Custom «Bernice Bobs Her Hair and the Roman Fever » Essay Paper Sample

The two masterful works of art, Bernice Bobs Her Hair and the Roman Fever by Scott Fitzgerald and Edith Wharton, relate in a number of ways, (Abby, 34). The two works relate both stylistically and thematically. Stylistically, the two writers call to task various literary techniques to ensure that they drive their intended messages home. Thematically, the two works relate in the manner in which they explore themes within the socio-political settings of the environment and the society within which their characters exist.

In terms of themes and enlightening the society, Bernice Bobs Her Hair seeks to invoke the readers to rethink the aspect of superficial popularity and the inevitable forces within a society that forces people to abide by the norms of a society, (Shmoop, 45). The Roman Fever presents the literary version of the writer's own accusations of anti-Semitic and his illegitimacy. The characters in this work take positions that can be extended to belong to the writer. Like Fitzgerald, Wharton goes to invoke the public to keenly re-look its social foundations and to regard myths and these institutions as unpopular with nature, . The writer makes a shot at the institution of marriage and male dominance and the inherent animosity among women through sexual jealousy.

According to, Joseph, (34), the main characters in the two works are related in the manner in which they develop from down the social strata and up to fame driven by wildly passions. In Fitzgerald, the main character develops from a passive lady who is dying for fame. She eventually gets the must awaited fame, loses it and ultimately becomes independent and strong. At first Bernice is seen as boring and not worth her cousin's, Marjorie, company. She finally allows her cousin to teach her how to be famous and poplar. He later sets her up to shame her so as to rob her popularity. Eventually Bernice masters the cooked tricks of drawing interest and winning attention. Together with his cousin, they prepared and perfected conversations which were calculated to amuse, flatter, and shock Bernice's audience. On the other hand, Wharton's story develops characters from the low profile to the uppermost coveted status of in the society.

Female characters in the two works are related behaviorally. In the two stories, the ultimate enemy of a woman remains another woman, (Becnel, 44). In Roman Fever, Mrs. Slade is unable to establish the source of her overriding disdain for Mrs. Ansley. She refuses to appreciate that it could be her paranoia or from her current status from the social law she is charged under. Through the female characters Wharton succeeds in presenting the lack of self-editing at the height of social relations between the anti-Smites and the Jews. He provides an awkward lenses for the characters through which their egocentrism that weakens their likeable personality is made viewable to the reader.

Stylistically, the author of Bernice Bobs Her Hair, calls to task hyperbole and metaphors to describe Bernice's feelings when entering the barber shop. He writes of her "[she] had all the sensations of Marie Antoinette bound for the guillotine in a tumbrel' meaning the Sevier barber's chop was the guillotine and the barber was the dreaded hangman. In contrast, Marjorie's braided hair made be equated like a perfect painting drawn by a gifted artist to afford her the features of some Saxon princess. The Sevier Barbershop" was a guillotine indeed, and the hangman was the first barber." The contrast between Marjorie's delicate appearance and her vicious nature was described in similes. The writer uses foreshadowing when Marjorie calls her friend Bernice a bluff only for Bernice to later narrow her curious eyes to foreshadow her reactions upon imagining Marjorie's new hair. These two females, driven by their passion and jealousy, struggled for the attention of a single man and the adoption of new and strange hair styles was intended to take impress their audiences.

The style of imagery is widely explored in Roman Fever. Wharton uses imagery to send many messages across in the manner in which he symbolically uses knitting as a stereotypical chore for traditional women. While some readers will brush it away as normal task among woman, on closer inspection the writer uses it to bring out shocking contrast of the normalcy in knitting and the inner emotions of the characters. Knitting also reveals the cultural histories of the subject persons. The titles of the works are very symbolic. The Roman Fever symbolizes contagion, sexual immorality and even sexually transmitted diseases as well as other evil things women face in the society.

To conclude, the two works are related in various ways. The relation appears in the styles used and the thematic approach. The two stories are told around women who are contemplating their relationship that has been threatened by self-desire and the culture. Themes of jealousy and opportunism are explored in the two works. Roman Fever becomes the cross to carry for disobedience contained the alerting tale that Ansley's was told be her mother. This becomes what Edith suffers when her mother slept on nurturing and left the work at the mercies of wrong literature readings. In Bernice Bobs Her Hair, the female character is obsessed with fame and popularity. Her getting popularity quest and management teachings from her friend Marjorie alter turns to become her own undoing.