Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Does "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" function primarily as social satire or as a fantasy story?
- What do you make of the original title of this story – "The Diamond in the Sky"? If you were to write a Shmoop-style "What's Up with the Title?" for this original, what would you talk about? Why do you think Fitzgerald changed it to "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz"? Which title is better?
- How does John's character change throughout the course of the story? What does he learn?
- Is there a morale to this story? If so, what is it? Is there any moral ambiguity in the text, or is it all cut-and-dried?
- "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" is a scathing critique of American values, but it's also pretty funny stuff. How is it that Fitzgerald uses humor to criticize?
- "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" is stuffed full of allusions to mythology, literature, religious texts, and ancient history (see "Shout Outs" for a full list). What is the point of all this shouting out? What does it do for the story's tone, style, and themes?
- What is the (thematic, moral, other) importance of the conversation between Braddock and his prisoners at the center of the story?