what does the Valley Of Ashes look like and what does it represent?

Literally, the Valley of Ashes is a massive trash dump. The rotting valley represents the rotting American dream. Tom, Daisy, and Jordan, with their endless socials and superficial lives represent how material excess rots their very souls. Their lives, like the valley, are hollow. As time goes on the valley gets ranker as do the lives of many characters in the novel. Self-centered individuals litter the story with meaningless "trash", much like the valley itself.

The valley is a place of failure. it represents the place for the helpless.It is the direct opposite of staying on the mountain,because on the mountain, you are at an advantageous position to see when the enemy is approaching so while living in the mounting, offensives are launched by you to the approaching enemy who has no choice but run for their lives.but in the valley you cannot.The enemy comes there at will to attack the inhabitants of the valley.Worse still if it is a valley of ashes. There is hope for those in the valley.If the valley is clean,God's saving hands could be drawn by the inhabitants there because cleanliness is the next to godliness.But since a valley of ashes is one that is littered, one that is unclean and unattractive to God's delivering hands,if the valley is purified then there will be remedy.In other words,to be able to attract deliverance,the littered valley ought to be tidied.Then will the inhabitants breath a fresh and healthy breath of life sufficient enough to provide the wherewithal to move to the lively mountain top.

When I used the first answer in school work, I got it completely wrong. Apparently (to my teacher) the "valley of ashes" represents the people living in the valley. Also the valley is not a trash dump. Its an area where all the factories' ashes fall and leave the area filthy. It represents the lost hopes and dreams of people who have failed to live up to the American Dream.