The Diamond as Big as the Ritz

Chapters 6-8 shift from the extravagant surrealism of the Washington estate to its underlying horror. The novella pairs ever-greater luxury with revelations of violence, secrecy, and emotional distortion to illustrate Wealth as a Destructive Force. The confrontation between Braddock Washington and the imprisoned aviators in Chapter 6 exemplifies the ethical inversion at the heart of the estate. Braddock’s insistence that “cruelty doesn’t exist where self-preservation is involved” reframes violence as necessity (116), shifting blame onto the victims rather than acknowledging the injustice of their confinement. This rhetorical manipulation is characteristic of Fitzgerald’s satire: The powerful redefine morality to justify their actions, revealing how wealth can corrupt the language of ethics. Braddock further attempts to absolve himself by claiming that the aviators brought their fate upon themselves, asserting that those with loved ones “would never have taken up aviation” (116). His refusal to recognize the aviators’ humanity illustrates how his privilege diminishes empathy and transforms others into mere obstacles to be managed.

The narrative intensifies the grotesque humor of the scene through the aviators’ darkly comic responses and Braddock’s blithe indifference. Their pleas, curses, and sardonic jokes reveal a resilient human spirit that contrasts with Washington’s cold detachment. Yet when Braddock ends the encounter and strolls toward the ninth hole of his golf course, he treats the pit as little more than a golfing hazard, a minor inconvenience within his domain of leisure. This metaphor shows how extreme privilege trivializes suffering and renders human lives peripheral to the maintenance of comfort.

Chapters 7 and 8 turn toward the Washington family’s internal dynamics, revealing that the estate’s moral decay extends beyond the patriarch. Percy and Kismine, described as possessing a “chaste and consistent selfishness” (119), exemplify traits inherited from their father. Their emotional detachment, obliviousness to harm, and romanticization of luxury emerge as byproducts of an upbringing defined by isolation and entitlement. Percy’s laughter as John nearly chokes at dinner and Jasmine’s fixation on social expectations highlight how wealth has stunted their moral and emotional development. Their behavior illustrates the intergenerational nature of privilege, showing how cruelty is normalized through the absence of moral accountability.

The estate’s culture is further satirized in the account of how its grounds and interiors were designed. The revelation that a “moving-picture fella” was responsible for its architecture underscores the idea of spectacle shaping reality. The valley’s beauty—so meticulously constructed—functions as an elaborate illusion, blurring the line between aesthetic fantasy and lived experience. By rooting the estate’s grandeur in cinematic artificiality, the narrative critiques The Illusion of the American Dream, suggesting that the pursuit of beauty and wealth often rests on superficial foundations detached from ethical substance. Just as cinema crafts images that appear real but lack depth, the Washington estate embodies a prosperity that dazzles while concealing its corrupt origins.

Against this backdrop of satire and moral decay, John’s growing awareness in these chapters continues his coming-of-age journey. His initial enchantment gives way to fear and disbelief as the realities of imprisonment, enslavement, murder, and deception become clear. Each new revelation disrupts his romanticized vision of wealth, leading to a rising action structured around his shifting perceptions. The juxtaposition of luxury and violence creates cognitive dissonance that mirrors John’s emotional turmoil. This structural pattern reinforces how beauty can mask brutality, a hallmark of The Role of Exploitation in Building and Maintaining Wealth.

John’s interactions with Kismine complicate this awakening with a love interest. His affection fluctuates between genuine emotion and desperate rationalization, as seen when he idealizes her immediately after learning of her family’s murderous actions. His romantic interpretations reveal his vulnerability to illusion, echoing the broader cultural tendency to conflate wealth with virtue. Kismine’s own statements, such as her dismissal of death as “inevitable,” highlight how deeply the Washingtons’ privilege has distorted her understanding of morality. This distortion reinforces wealth as a destructive force not only in societal structures but also in personal ethics and emotional development. The narrative exposes the fragility of the illusions that sustain both the Washington empire and John’s admiration of it. These chapters bridge the fantasy of the novella’s opening with the impending destruction of the Washingtons’ world, revealing the violence, secrecy, and moral vacancy underpinning its beauty.