The central theme in “The Great Gatsby” is decadence, symbolized by Gatsby shirts. The copious amounts of lavish shirts symbolize the extravagance and decadence of the Roaring Twenties era in the book, and the detailed descriptions enhance this theme. As Gatsby gives Daisy a tour of his mansion, “He t[akes] out a pile of shirts and beg[ins] throwing them one by one before us, shirts of sheer linen and thick silk and fine flannel which los[e] their folds as they f[all] and cover the table in many-colored disarray.While we [admire], the soft rich heap mount[s] higher — shirts with stripes and scrolls and plaids in coral and apple green and lavender and faint orange with monogram Fitzgerald uses repetition and imagery to convey the extravagance and excessiveness of the shirt.
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Unconcerned by the consequences of his actions, his primary focus is to display his wealth to Daisy, not worrying about the mess he creates. Additionally, Fitzgerald uses other symbols to describe the overarching theme of decadence. For example, the owl-eyed man in the library declares, "It's a bona-fide piece of printed matter." It fooled me. This fella's a regular Belasco. It's a triumph of a lifetime. What a thoroughness - and a great idea! What a great idea! Knew when to stop, too - didn't cut the pages. But what do you want? What do you expect to see?" when he discovers Gatsby’s books are
Unconcerned by the consequences of his actions, his primary focus is to display his wealth to Daisy, not worrying about the mess he creates. Additionally, Fitzgerald uses other symbols to describe the overarching theme of decadence. For example, the owl-eyed man in the library declares, "It's a bona-fide piece of printed matter." It fooled me. This fella's a regular Belasco. It's a triumph of a lifetime. What a thoroughness - and a great idea! What a great idea! Knew when to stop, too - didn't cut the pages. But what do you want? What do you expect to see?" when he discovers Gatsby’s books are