Final answer:
In 'The Great Gatsby,' Tom takes Nick to the valley of ashes to meet his mistress Myrtle, making the correct answer A. This encounter introduces Nick to Tom's extramarital affairs and adds depth to the narrative.
Step-by-step explanation:
The reason why Nick and Tom go to the "valley of ashes" in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby is because Tom wants Nick to meet his mistress. The Valley of Ashes is a desolate industrial wasteland situated between West Egg and New York City, and it symbolizes the decay of the American Dream as well as the social and moral decay resulting from the pursuit of wealth. It is depicted as a place of hopelessness and is the stark contrast to the opulence of East and West Egg.
When answering the multiple-choice question, it's important to refer directly to the source material, in this case, Fitzgerald's novel. The correct answer is A. Tom takes Nick to the valley of ashes to meet Myrtle, his mistress, who lives there. Tom and Nick are not passing through to Gatsby's party, nor does Tom's car have a transmission problem at that point in the story. Thus, the other options (B and C) are incorrect, and option D (None of these) does not apply.
This visit sets the stage for Nick to become more deeply entwined in the complex social web of relationships that forms the core of the novel's plot.