HW 11/15: Dashing Through the Snow Day

Assignment: Please bring in (show-and-tell!) a great example of a DASH -- ideally one which signals a tone shift.

Here's one from the opening chapter of Their Eyes Were Watching God:

     They sat there in the fresh young darkness close together. Phoebe eager to feel and do through Janie, but hating to show her zest for fear it might be thought mere curiosity. Janie full of that oldest human longing--self revelation.  Phoebe held her tongue for a long time, but she couldn't help moving her feet.  So Janie spoke.

This paragraph sets up the narrative that follows -- Janie's story -- establishing the motivations of both speaker and listener alike.  In a sense, this paragraph contains the archetypal makings of all stories told to all listeners.  Along with Phoebe, we as readers are a form of vicarious audience "eager to feel and do" through listening -- eager to share in the experiences of the speaker.  The speaker reveals insights collected from her experiences, and the dash here underscores the significance of "self revelation" in Janie's story.  It is bold to declare anything to be the "oldest human longing," but from a philosophical standpoint, it is difficult to argue against Hurston's choice.  It works well for Janie's story; it also works well for describing the essence of human storytelling.  

Now, imagine what this paragraph loses if the dash were merely a colon: "Janie full of that oldest human longing: self revelation [sic]."  (EDITOR's NOTE: self revelation should probably have a hyphen).  For starters, visually, the term "self revelation" becomes much less distinct.  This is the first dash used in the novel, except for a series of them used during a dialogue mash-up.  It stands out in a nicely subtle way, marking an important theme: through reflection, Janie has found her voice, her identity -- and a sense of meaning in her life.

Furthermore, the dash establishes an interesting tone shift from an omniscient narrative voice simply creating suspense to a profound statement full of wisdom and insight.   Reading the passage with this tone shift in mind helps to underscore the universal thematic quality of Janie's story -- as Janie has been to the "horizon" and returned full of wisdom, so we all venture forth and return with deeper understanding.  "Self revelation" is the ticket home -- which characters in literature discover again and again, from Janie in Their Eyes Were Watching God to Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.  

Shout out to our Dorothy, Tin Man, and Auntie Em -- great job, Becca, Kaitlin, and Kelly!!!