... sustenance is, as Veblen called it, "conspicuous consumption." F. Scott Fitzgerald is able to portray how this concept is evident in his novel The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald uses the setting of New York and the character of Jay Gatsby to indicate the idea of "conspicuous consumption." The two primary settings of the novel in New York are West Egg and East Egg. West Egg represents ... of being considered a necessity. As a result, many people who are trying to pursuit wealth are unsuccessful, hence the demise of the American Dream in the 1920s. In The Great Gatsby, the Valley of Ashes is th...

• Word Count: 818
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School