In this excerpt from Haruki Murakami's "Norwegian Wood," the speaker reflects on their experience after cutting their hair short. While they personally feel good about the new look, the reactions from guys are overwhelmingly negative. They find the comments comparing them to a first grader or a concentration camp survivor to be harsh and unfair, suggesting a societal bias against short hair in women.

The speaker questions the notion that long hair is synonymous with femininity and class. They express frustration at the stereotype that ties beauty and elegance to longer hairstyles, countering it with their own observation that many girls with long hair do not conform to those ideals. This challenges the prevailing notions about beauty standards related to hair length, revealing a deeper commentary on gender and societal expectations.