On page 189, the flow of a current of time is mentioned as something to be fought against.

Page 169 states that the mattress on which Gatsby had rested floated "down" the pool to a drain at the other end.

Clearly, the parallel exists within the closing line of the book (Page 189's quote), and Gatsby's death. Because Gatsby was dead, he was no longer "paddling against the current," but rather "moved irregularly," drifting on his mattress carrying him into the past. Gatsby was no longer able to fight against the current of page 189 upon his death; yet perhaps it was sooner than that. It is not mentioned what Gatsby's true final thoughts; rather we are made to rely on Nick's assumption that Gatsby had lost faith in his dream with Daisy, and therefore was already flowing towards an end.

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Chris