Comparing The Jilting Of Granny Weatherall And Bernice Bobs Her Hair

Every story has its own message and many which explain the concerns or meaning of the things in life through symbolism of the characters and settings. Some may be problematic situations or some may be something meaningful that is portrayed in this world. The stories “Bernice Bobs Her Hair” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall” by Katherine Anne Porter, and “Revelation” by Flannery O’Connor all present acts of moral purifiers through their creative writing, which may have a positive impact upon society. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story “Bernice Bobs Her Hair” portrays many themes throughout the plot according to literary critics. To start off, one critic claims that the theme in “Bernice Bobs Her Hair” is jealousy which is shown to be true through Bernice’s actions. Levitov, the critic, states that “Fitzgerald has an exceptional ability to expose the base metal beneath society’s glided veneer. Here, he reveals the cruelty of young adults in a memorable coming-of-age story with which teens can identify” (Levitov 1). In the story, Bernice is ashamed when her Aunt Josephine shows disapproval at Bernice’s bobbed hair. She realizes how much of a change her appearance became, thus taking away her charm. Marjorie’s pride on her own beauty causes Bernice to become jealous and Bernice ends up taking Marjorie’s pride away by cutting her hair in her sleep, which portrays the …show more content…
Firstly, one literary critic points out that the theme of this short story is that people tend to view something a certain way, when in reality it is typically not what it seems. Porter suggests that, “the good and dutiful Granny Weatherall is [not] betrayed by her God. It is rather that she has betrayed, or fooled, herself, into believing that the universe was an orderly place where you were rewarded for “tucking in the edges” neat” (Porter