Kiss the Girls

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism, gender discrimination, sexual violence, rape, graphic violence, illness, death, addiction, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and cursing.

The phrase “kiss the girls” symbolizes deceit because neither Casanova nor the Gentleman Caller are “kissing the girls.” The phrase implies a tender or sentimental interaction. It comes from the “Georgie Porgie” lullaby—an innocuous rhyme for children (See: Background). Casanova and Rudolph aren’t innocent, and their behavior isn’t harmless. A more accurate catchphrase for them would be “terrorizing the young woman.” Yet the truthfulness of the phrase wouldn’t appeal to Casanova and the Gentleman Caller. Each of them is drawn to trickery. About Rudolph, the narrator says, “The Los Angeles police were still stumped and baffled by him. Maybe one day they would figure it all out, but probably not. He was simply too good at this” (383). Concerning Rudolph’s “twin,” the narrator states, “As always, Casanova fit in perfectly with the surroundings” (577). As a symbol of deceit, “kiss the girls” represents one of the killers’ central pleasures—creating a diabolically false impression.

Casanova sees kissing through the Fitzgerald quote, “The kiss originated when the first male reptile licked the first female, implying in a complimentary way that she was as succulent as the small reptile he had for dinner the night before” (339).