Why does classic literature dash out the names of towns?

Question: Why does classic literature dash out the names of towns!?

In books like Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre they write words like "--shire"!. Or they just won't say the name of the town!. Why is that!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Like most good writers, both authors Austen and Bronte based their protagonists and antagonists on actual people!. In that time, (and for some time after) writing someone into a book was considered taboo, unless you painted the picture fairly, or the character was someone loathsome whom 'deserved it'!. The Bard did this often, mostly to 'eviscerate them in fiction', as did Chaucer, Burroughs and Defoe, to a degree!. 'Tis really a matter of old-fashioned literary courtesy!. The rag'tabloid journalism of today was completel unheard of and would have been considered the epitome of scandal, for the writer!. For instance, some of Burns' more 'politic-bashing' poetry rather dropped him from publishing favor for while; though he strove a little to regain it, he never could!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Three reasons:

To avoid libelling or identifying characters too specifically with one venue and thus making irrelevant imputations!.

Paradoxically, not naming implies that there is in fact a real name to be hidden (as in some cases there may be)!. Verisimilitude is increased!.

There is also a generalizing power: it could be any "shire!."Www@QuestionHome@Com