Puzzle Paragraph

Many social norms today suggest that wealth results in both success and happiness. Everyone who has money seems to be living life to the fullest; they have the social status and the wealth others can only dream of. However, this is simply not true as Fitzgerald shows in his story “The Diamond as Big as the Ritz”. He reveals that the belief of money bringing happiness is as false as the stories that begin with “Once Upon a Time”. These stories with characters as fictional as pink elephants mimic the characters Fitzgerald uses in his story. The Washingtons have lost basic emotions that come naturally to others: sympathy and love. It’s as if they are not even human but rather monsters obsessed with wealth. Their wealth has altered them to the extent where Braddock Washington attempts to bribe the God of Moses. The rhetoric and suspense Fitzgerald uses in this episode is especially effective because it prolongs the incident to the point where it demands attention. He is able to make the negative effects of wealth very obvious through this technique.