The Diamond As Big As the Ritz
by F.Scott Fitzgerald
1. What is the purpose of this story, and short stories in general? Unlike Chekhov, it isn't a slice of life. Unlike Poe, it's not written to horrify. What are we supposed to think or feel at the end? What impression is he trying to give?
2. Did the author keep us guessing? Was the ending a surprise?
3. Does Fitzgerald accurately portray the qualities of the rich and middle-class? Does his humor seem out-of-place in this story? What about life in Hades (MO)?
4.What is the mystique surrounding the Jazz Age? What is its enduring appeal?
Further reading: The Great Gatsby
Movies: The Great Gatsby, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
