Tuesday, December 20, 2011

"The Diamond as Big as the Ritz"

John Unger, a kid from Mississippi, discovers that he is being sent to a boarding school in Boston. The summer before he attends the school, he visits his classmates, only to discover that the majority of them are very wealthy. During John's sophomore year, a kid named Percy moves into John's dorm. Percy is quiet, and only speaks to John. They become close enough that Percy invites John to come visit him in the west over the summer. During the train ride to Percy's home in Montana, Percy brags about his dad's wealth, saying that he is the richest man in the world. John learns that Montana is not surveyed, and it is unknown that Percy's fathser is the wealthiest man in the world. Percy's boasts turn out to be true, and his ancestry dates back to George Washington.. Percy's wealth also comes from his grandfather, whom decided to leave Virginia and go west with his slave to enter the sheep and cattle ranching business. He made his real money when he discovered a mountain mine made out of one giant diamond. Though this discovery would make him the richest man in the world, he discovers that the value of diamonds would decrease drastically if anyone were to discover the mountain. Pecy's grandfather creates a plan to tell his slaves that the South has defeated the North in the Civil War, keeping his slaves for as long as he pleased. He then spends the next few years selling diamonds all over the world. Percy's grandfather is burdened with the responsibility of keeping his mountain hidden, capturing people that see it, and even murdering people that discover it. During his stay in Montana, John falls in love with Percy's sister, Kismine, who tells John that he will be killed before he leaves. Luckily, a man escapes from the prison Percy's grandfather keeps people that see the diamond mountain in, and tells people about Percy's grandfather's secret. Aeroplanes attack the property, and Percy's father attempts to bribe god with the largest diamon in the world, but God refuses. John escapes with Kismine, and Percy stays with his mother to blow up the mountain, letting their lives be taken by the attackers.

"The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" is an interesting tale of greed. I thought that the concept was interesting, and that Fitzgerald executed the story pretty well. I was almost disturbed at Percy's family, and their strong feelings of greed. They, as a family, had reached a point at which their wealth stood high above their friends in family. As a result of this greed, they were greatly punished. This is certainly a classic tale of redemption. Morally, this story has a lot to say about greed, and the consequences for being greedy. The Washington family is punished by the ultimate moral police: God himself. It's interesting that Fitzgerald makes a reference like this one to religion, and demonstrates God's power and unwilling to support the greedy. It was an interesting direction to with the story, and I feel like it added on to the tale's moral value. This addition also made the story seem less realistic, and more like some kind of folk tale, which I have noticed with many of Fitzgerald's short stories.

1 comment:

  1. Sounds like a wild story, Peter. Watch out for awkward syntax, as in this sentence: "Luckily, a man escapes from the prison Percy's grandfather keeps people that see the diamond mountain in, and tells people about Percy's grandfather's secret."

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