Bernice Bobs Her Hair Essay

Jealousy has a huge impact on all the characters in “Bernice Bobs Her Hair”. Bernice shows the first signs of jealousy when she overhears Marjorie talking to her mom about how all of her friends think Bernice is incredibly dull. Marjorie basically has to beg boys to cut in on Bernice while they are dancing. Even Warren, one of Marjorie’s most beloved beaus tries to flirt with Bernice and cannot do so because she does not know how to effectively communicate with boys. Warren is infatuated with Marjorie and would do anything for her, including dancing with Bernice. Warren wanted to get along with Bernice just to impress Marjorie but he realizes Bernice is just plain “dopeless” (Fitzgerald 358). Warren thinks that if he can effectively flirt with

Bernice and Marjorie do not get along well so Bernice is hesitant to take tips from her. Marjorie has no problems rattling off things Bernice does wrong. In a major turn of events, Bernice actually makes Marjorie jealous by stealing the affection of Warren. Jealousy made Marjorie call out Bernice on her best line to pick up boys, the line of asking the boys if she should bob her hair. Marjorie calls out Bernice in front of everyone and accuses her of trying to steal Marjorie’s popularity (Fitzgerald 377). Marjorie knows that if she calls out Bernice, then she will have no choice but to bob her hair which will instantly take the spotlight off Bernice. Bernice does not want to get her hair bobbed, but she feels like she has to to show that she had not lied to everyone. Bernice never has any intentions of bobbing her hair since she adores her long hair. She ultimately gets her hair bobbed, and she shows great regret in doing so. But her getting her hair bobbed was no coincidence since Fitzgerald loved classics like Catullus’s “Coma Berenices”(McDonough 228). After she gets her hair bobbed, she shows regret in ever using her line of asking boys if she should bob her