The author blends wit and cynicism in his satirical portraits of the swinging Jazz Age. The stories capture a glittering whirl of dancing, laughter and champagne, and the gods that are worshipped are glamour, wealth and social status.
‘The Bowl’ is a clear metaphor for this cold and brittle world, as a beautiful woman is made to suffer for the cruelty of her youth, her punishment ironically taking the shape of a cut-glass punch-bowl. The amusing ‘Bernice Bobs Her Hair’ depicts a dull girl striving at all costs to enter society, where the competition and jealousy wrought between women leads to bitter vengeance and a quirky twist in the tale. However, the powerful and destructive influence of money is never more stunningly revealed that in Fitzgerald's most famous and unusual story, ‘The Diamond As Big As the Ritz’.