Which TWO themes are found in this excerpt from "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" by F. Scott Fitzgerald?
But perhaps the most significant symbol of her success was the gray car of the hypercritical Warren McIntyre, parked daily in front of the Harvey house. At first the parlor-maid was distinctly startled when he asked for Bernice instead of Marjorie; after a week of it she told the cook that Miss Bernice had gotta hold a Miss Marjorie's best fella.
Marjorie on being twitted only laughed. She said she was mighty glad that Warren had at last found some one who appreciated him. So the younger set laughed, too, and guessed that Marjorie didn't care and let it go at that.
One afternoon when there were only three days left of her visit Bernice was waiting in the hall for Warren, with whom she was going to a bridge party. She was in rather a blissful mood, and when Marjorie—also bound for the party—appeared beside her and began casually to adjust her hat in the mirror, Bernice was utterly unprepared for anything in the nature of a clash. Marjorie did her work very coldly and succinctly in three sentences.
"You may as well get Warren out of your head," she said coldly.
"What?" Bernice was utterly astounded.
"You may as well stop making a fool of yourself over Warren McIntyre. He doesn't care a snap of his fingers about you."
1.Youth is temporary and life must be lived to the fullest.
2.Feminine identity is based on social restrictions.
3.Pride can ruin a relationship.
4.Love can make people cruel.
5.Jealousy makes people petty and cruel.
Answers
But perhaps the most significant symbol of her success was the gray car of the hypercritical Warren McIntyre, parked daily in front of the Harvey house. At first the parlor-maid was distinctly startled when he asked for Bernice instead of Marjorie; after a week of it she told the cook that Miss Bernice had gotta hold a Miss Marjorie's best fella.
Answer:
Two themes are cultural norms and identity. “Bernice Bobs Her Hair” highlights the power that cultural norms have on the person. In the short story, the dance serves as a microcosm of the social norms and values in the town. Bernice comes from another town where she does not experience social problems. However, what made her popular at home does not transfer to this town. Physical appearance, personal actions, policy, and other expectations defined by the norms of the culture and subculture in which one lives. Perception of beauty is an example of a cultural norm. What might be considered beautiful in one culture or subculture can seem unattractive in another. Bernice is not used to the cultural norms of her cousin’s town. Her lack of popularity at the first dance highlights this. In order to fit in, Bernice realizes she must adhere to the cultural norms of Marjorie’s town. "I've decided," began Bernice without preliminaries, "that maybe you're right about things—possibly not. But if you'll tell me why your friends aren't—aren't interested in me I'll see if I can do what you want me to."
Once Bernice listens to Marjorie’s advice, she accepts that she must conform to her cousin’s standards if she wants popularity. Bernice’s original set of values are part of her identity. The pressure to conform affects her identity over the course of the story.
Explanation: