The Mystery of the Vanishing Sleuth: The Representation of Nancy Drew in Cover Design from 1930 to 2016

Abstract

This thesis uses a semiotic analysis to examine the representation of the character Nancy Drew on the covers of twelve books in nine series published between 1930 and 2016. By studying the covers of books in the Nancy Drew series up to present day, the goal of this thesis is to discover how meaning is constructed through the cover design. In addition, this thesis examines how a longstanding female character was represented in literary media marketed to youth since 1930. Focusing on the construction of Nancy Drew as well as themes present on the book covers, this thesis argues that the representation of Nancy Drew as a strong and independent woman transformed over time to a much weaker and dependent representation.