Fashion in Fiction: Bernice Bobs Her Hair by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Bernice, a shy retiring girl of the Roaring 20s, leaves her safe home to go visit her flapper cousin. She yearns to be popular. On the advice of her flapper cousin Marjorie, Bernice begins dressing more stylishly, and learns the Most Valuable Rule: "When you're with a man, there are only three topics of conversation: you, me and us. But she gives Marjorie much more than she bargained for.

The story didn't start of by introducing either of the two main characters, Bernice or Marjorie. In fact Bernice, who I consider the main protagonist was the last to be introduced. The first page or so kind of eased me into the culture and time at which the story was set without being prosaic. Though I can't really talk about character development, this was a really short story, I could still get a good feel of Bernice, the sheltered lily wilting in the real world and Marjorie, the vivacious and worldly it girl.

Initially, Bernice, with all her awkwardness and effort in trying to conform to long gone (yes, long gone even then!) ideals of femininity annoyed me. First she eavesdrops on Marjorie discussing how hopeless she (Bernice) is with her aunt. Then, instead of trying to do something about it herself, Bernice goes and confronts Marjorie and tries to bluff that she'll leave of she isn't wanted.

"I guess I'd better go back to Eau Claire--if I'm such a nuisance." Bernice's lower lip was trembling violently and she continued on a wavering note: "I've tried to be nice, and--and I've been first neglected and then insulted. No one ever visited me and got such treatment."

Marjorie calls her bluff. And after much swallowing of pride, etc. Bernice decides to ask Marjorie for help.

Well, help Marjorie does, and soon Bernice's popularity quotient goes through the roof. So much so that Bernice manages to catch the eye of Marjorie's best boy. And you know how catty girls can be when it comes to boys. Now I don't want to be giving away too much, so that's all I'm going to say. But one thing is for sure, bitchy girls make for an entertaining read!