The title and opening setting of “Bernice Bobs Her Hair” give an initial sense that it will be a lighthearted, upper-class social drama. However, the story’s references to society’s moral condemnation signal to the reader that much higher stakes are at play.

From the story’s beginning, F. Scott Fitzgerald utilizes juxtaposition and contradiction to create tension, as well as to amuse. In the first party scene, the whimsical is paired with the willful. Dancing couples’ “effortless smiles” (357) contrast with the sharp-eyed supervision of matrons and suitors. This scene also establishes contradictory descriptions of setting. The rich details of the opening, from the play of lights on the lawn to the appearance of the dancers, contrast the brief introductions of later settings, like Marjorie’s home. Similarly, some characters are passingly mentioned, while others have paragraphs of interiority. These contrasts symbolize the varying attitudes and values of different social circles. They also suggest the subjective nature of social acceptance and belonging. Those who are noticed, like Marjorie, develop an air of glittering gaiety, while those who are overlooked or disapproved of, like Bernice, are left out of the social niceties to which they aspire.