Epigraph Blog - Andrew M.

 In the book The Great Gatsby, there is an epigraph on the title page that says, “Then wear the gold hat, if that will move her; if you can bounce high, bounce for her too, Til she cry, “Lover, gold-hatted, high-bouncing lover, I must have you!”  The epigraph applies to Gatsby because it explains Gatsby’s love and desire to have Daisy.  Gatsby appears willing to do anything to win over Daisy and have her as his own (even though she is a married woman).  I believe that the “gold hat” signifies all of Gatsby’s rich possessions and “bouncing high” means Gatsby’s grand acts and gestures that he does to get Daisy to notice him.  Gatsby is relentless in his pursuit for Daisy and hoping that eventually she will submit to his love (“Lover, gold-hatted, high-bouncing lover, I must have you!”).  Gatsby was a self-made man and was able to become extremely wealthy.  He hopes that this wealth and lifestyle will ultimately be complete if he can have (win over) the woman that he loves, Daisy.

In 1917, Daisy met Jay Gatsby, before he left overseas to fight in the war.  Jordan explains how Gatsby admired Daisy then on page 75, “The officer looked at Daisy while she was speaking, in a way that every young girl wants to be looked at sometime.”  Five years later, Gatsby is still in love with Daisy and is willing to do anything to get Daisy to notice him or to get a chance meeting with her, perhaps at one of his parties that he throws.  Jordan explains to Nick on page 78 that, “Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay.”  Gatsby asks Nick to have Daisy over to his house for tea so that Gatsby can see Daisy.  Nick wonders why this meeting has to be at his house and on page 79 Jordan explains, “He wants her to see his house.”  Gatsby wants Daisy to see the beautiful mansion that he has and everything that he owns, so that he can impress Daisy.  Gatsby even goes so far as to have Nick’s grass cut for him and have flowers delivered to Nick’s house, before Daisy arrives.  Page 84 describes that “at two o’clock a greenhouse arrived from Gatsby’s, with innumerable receptacles to contain it.”  This tactic appears to be working for Gatsby.  On page 90, when Daisy saw his house for the first time, she cried pointing, “That huge place there?”

It is learned in chapters 4-6 that Gatsby is not from wealth.  In fact, Gatsby was poor, attended St. Olaf in Minnesota (for a short time), and worked as a janitor.  He worked on Lake Superior fishing for salmon, etc. and met Dan Cody, who Gatsby worked for on his yacht.   Nick explains on page 98 that “The truth was that Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conceptions of himself.”  Gatsby was able to attain wealth and he is intent on attaining his love, Daisy, through his “upper crust” image that he is now able to showcase. 

Gatsby is not going to give up and will not cease pursuing Daisy.  On page 109, Gatsby becomes concerned that Daisy did not have a good time at his party, saying to Nick, “She didn’t like it” and “She didn’t have a good time.”  Gatsby is intent on doing anything for Daisy saying, “I’m going to fix everything just the way it was before” (page 110). 

The epigraph on the title page applies to Gatsby because it explains how Gatsby is pursuing his love, Daisy.  He’s wearing the “golden hat” by flashing his expensive possessions and “bouncing high” by doing and saying anything to win her love.  Gatsby wants Daisy to submit to his love and is relentless in his pursuit.  Gatsby ultimately wants Daisy to leave her husband (Tom) and profess her love to Gatsby, “Lover, I must have you!”