"Bernice Bobs Her Hair"

Bernice is a girl born and raised in Wisconsin. One August, she goes to stay with her cousin, Marjorie. Bernice doesn't exactly fit in with Marjorie and her friends, and Marjorie is worried that Bernice is having a negative effect on her social life because no boys want to dance with Bernice. Bernice overhears a conversation between Marjorie and Marjorie's mother about how Bernice is too socially inept. Bernice is so devastated that she threatens to leave, but Marjorie seems to not care at all. Bernice eventually agrees to let Marjorie teach her how to communicate with other boys and girls, and, more importantly, how to flirt and make boys interested in her. Bernice catches boy's attention by teasing them and telling them that they will get to watch her bob her hair. Suddenly, Bernice is socially accepted and many boys are attract to her, including a boy, Warren, whom once followed Marjorie around. However, after much time of neglect, Warren becomes interested in Bernice instead of Marjorie. Marjorie becomes jealous, and convinces Bernice to go to the barbershop and change her hairstyle. Bernice can no longer bob her hair back and fourth, so boys suddenly become uninterested in her. Bernice is so humiliated that she packs her truck that night, and decides to leave on a late night train. Before Bernice leaves, she goes into Marjorie's room and cuts off her pigtails, making her unattractive. She takes Marjorie's pigtails and throws them into Warren's car.

"Bernice Bobs Her Hair" is a very morally rich story, almost to the point at which it could be compared to an old folk tale. It tells the classic tale of a socially awkward and gullible protagonist whom struggles to make herself stand out in society. Her mentor, Marjorie, teaches Bernice everything she needs to know about becoming socially successful. After Bernice becomes to attractive,  Marjorie makes an inevitable turn on her, banishing her from social success for a limited period of time. What interested me the most was this story's ability to satirize teenage society. The boys seem to be totally uninterested in the personalities of their lovers, and solely interested in their physical appearances. This is something that is even applicable to modern society. The story also adheres to issues of social violence i.e. bullying. Though the protagonist is morally righteous, she is not accepted socially and is pretty much ignored. Marjorie, the one person that agrees to help her out, eventually turns on Bernice. This stresses the significance of having trustworthy friendships, as opposed to social demons that seem to thrive in society today. "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" is also a tale of revenge which, though normally looked down upon, is almost glorified in the story. I believe it can be seen as a value in this story, as it sets the two main characters on an even playing field, stressing the classing "an eye for an eye" moral.