Corruption as Big as the Ritz

The Diamond as Big as the Ritz by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a very unrealistic story about a family whose undeniable corruption is brought on by materialism. The Washington family comes from a long line of depraved people that goes back almost as far as Moses (or rather, George Washington) as a result of their accidental immense wealth. In fact, Braddock Washington claims that “Water is not good for certain races-except as a beverage” (Fitzgerald 93). Clearly, he believes that he is from a much superior race than other people. This story, much like most other “once upon a time” fairytales, portrays an improbable situation to convey its theme: everyone has a perverted perspective on life when it’s all about the money and wealth. The reality of having a diamond as large as the Ritz hotel is very unlikely, much like pink elephants, but it serves as a hyperbole to today’s corrupted wealth. Even though this story was published in 1922, it is still relevant today. Fitzgerald’s use of rhetoric like allusion allows us to point out the flaws of society; people may be able to obtain luxury, but their demoralization will ultimately lead to their demise. In this case, Kismine and Jasmine, who have lived their whole lives in a home where men are kept in a “large cavity in the earth” (93), are doomed to live in the city of Hades, which alludes to the underworld where everything is bleak and poor. Instead of the usual diamonds and servants, they will have to succumb to rhinestones and working.

This is the Ritz. Imagine a diamond as big as it.