Bernice Bobs Her Hair

I enjoyed reading this short story. It was about a girl named Bernice who visits her cousin Marjorie. The two girls are polar opposites. Marjorie is flirtatious and popular while Bernice is boring and bland. After Bernice overhears Marjorie speaking about how embarrassing she is, there is tension between the two. Marjorie decides to give Bernice tips on how to become more desirable and interesting. She suggests that Bernice bobs her hair, a haircut which became more popular during the 20's. It went against previous standards and was considered scandalous. It took away the long traditional feminine hair that people believed represented natural beauty. It was looked down upon by many and no respectable or well bred woman would do this. It was a way of making women look younger and in a way more childish. This exemplifies Fitzgerald's theme of women's retraction into girlhood.

Bernice is an example of a girlish character. She does not act with proper poise like Marjorie. She acts less feminine. Bernice seems to be more youthful and untrained than Marjorie. Bernice believed that "giggles and tears" were an "indispensable factor in all feminine intercourse". When Bernice talks to boys she asks them about the types of cars they have rather than discussing her physical appearance and such. Marjorie views girls as foolish and stupid because of this. "Marjorie never giggled, was never frightened, seldom embarrassed, and in fact had very few qualities which Bernice considered appropriately and blessedly feminine.

In the end of the story, Bernice ends up bobbing her hair, much to her dismay, and it is a disaster. She is no longer beautiful and looks boring. She lost her womanly attractiveness and switched to a young girl-ish hair style.

Do you mind if I pull down the curtain?

"-- Do you mind if I pull down the curtain?
--Please do it's too light in here."

This quote is repeated throughout the novel Tender is the Night. It is first introduced when a man is telling Dick a story about Rosemary. Rosemary was in a train car with a boy she was dating and someone on the train walked in on them together. Rosemary was very upset and yelled at the conductor. This quote is a portion of a conversation that Rosemary and her boyfriend had while inside of the car. Throughout the novel this quote has practically haunted Dick. When he first heard the story Dick became extremely jealous because he was just beginning to fall in love with Rosemary. In the book whenever Dick is with Rosemary or thinking about her this quote is often repeated. It reveals Dick's concealed love that he has for Rosemary. Whenever I read this quote it was a clue that Dick was thinking about Rosemary, possibly hoping that he could be with her.

Nicole Diver Exposed

The last part of Tender is the Night has been extremely interesting. I'm really starting to get into the book. In my last post, I discussed the mystery of Dick and Nicole's relationship, now that mystery has been exposed. Nicole was sexually involved with her father at a young age and because of that driven to insanity. This has caused me to have a completely different outlook on Nicole. She was previously someone I highly respected and felt to be somewhat stable, however now she seems almost scary.
There is one part of the book where Dick is driving the car with Nicole and their two children and Nicole steers the car off a cliff laughing the entire time. She could have killed her entire family and in these states of insanity has no ability to control herself. It is very strange to see the contrast between the Nicole we knew in the beginning of the novel and the Nicole we have gotten to know now.

I was also surprised that the novel is more of a focus on Dick's life than Rosemary's.

Rosemary's growing obsession with Dick Diver

The relationship between Rosemary and Dick Diver is escalating. She has now told him that she loves him from the first time she saw him twice, creating a strange dynamic between the two. She seems to be absolutely infatuated with him and his feelings are slightly unclear as of this time. Earlier in the book he was telling her how much he loved Nicole, his wife, but he also seems to be interested in Rosemary and invited her to Paris with him and Nicole.

Another strange element of this budding relationship is that Rosemary really likes Nicole. She does not despise her or envy her in the same way one may expect her to. On page 33 it says, "Rosemary saw her suddenly in a new way and found her one of the most beautiful people she had ever known." She also describes her as extremely likeable. Someone attempting to sabotage the marriage of two people rarely adores both of the people in the relationship as much as Rosemary does.

I am also very curious to find out what Mrs. McKisco found out about the Divers. She went to the restroom after Nicole and Dick had gone into the house. She came back claiming she had seen something, but commented that , "It's inadvisable to comment on what goes on in this house."

Tender is the Night

So far, I have read the first four chapters of Tender is the Night. There are already many themes similar to The Great Gatsby. Tender is the Night is about a girl named Rosemary, a newly famous actress, who is almost 18. She and her mother seem to live an extravagant life. Fitzgerald's writing glamorizes wealth and class in the same way The Great Gatsby does. Rosemary seems to feel strangely about being famous and doesn't seem to love the attention and recognition. This presents Fitzgerald's reoccuring theme of the relationship between happiness and wealth.

Early on Fitzgerald presents a man named Dick Diver, who I assume will be Rosemary's love interest for the majority of the novel. He is married however she instantly falls in love with him. There are many hints suggesting that their relationship between the two will progress. There are also a few awkward exchanges between Rosemary and Dick's wife. I suspect there will be a similarity Rosemary and Dick will have a similar relationship to Gatsby and Daisy.

Quote from Chapter 7 page 120

"Her voice is full of money," he said suddenly.
That was it. I'd never understood before. It was full of money -- that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals' song of it.... High in a white palace the king's daughter, the golden girl....

Gatsby's Story

F. Scott Fitzgerald, who was obsessed with the idea of wealth and fame, had financial troubles throughout his life. In his novels a re-occuring theme is the relationship between money, success, and happiness. In Chapter 6, as Fitzgerald reveals more about Gatsby's early life, this theme is seen. Gatsby's name was originally James Gatz. He was born on a farm in North Dakota and spent his earlier years working as a janitor at his college and as a fisherman. It was when Dan Cody gave James Gatz a job on his yacht, that James began to transform. He was entranced by the life of luxury and success that Cody lived. James became obsessed with the idea of becoming a wealthy and successful man. He was committed to achieving this status he so desired. It is Gatsby who changes his name from James Gatz to Jay Gatsby. He uses the name Jay Gatsby to distance himself from his past and his lower class identity. Fitzgerald continues to expose the real Jay Gatsby, who was presented as admirable and flawless. Others consider Gatsby to be practically royalty however, besides his wealth, he is not as perfect or content as he seems.