The Diamond As Big As The Ritz

Scott Fitzgerald blends wit and cynicism in his satirical portraits of the swinging Jazz Age. The stories capture a glittering whirl of dancing, laughter and champagne, and the gods that are worshipped are glamour, wealth and social status.'The Bowl' is a clear metaphor for this cold and brittle world, as a beautiful woman is made to suffer for the cruelty of her youth, her punishment ironically taking the shape of a cut-glass punch-bowl. The amusing 'Bernice Bobs Her Hair' depicts a dull girl striving at all costs to enter society, where the competition and jealousy wrought between women leads to bitter vengeance and a quirky twist in the tale. However, the powerful and destructive influence of money is never more stunningly revealed than in Fitzgerald's -most famous and unusual story, 'The Diamond as Big as the Ritz'.