Inner-city tantrums

Well, they seemed like a nice bunch of folks at first. I bet that man worked hard at.. whatever he did. Looked like he had an honest wife as well. As for that man's sister, well I don't know about her, but I suppose it doesn't really matter much when your just a housewife, or your job doesn't have a lot of talking to other folks. Mrs. Younger also seemed like a nice old lady. Shame she couldn't do anything about those kids of hers. It's a shame it had to end like that. Now I just don't understand why those people were "reacting this way". They were going to get money to pay off the house and then some. Just stubborn I suppose. What bothers me is just how they didn't want to sit down and talk about it. The worlds problems "exists because people just don't sit down and talk to each other"- which is exactly what I'm trying to do! Now people don't take kindly to when their way of life is threatened, neither do people when they are thrust into new environments. I don't know why those people were acting like I was attacking them, when I was just trying to help them on behalf of all the hard working people of Clybourne Park. It's just so hard being misunderstood all the time.

You could've been somebody

Once upon a time everyone was Moses; today: pink elephants rhetoric.

Just kidding.

"The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" while written decades ago,  still provides insight into the literature and lifestyle of today.

Although the premise of the story seems pretty implausible- a man finds a diamond mountain and through deception and crime he is able to keep his family the richest in the world- Fitzgerald manages to create verisimilitude within it. Many of the characters motives, attitudes, and reactions are realistic. John is awed at the extravagance of the "floating fairyland" that is Washington's palace, horrified when he discovers what they do to their guests, and does everything possible for his own self-preservation. The Washingtons are corrupted by their vast wealth, and as a result do anything in their power, no matter how criminal or inhumane, to keep it. Percy even seems like the cold, emotional unattached child that the son of an extremely wealthy criminal would be.

However, the book manages to appear extremely realistic, but misrepresent reality at the same time. The only thing we know about the characters is how much is told to us. All we know of Braddock is that he is a cold man with "intelligent eyes." Nothing of his character, or internal struggle was revealed. All we know is that he was and liked being rich. Perhaps once upon a time he was a master orator, an expert on rhetoric; instead of asking "yes or no" to his following, he inquired: "Did Moses not part water with the cane? Did Noah not build an ark when God made it rain?" Instead of addressing his audience, he inspired. Percy is described as a "quiet, handsome boy," and nothing more. We have no idea how much a toll being the only son in a family that cares about nothing except diamonds is.

A pink elephant might seem like a real elephant. It might be in the shape and size of an elephant, but the difference in color is a glaring difference. And who knows what a pink elephant might be hiding on the inside.