1. The Diamond as Big as the Ritz
Themes to Explore
The Diamond as Big as the Ritz

2. Wealth
The Diamond as Big as the Ritz

3. Wealth America: a wealth- obsessed country Wealth as a religion
All in the name of wealth: imprisonment, murder
Wealth is its own prison
Blindly chasing wealth dehumanizes human life
Insanely wealthy
Opulence
Filthy rich
Excess
Luxury
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend

4. Let’s discuss it!
Compare and contrast John’ feelings about wealth at the beginning and end of the story.
Are the Washingtons morally corrupt due to being wealthy, or did they become wealthy because they were morally corrupt?
Considering that diamonds are a natural resource, how much of the Washington estate is actually natural?
Which of the following does Diamond support: one can be free only when rich or one can be free only when poor?

5. Visions of America
The Diamond as Big as the Ritz

6. Visions of America Americans deify the rich
Americans worship at the altar of money
The pursuit of success has replaced morality
Allegory: expansion of America to the West
Founding fathers share the blame for enslaving others
Hades: ancient greek god of the underworld, representing the abode of the dead; oldest male child, defeated the Titans with brother Zeus and Poseidon and thus claimed rulership over the cosmos (underworld, air and sea)
Allegory: al·le·go·ry ˈaləˌɡôrē/ noun
a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.
"Pilgrim's Progress is an allegory of the spiritual journey"
synonyms:parable, analogy, metaphor, symbol, emblem"Saramago's latest novel is an allegory of social disintegration"
a symbol.
Hades, Missouri
Hades Creek, WA
Hell Hole Hollow, MO
Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company

7. Let’s discuss it!
Which specific words does Fitzgerald use to describe the natural landscape of Hades and then Montana?
Compare and contrast Hades and Montana.
How does Fitzgerald describe the situation of the slaves Braddock Washington keeps on his château?
Describe Fitzgerald’s social critique of slavery.

8. Let’s discuss it some more.
Is Fitzgerald’s history of the Washington family an allegory of the growth and expansion of the U.S.?
How does Diamond satirize immigration laws?
sat·ire
ˈsaˌtī(ə)r/
noun
the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.
synonyms: mockery, ridicule, derision, scorn, caricature

9. Religion
The Diamond as Big as the Ritz

10. Religion Religious and mythological allusions
“In money we trust” as a timeless theme
King Midas
Man’s unstoppable desire to reach higher
Reference to mythological figure Prometheus
al·lu·sion əˈlo͞oZHən/ noun
an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.
"an allusion to Shakespeare"
synonyms: reference to, mention of, suggestion of, hint to, intimation of, comment on, remark about "the town's name is an allusion to its founding family“
The most famous King Midas is popularly remembered in Greek mythology for his ability to turn everything he touched with his hand into gold. This came to be called the Golden touch, or theMidas touch.[1] 

11. Let’s discuss it!
Two settings are contrasted in this religious allegory. What are they?
Which one is ultimately Heaven and which one, ultimately Hell?
Does Fitzgerald distinguish between mythology and religion in his allusions?
Fitzgerald implies an absence of religion. What are the resulting consequences?

12. Let’s discuss it some more.
Braddock can bribe even God.
God refuses Braddock’s bribe.

13. Discuss it some more. Diamond is a mythological tale.
Diamond is a modern short story.
Diamond is a religious parable.
Religious parable: e.g. America has abandoned God.

14. Youth
The Diamond as Big as the Ritz

15. Youth Allegory of youth Nature of wealth First love
Summer haze, dream-like state, “a form of chemical madness”
Youth never living in the present but rather in an imagined future
“Those Lazy-Crazy-Hazy Days of Summer” by Nat King Cole
“Summertime” by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
“Long Hot Summer” by Keith Urban
“Cruel Summer” by Banarama
“Summer Madness” by Kool and the Gang

16. Let’s discuss it!
Describe the Washington children’s upbringing within the context of their circumstances.
How would you describe Mrs. Washington’s devotion to her son? What part does her motherly devotion play in the story?
How does John’s age affect character?
How does John’s age affect his reaction to the Washington estate?
What do the final few passages conclude about youth?

17. Lets discuss it some more.
Splendor of youth
Religion
and wealth
These two three themes are/are not equally important in Diamond.

18. …and a bit more.
Does John Unger come of age in the course of this story?
John Unger does not come of age in the course of this story.

19. Freedom and Confinement
The Diamond as Big as the Ritz

20. Freedom and Confinement
Imprisonment of those who know about the diamond
Imprisoned via obsession with wealth
Americans imprisoned by their own founding history
Parallelism to immigration since estate is closed-off to outsiders
“Disillusionment About Diamonds” student showcase-high school book report, 1999
American Foundational Mythology

21. Let’s discuss it! You can be either free or poor but not both.
How are “imprisoned” and “free” defined in the story?
Why does Washington imprison some and kill others?
Who is imprisoned and who is free in Diamond?
Why do Washington, his wife and son choose to go down with the château?
Respond to the above.
John tells Kismine that you can be either free or poor but not both. Does the story support or contradict this statement?

22. Let’s discuss it some more.
When the story begins, John is imprisoned by wealth; but by the end John is free.
John is never able to escape from his own imprisonment: his obsession with wealth.

23. Diamond Trivia Diamonds are a girl’s best friend Shine like a diamond!
The Diamond as Big as the Ritz
Escape: The Diamond as Big as the Ritz