Nick Carraway decides to return to the Midwest

After Gatsby's death, the East becomes haunted for Nick. He decides to return to the Midwest, feeling that the story of Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, and Jordan is ultimately a story of the West. On his last night, he visits Gatsby's empty mansion and walks to the beach. He reflects on Gatsby's dream and the green light, concluding that we all beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past. This final meditation gives the novel its enduring philosophical resonance.