Andy Weber
Dr. Guerra
American Literature
28 October 2014

Conformity Versus Individuality in “Bernice Bobs Her Hair” Anyone who might read the short story “Bernice Bobs Her Hair” by F. Scott Fitzgerald might analyze it and immediately take note that it is a story with a strong central focus on societal norms of the early 20th century and how those norms begin to change, especially among women of era. In “Bernice Bobs Her Hair,” we observe as the story’s central characters—a pair of young women—challenge the traditional gender roles set upon them by society, and in doing so, challenge the idea of conformity itself. Clearly this reflects the actual mindset of young women who lived during this time, as the 1920’s is particularly known as a time when women truly began to break societal norms and expected roles. But while the theme of identity and feminism seems clear to us, there also appears to be an underlying message that contrasts with this initial idea. Although “Bernice Bobs Her Hair” is a story about progression and escaping from societal norms, it leaves us with the strong notion that society is ultimately more comfortable with conformity. Some of the more obvious themes found within this story include those such as feminism and identity, which easily go hand-in-hand with one another. Feminism is a particularly interesting theme in this story because of the timeframe in which it takes place. As stated before, the early 20th century saw a drastic cultural change in the lives of women, beginning with the younger generations. Throughout “Bernice Bobs Her Hair,” we witness the contrasting images of Marjorie, the supposedly non-conforming, bold, and outgoing individual, and her cousin Bernice, who is much more sophisticated, old-fashioned, and “lady-like” in the traditional sense. While Bernice is the more traditional one of the pair, Marjorie represents the