F. Scott Fitzgerald is the author of the famous novel The Great Gatsby, but he's also well known for his many shorter writings. "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" is one of his quirky, imaginative fantasy stories that also functions as social satire. It is the tale of a man who has discovered a giant mountain made of solid diamond – a diamond as big as the Ritz-Carlton Hotel – and now needs to keep it hidden from the world at all costs.

"The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" has not-so-subtle satirical messages about American capitalism. The story criticizes Americans as obsessed with wealth, and considers exploitation inherent in building and expanding the country.