A Not So Perfect Fairy Tale

"The Diamond as Big as the Ritz," by F. Scott Fitzgerald, has every aspect that is attributed to a "Once upon a time" fairy tale: a handsome prince, a beautiful princess, and a gigantic castle located in a scenic area.  However, the story is missing a "happily ever after."  In fact, it has the complete opposite of a happy ending; but that is the point.  Fitzgerald's theme is to show that material possessions do not measure how happy a person is.  He achieves this theme through the use of rhetoric such as the symbol of the diamond.  The gigantic diamond represents the wealth of the Washington's which is also the source of their happiness.  A diamond that large would have no value because "there would not be enough gold in the world to buy a tenth part of it" (87).  Since the diamond is not worth anything, no happiness can come from it.  Although the idea of a diamond mountain is as ridiculous as pink elephants, the story's theme can still be applied to today's world.  When I walk into the school lunchroom, I see almost everyone on his or her phone.  When people forget their phones, I hear them say that they feel empty and sad.  People need to realize that material possessions, such as phones, can't make them feel truly happy.  John T. Unger also fails to realize this.  Although he saves Kismine and Jasmine from the airplane attack much like Moses saved many people by parting the Red Sea, he cannot truly be called a hero because his view on happiness never changed.  He is unsuccessful in realizing that true happiness comes from the relationships people make and the experiences you share with those people, not from luxurious items.