The novel contains many damning indictments of America’s economic system. There are the explicit criticisms, often voiced by Ignatius or Jones, and there are the more subtle portrayals, many of which form part of the mise-en-scène of day-to-day life in New Orleans.

The plot begins in the shadow of one of the city’s cathedrals of consumerism. The department store, D. H. Holmes, is a local institution, a store designed to sell everything to everyone. Right in the center stands Ignatius J. Reilly, who is scrutinizing the shoppers and searching for anything to confirm his contempt for each and every one of them. He condemns their taste, driven to anger by the poor choices he believes they have made. He believes each item purchased is an expression of their innate character, and it reflects poorly upon them to have made such poor choices. Ignatius himself laments any kind of fashionable, modern, or socially desirable item. Ignatius views himself as being dressed “comfortably and sensibly” (6), though the number of eyes that turn to look at him would suggest otherwise. His dress sense is ludicrous and unique, a far cry from the outfits draped on the store’s mannequins and an expression of his flamboyant character.