In The Great Gatsby the Valley of Ashes is an important recurring symbol that has many meanings. The Valley of Ash’s more obvious meaning is a symbol of the divide in social classes in the Roaring Twenties. It is depicted as a wasteland of trash that is extremely bleak and desolate and is also the only thing separating the wealthy living in East Egg and West Egg from the working class living in poverty. In the Roaring Twenties there was a huge divide in social classes with not a lot of room for grey area, the wealthy enjoyed lavish lifestyles while the working class were looked down upon and treated like the trash of society. The Valley of Ashes also represents the disillusionment of the American Dream. Individuals who believe in the American Dream believe that an individual can achieve success through hard work. George Willson is a perfect example of this because he is a hard worker but no matter how hard he works he still is subjected to the harsh conditions of the Valley of Ashes. Furthermore The Valley of Ashes also serves as foreshadowing of the literal deaths of Myrtle and Gatsby but also the metaphorical death of Gatsby’s hopes and dreams. It is such a stark contrast to the luxury and whimsy of Gatsby’s life as it represents the reality that there are major shortcomings of capitalism and materialism. Overall the Valley of Ashes can be summarized as a symbol for the societal issues during the Roaring Twenties.