As I came across the Adrianna Papell gown display, a beautiful heaven-like area in the gown department in Macy’s, I saw the words from Zola’s 1883 department store novel, The Ladies Paradise come to life. The aesthetic of the different majestic gowns hung up perfectly so passersby could see the light shades of grey and creme contributing to the feeling of purity the display emits. The range of different wedding dress styles exhibited, from short sleeves lined with beads to long sleeves with no pattern to appeal to the array of women who shop at Macy’s. The beautiful bright light, elegant flower arrangement, and exquisite wall design made me forget I was in a store. Instead, I saw “ a cathedral of modern trade…” I saw a mannequin in a beige dress posing and sitting elegantly on a wooden table in the middle advertising how flawless the consumers could be if only they bought the dress. Another Mannequin in a darker grayish blue dress standing to the side posing as if she is an example women should look up to. The whole display was lit very bright and every item was perfectly in its place to give the illusion that the area was a painting. Zola illustrates the tight grip that the department stores have on women through the lens of religion. The department store is the “place of worship '' so the women can “add more value '' into their lives. Every purchase is a “good deed” as if shopping in itself is a religious act. The department store is supposed to give women’s life purpose in ways similar to what religion does. Yet, instead of going to a cathedral to talk to G-D, the women should go to the department store to shop. One of the main changes of 19th century Paris was when the boulevard was created which had different social classes brought into contact with each other in new ways. Upper and lower classes were walking side by side and those who had the means could dress as if they were upper-class. Once this crowd scene had been created, man wanted to capitalize on it. The department store was invented in the 19th-century when Boucicaut had the idea of bringing as much inventory as possible under one roof, capitalizing on the growing population of Paris. This manifested into what we know today as the department store which changed the culture of not only Paris but the world. Isn’t it ironic that the day after Thanksgiving, when we are focused on being thankful for everything in our life, the most momentous and celebrated sale of the year happens? Everyone shops on Black Friday to find deals, even if they don’t need anything. The ritual of Black Friday is a prime example of how, like a religion, Americans are dedicated to sales and consumer culture. This photograph represents how society presents consumer culture as a beautiful Cathedral where the participants believe they are wholesome individuals following the path of the just. When in reality, the department store takes advantage of its victims sucking out individualism and value. Zola describes the department store through the lens of religion to highlight how it's ironically the opposite because we worship consumer culture, not G-D, which instead of creating value, destroys any source of it.