice’s popularity. However, before the popularity goes to Bernice’s head Marjorie ends up destroying it. This ensures that by the end of the story, Bernice has a new and improved personality. Therefore, Marjorie inadvertently helps Bernice become the best version of herself. When Marjorie first …show more content…

Everyone finds Bernice a bore, and Marjorie doesn’t want her mundane cousin to affect her status. “He wondered idly whether she was a poor conversationalist because she got no attention or got no attention because she was a poor conversationalist” (2). Bernice is drowning in unpopularity and Marjorie can’t stand the idea that it’s only a matter of time before her name is also dragged down. Therefore, Marjorie is compelled to help Bernice. Marjorie believes that a woman’s value is reflected in her clothes, hair, and other material items. While Bernice believes a woman’s value is shown in her actions and beliefs. Marjorie, unlike Bernice, doesn’t believe in kindness toward others but in helping herself. With Marjorie’s aid, Bernice is able to become renowned in a shrewd amount of time. Except that in Marjorie’s eyes, Bernice has become a little too …show more content…

Now Marjorie decides it is in her best interest to single-handedly destroy Bernice’s popularity. “She found one of the braids of Marjorie’s hair…she reached down with the shears and severed it.” (11) Because Marjorie forces Bernice to bob her hair, Bernice feels a pummel of anger. This leads her to cut Marjorie’s hair purely out of revenge. At the beginning of this short story, Bernice wouldn’t have dared to execute something like this to anyone, but thanks to Marjorie, Bernice can act for herself. Bernice originally believed that women should be quiet, calm, and collected and only engage in activities deemed “ladylike”. Marjorie pushes Bernice to realize that being ladylike and feminine isn’t what she wants out of life. While Bernice still believes in kindness she now believes in taking charge of her own life. All of Marjorie’s actions fed into changing Bernice however, none of these actions had the end she

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