He speaks of the "American Dream" in terms of the ideal that it once was - individualism, the pursuit of happiness, and improving the standard of living. Thetory became a thesis on the disintegration of the American Dream, due to excesses in materialism, greed for wealth, and the unbridled pursuit of pleasure.
In Fitzgerald's use of symbols, one can see how the dream turned to despair when you are introduced to the Valley of Ashes - that stretch between West Egg and NYC. That land becomes desolate due the repeated dumpings of induatrial ash. Ash becomes a symbol for excesses of wealth that is followed by a loss of vitality, social and moral decay.
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The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
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