The mood in "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" starts off light and somewhat silly. The reader is invited to snicker with the narrator at the glib and superficial interactions at the social gatherings that the characters attend. Early scenes are glib and humorous, with a fluffy quality as the narrative playfully explores the social rituals of "cutting in" and the competitive undercurrents of parties and gatherings. All the small emotional cruelties of Bernice’s social set are laid bare and mocked.
As the story develops, the mood gradually darkens and becomes more complex. The reader is increasingly drawn to empathize with Bernice as the casual cruelty she goes through is rehearsed over and over again. The reader feels the weight of her social blunders and the harsh judgments passed by her unpleasant peers, particularly Marjorie. The mood intensifies as Bernice commits to bobbing her hair, an act she's forced into and which feels laden with anxiety and risk. This part of the narrative makes the reader feel the unexpected tension that this haircut necessarily contains, as Bernice seems to be careening towards a personal and social catastrophe.
This doesn't last long. In a dramatic reversal, the story concludes with a mood that is unexpectedly triumphant and satisfying. Rather than accepting her “lank, lifeless” lot in life, Bernice takes control of her fate and gets the last laugh by cutting Marjorie's braids and stealing off into the night. This act of defiance shifts the mood dramatically, offering the reader a gleeful and defiant respite from the million tiny unkindnesses of the rest of the tale. Rather than accepting her position as a diminished, insecure woman, Bernice reclaims her agency and subverts the very social expectations that previously confined her.
