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Literary Devices
Definition of Allusion
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to other literary works, famous individuals, historical events, or philosophical ideas... read full definition
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to other literary works, famous individuals... read full definition
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to... read full definition
Part 5
Explanation and Analysis—Madonna-Like:
In this passage, as Bernice sits frozen with horror in the barber’s chair, the author uses a simile and allusion to depict the dramatic change in her appearance after her questionable haircut:
Her face's chief charm had been a Madonna-like simplicity. Now that was gone and she was—well, frightfully mediocre—not stagy; only ridiculous [...]
The simile describing Bernice's pre-haircut charms as having "Madonna-like simplicity" refers to the traditional depiction of the Virgin Mary. This biblical figure is often alluded to as a way of bringing up ideas of beauty stemming from gentleness and purity. This comparison underscores how Bernice's long, dark hair previously helped enhance these qualities in her appearance. When her face was surrounded by thick dark hair, she looked serene and endearing in a way that is similar to the “Madonna” trope.
No longer, however. Her new dramatic haircut, a flapper-style bob, is the aesthetic opposite of this allusion’s relationship to traditional femininity and the purity that people often associate with it. Rather, the bob suggests sophistication and a certain bold worldliness. This style starkly contrasts with the innocent and simple visual impression that Bernice made before. The allusion emphasizes the unsuitability of the new haircut for Bernice. It’s not just unflattering, it actively clashes with her natural demeanor and physical attributes. Instead of adding to her beauty, she feels the haircut renders her "frightfully mediocre" and "ridiculous." Before this, she and others around her felt that her inherent simplicity was her most attractive feature. The bob prevents that from being immediately visible, making her seem very distant from her "Madonna"-like, pre-bob image.
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Explanation and Analysis—Sphinx of Sphinxes:
As Bernice nervously skirts around Marjorie at a party, the author compares Marjorie to the Sphinx to highlight how intimidating she is. Bernice works hard to suppress her growing discomfort because she’s worried she has upset Marjorie, the "sphinx of sphinxes":
All through the bridge party Bernice strove in vain to master a rising uneasiness. She had offended Marjorie, the sphinx of sphinxes.
The Sphinx was a mythical creature from ancient Egyptian culture that challenged passersby with difficult riddles and violently killed those who couldn’t solve them. By likening Marjorie to this figure, the author emphasizes how mysterious and threatening Bernice finds her placid, pleasant demeanor. The term "sphinx of sphinxes" suggests that Marjorie isn’t just “sphinx-like” but she’s the most like a “sphinx” of anyone Bernice has ever met. Angering her is very risky.
Marjorie's skill in social scenarios and her tendency to catch others off-guard with her words are like the Sphinx's riddles. She’s unafraid of creating nasty consequences for others through her actions, even if the "others" in question are friends or family members. This comparison indicates that Bernice must be cautious in her interactions with Marjorie. Just as one would think carefully about one’s behavior around a sphinx, Bernice has to watch Marjorie closely and judge her choices accordingly. Marjorie's composed and inscrutable way of presenting herself significantly increases Bernice's anxiety. She can't tell what Marjorie is thinking, which makes her even more worried about the potential fallout from her brash promises to bob her hair.
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Explanation and Analysis—The Terror:
As Bernice approaches the barbershop where her hair is to be cut, Fitzgerald employs metaphors and allusions to the French Revolution to heighten the dramatic tension:
[...] Sevier Barber-Shop. It was a guillotine indeed, and the hangman was the first barber, who, attired in a white coat and smoking a cigarette, leaned nonchalantly against the first chair. He must have heard of her; he must have been waiting all week, smoking eternal cigarettes beside that portentous, too-often-mentioned first chair. Would they blind-fold her? No, but they would tie a white cloth round her neck lest any of her blood—nonsense—hair—should get on her clothes.
The metaphors of the barbershop as a "guillotine" and the barber as a "hangman" emphasize the emotional stakes of getting the bob for Bernice. By comparing the haircut to an execution, the author shows how intensely Bernice feels the finality of her decision to bob her hair. This metaphor does more than suggest the severity of the act in Bernice's mind. It also highlights the irreversible nature of the change she thinks she’s about to make. It’s not a temporary decision, as a haircut might usually be thought of. To Bernice, it’s a life-altering event.
The allusions to the guillotine and the hangman at the end of the passage invoke the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution. During the time following the creation of the French Republic in the 1790s, France was overtaken by a wave of public executions and massacres of the clergy, the aristocracy, and other “traitors.” This historical reference compounds the sense of dread and foreboding that overtakes Bernice. The narrator directly aligns Bernice’s personal crisis with this period of intense political upheaval and violence. Through this, the allusion underlines the political statement that bobbing one's hair during this time implied. It was a visible marker of rejecting former ideals of feminine beauty, an obvious and irreversible marker of defiance. The haircut is not just a personal choice but a visible declaration of opinion and alignment. The imagery of Bernice being blindfolded and having a white cloth tied around her neck to catch her "blood" (hair) is a further reference to this. To her, the cutting instruments the barber will use might as well be a guillotine, not a razor and scissors.
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