Date of Award
Spring 2018
Degree Type
Thesis
Director of Thesis
Catherine Keyser
First Reader
Michael Weisenburg
Second Reader
Michael Weisenburg
Abstract
Book jackets and cover art are, more than anything, an advertising tool used to attract consumers, promote book sales, and establish company identity. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is a staple in the canon of American literature whose cover art has drastically transformed in the ninety years since its original publication. This thesis traces these changes over time, focusing specifically on publishing history, art history, American culture, and thematic interpretations. In doing so, I found that the most substantial influences on these covers were publishing house identity, design trends, and available artistic techniques. Ultimately, The Great Gatsby’s cover art is able to shift readers’ expectations and comprehension, enabling it to have its own type of influence in contrast with the novel itself.
First Page
1
Last Page
65
Recommended Citation
Harrell, Jessica, "Modern American Cover Art: The Great Gatsby Through Time" (2018). Senior Theses. 242.
https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/senior_theses/242
Rights
© 2018, Jessica Harrell
Included in
American Art and Architecture Commons, American Film Studies Commons, American Literature Commons, American Popular Culture Commons, Cultural History Commons, Digital Humanities Commons, Graphic Design Commons, Illustration Commons, Literature in English, North America Commons, Modern Art and Architecture Commons, Modern Literature Commons, Printmaking Commons