Ella Kaye is a character in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, although she does not appear directly in the story. Instead, she is mentioned in the context of Jay Gatsby’s past and his relationship with other characters.
Ella Kaye is known as a wealthy socialite and is the mistress of Dan Cody, a copper magnate who takes Gatsby under his wing when Gatsby is a young man. Through his association with Cody and Kaye, Gatsby becomes familiar with the world of wealth and high society, which heavily influences his ambitions and desires.
Kaye’s importance lies in her role as a gatekeeper; she ultimately prevents Gatsby from inheriting Cody’s fortune by asserting herself over Gatsby when Cody dies. This event shapes Gatsby’s relentless pursuit of wealth and status throughout the novel, as he tries to emulate the lifestyle he glimpsed while with Cody and Kaye. In this way, Ella Kaye serves as a significant figure in Gatsby’s backstory, illustrating the barriers to social mobility and the complexities of wealth in the Jazz Age.