On The Great Gatsby 's last line Im reposting this question because the title bugged out on screen for unknown reasons "So we beat on boats against the current borne back ceaselessly into the past." Isn't it so to comprehend this sentence as the current is flowing from future to the past, and we are the boats that fight against the current (to reach the future), but despite efforts are pulled back into the past? But my instructor says of the opposite, that this 'current' pulls us towards the future, and we toil our rows to progress towards the past. Personally I cannot think of a reason why my instructor comprehends this sentence as in the above, because we are 'borne back' by the current. However my instructor is quite stubborn about this matter(without giving good enough explanations that i accept as sound), so i thought to inquire on italki. Me and my instructor are neither a native english speaker.