Em Dash

Last updated 8 months ago

4 questions

Read these excerpts from Part 2, Chapter 3:

“She was—do you know the Newspeak word goodthinkful?” (p. 132)

“She used to call it—but you will never guess.”
“Our duty to the Party,” said Julia promptly. (p. 132)

“We’re not dead yet,” said Julia prosaically.
“Not physically. Six months, a year—five years, conceivably. I am afraid of death.” (p. 136)

What do the excerpts have in common?

Why did George Orwell use an em dash in the first example sentence? What effect did he want to create?

“She was—do you know the Newspeak word goodthinkful?” (p. 132)

Why did George Orwell use an em dash in the second example sentence? What effect did he want to create?

“She used to call it—but you will never guess.”
“Our duty to the Party,” said Julia promptly. (p. 132)

Why did George Orwell use an em dash in the third example sentence? What effect did he want to create?

“We’re not dead yet,” said Julia prosaically.
“Not physically. Six months, a year—five years, conceivably. I am afraid of death.” (p. 136)

Em Dash

What do the excerpts have in common?

Why did George Orwell use an em dash in the first example sentence? What effect did he want to create?“She was—do you know the Newspeak word goodthinkful?” (p. 132)

Why did George Orwell use an em dash in the second example sentence? What effect did he want to create?“She used to call it—but you will never guess.”“Our duty to the Party,” said Julia promptly. (p. 132)

Why did George Orwell use an em dash in the third example sentence? What effect did he want to create?“We’re not dead yet,” said Julia prosaically.“Not physically. Six months, a year—five years, conceivably. I am afraid of death.” (p. 136)

Why did George Orwell use an em dash in the first example sentence? What effect did he want to create?

“She was—do you know the Newspeak word goodthinkful?” (p. 132)

Why did George Orwell use an em dash in the second example sentence? What effect did he want to create?

“She used to call it—but you will never guess.”
“Our duty to the Party,” said Julia promptly. (p. 132)

Why did George Orwell use an em dash in the third example sentence? What effect did he want to create?

“We’re not dead yet,” said Julia prosaically.
“Not physically. Six months, a year—five years, conceivably. I am afraid of death.” (p. 136)