Novelty Of Wealth

                   Does wealth directly influence humanity’s morality? This is a question that many believe they have the answer to. Fitzgerald's stance is shown in his piece “The Diamond as Big as the Ritz”, he thinks that the introduction of wealth will degrade the emotional state of a person till they become lifeless and uncaring. This theme is present in the quote, “Many have come but none have left”. The family of Braddock Washington all share the same stereotypical qualities of the wealthy, self-preservation, dislike of the poor, apathetic etc. Well I would like to refute this claim of Fitzgerald with the actuality of wealth. I do agree, to an extent, with the idea of some wealthy members of society act in unethical ways to enrich themselves. But the perception of money has changed dramatically in the past 100 years. It has come to a point where hundreds of billionaires have promised to donate 30-50% of their entire wealth. Whether this is altruism or simply to benefit their public image is unknown. Many have acted unethical in the past such as Bill Gates and his extreme monopolistic behavior throughout his tenure at Microsoft. The world we live in today is flawed but the world has become wealthy and less people have to beg for basic necessities. As such people have begun to rise from the ashes(see what I did there) of the past to take their place in a newer, better world. So what does all this mean, it shows that the American Dream exists for some, more than there was 100 years ago. For example my family immigrated from India in order to gain a stable life. So to an extent we have achieved the American Dream, though many never will. This appears to be a tangent but there is more to this rebuttal. The ideals of American Society have changed over time due to the increase of wealth and the rise of a new middle class. The wealthy are no longer careless and apathetic, but charismatic and kind men and women who embody hard work and hope for a better life. The stereotypes of the past are romanticized by a poor man, the wealthy of the past may have shown some of these qualities. But Fitzgerald’s opinion is inherently flawed and extremely biased without encapsulating the entire story of the wealthy of ages past.(Though Carnegie was known for his charitable nature). Though what else can we expect, we want what we can’t have and those who do. I know feel this but I wonder if this something present in all of us? I think it is against human nature to feel content with their standing in life.