In this passage, which follows a description of society ladies judging the prospects of all the young women at the country-club party, Fitzgerald uses metaphor and satire to comment on the social dynamics of marriage-making parties:
[...] every young man with a large income leads the life of a hunted partridge.
The metaphor of young, eligible men as "hunted partridges" illustrates how these bachelors are viewed and treated in social settings. Describing wealthy eligible boys as "hunted partridges" compares them to game birds, suggesting that society preys on them for their economic assets in the marriage market. This comparison reflects how these boys are targeted by women like Bernice and Marjorie who are looking for advantageous marriages. Just as partridges are reared for the hunt, these young men are groomed from birth for their role in society’s marital sports. The wealthier and more influential they are, the more intensely they are likely to be “hunted.” The comparison underlines the social rituals of the era, where marriage was less about romance and more about strategic alliances and preserving wealth. Although the stakes were higher for young women—who often had no access to money or safety outside of marriage and had even less power in the selection process for spouses—men were also often treated like prized objects in this context.
As this metaphor follows a description of older women gossiping and passing judgment, the “hunted partridge” idea is part of Fitzgerald’s work with satire in “Bernice Bobs Her Hair.” In passages like this, the author points to the absurdity and superficiality of these aristocratic mating rituals. Describing the young men as “partridges” criticizes the calculated nature of social interactions at country-club events. The narrator's choice to depict the men as passive victims of the marriage "hunt" mocks the underlying motives of these gatherings. They’re supposed to be fun, but they’re really anything but casual entertainment. This underscores how orchestrated and predatory the pursuit of romantic partnerships could be in this era.
