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Boats Against the Current: The Past

The Great Gatsby

Focuses on the novel's closing meditation on the human struggle against the current of the past, and the impossibility of escaping it.

increasingupBearing stren­gth in each eventdowndecreasing
Gatsby's Attempt to Recreate the PastGatsby's Attempt to Recreate the Past
Gatsby's Attempt to Recreate the Past
Nick's Realization of the Past's PowerNick's Realization of the Past's Power
Nick's Realization of the Past's Power
The Final Image of the Green LightThe Final Image of the Green Light
The Final Image of the Green Light
The Closing LinesThe Closing Lines
The Closing Lines
throughout the novel, West Egg
after Gatsby's death, autumn 1922
final scene, autumn 1922, West Egg beach
end of the novel, autumn 1922