The Diamond as Big as the Ritz

The text repeatedly juxtaposes extreme luxury with acts of cruelty. Examine how wealth and moral judgment intersect in The Diamond as Big as the Ritz, particularly through characters who evaluate human life in economic terms. How does this representation critique the assumptions underlying elite privilege?

Discuss how the novella subverts traditional narratives of success, progress, and opportunity. In what ways do John Unger’s expectations mirror the narrative’s broader critique of American ideology in the early 20th century?

Analyze the symbolic role of airplanes in the novella. How does the narrative use this technology to challenge the possibility of absolute isolation, and what does this suggest about how modern technology might shift the relationship between power and visibility?

Examine how luxury and comfort function as mechanisms of control rather than freedom. How do John and his hosts’ succumbing to sleep and indulgence reveal the ways wealth suppresses agency and ethical awareness?

The novella presents multiple forms of captivity—from enslavement to imprisonment and psychological confinement. Analyze how the text uses these representations to interrogate the nature of power.

Analyze Braddock Washington’s role in the novel. How does the text use this character to examine capitalism, wealth, class, and entitlement?

Trace John’s transformation from passive observer to disillusioned survivor. To what extent does he change ethically, and to what extent does he simply exchange one illusion for another?

Analyze how satire operates in the novella. How does it reinforce the text’s critique of wealth, class, and American values?