Wealthy society is shown as careless, shallow, and morally empty.

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Decay of morality in a wealthy society is the central idea this item tests. In Fitzgerald’s depiction of the Jazz Age, money buys a glamorous surface but not ethical substance. The wealthy characters chase parties, status, and pleasure with little regard for honesty or responsibility, and their careless actions—often leaving others to bear the consequences—show how money shields them from accountability. This moral erosion is reinforced by imagery like the glittering world of the rich contrasted with the desolate valley of ashes and the watchful, indifferent eyes of Dr. Eckleburg, signaling a society that has lost moral direction. These elements together illuminate why moral decay is the best fit. The other options don’t capture this ethical critique: time and the past centers on nostalgia, local color focuses on regional flavor, and naming the work itself points to a title rather than a theme.