Nick concludes the novel with this profound reflection on the human condition. The metaphor of boats against the current conveys the struggle against the passage of time and the inevitability of returning to the past. It reflects Nick's realization of the futility of some of Gatsby's dreams and, by extension, the elusive nature of the American Dream. Its tone is hopeful but resigned to the vanity of pursuing the American Dream through hard work alone. Gatsby himself is the boat that has been fighting the current his whole life.
