Read the following excerpt from F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, in which the author
describes the valley of ashes:
This is a valley of ashes-a fantastic farm where ashes
grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque
gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and
chimneys and rising smoke and, finally, with a
transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already
crumbling through the powdery air.
What does the valley of ashes symbolize in The Great Gatsby? Which theme from the novel does
the valley convey, and how does it convey the theme? Be sure to use specific details from the
text to support your analysis.