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.