Analysis of Fitzgerald s Bernice Bobbed Her Hair from Feminist Criticism

In Western countries,WWI fostered a major change in attitude by bringing many women out of their homes into new spheres of action,and brought birth to the " new women" and the booming of feminism in United States.Bernice Bobs Her Hair,published in 1920 and collected in Flappers and Philosophers,is a well-known short story of early Fitzgerald.The two heroines—rural girl Bernice and her cousin Marjorie,who was an urban gardenia girl—both had their long beautiful hair cut passively.This paper attempts to reveal the traditional patriarchal shadow deep inside the " new women",by the analysis of psychological changes and their incentives in Bernice and Marjorie through three phases:before Bernice talking about haircut,haircut as Bernice’ s chatting topic and after haircut,to search for the real meaning of New Women,which,as the writer’ s opinion,New Women are not the females getting rid of the constraints of " angle",such as " beautiful long hair",but the females who take the responsibilities for the societies,their families and themselves based on their feminine essence.