Miscellaneous
Why is "------" used to obsqure a town name?
Why, sometimes, are the names of towns, places excluded in books, and instead denoted by a horizontal line?
Replies (4)
Posted by
-
I always thought it was a means of grounding the novel in reality without tying it to a specific place. This allows you to place the action wherever you want.
I have noticed a similar thing with dates. For example Dracula and Frankenstein use 18-- and 17-- for dates. This gives you an idea when things took place without giving an exact date.Mar 16, 2010 3:08 pm
by cresswga -
Thanks, @cresswga.
Obscuring both names and dates is a convention in writing from the 18th and 19th centuries. I actually don't know why it's done but will try to find some information.Mar 17, 2010 1:29 pm
by MaggieH (admin) -
Thanks! Your answers mirror my former assumption, but I couldn't seem to convince myself of so simple an explanation; I needed to hear it from those of higher mind than I. Much appreciated!
by Anda -
I had the same question and I agree with cresswga. Its the obvious explanation. In Gone With The Wind though the author uses the exact dates. It grounds the novel into reality even more as she writes about the civil war.
by Arpitha