Juxtaposition is a literary device that places two things side by side to highlight their differences. The contrasting elements could include ideas, characters, settings, or emotions. Let's take a look at an example of juxtaposition in Shakespeare:
Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1:
To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them.
Hamlet here is juxtaposing inaction against action in the face of misfortune. Juxtapositions don't always have to be obvious. They may work even better when they are more subtle and more difficult to tease out. A good example of this would be "Sonnet" by Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson (1922):
I had not thought of violets late,
The wild, shy kind that spring beneath your feet
In wistful April days, when lovers mate[3]
And wander through the fields in raptures sweet.
The thought of violets meant florists' shops,
And bows and pins, and perfumed papers fine;[6]
And garish lights, and mincing little fops
And cabarets and soaps, and deadening wines.
So far from sweet real things my thoughts had strayed,[9]
I had forgot wide fields; and clear brown streams;
The perfect loveliness that God has made,—
Wild violets shy and Heaven-mounting dreams.[12]
And now—unwittingly, you've made me dream
Of violets, and my soul's forgotten gleam.
The poet is contrasting store-purchased violets with wild-grown violets. Store-purchased violets are associated with the conventionalities of everyday life, such as "cabarets and soaps, and deadening wines" (Line 8). The word "deadening" gives us a hint of how depressing this life could be. However, wild violets are associated with "Heaven-mounting dreams"(Line 12).
A sonnet about love and flowers could have been tired and boring. After all, we have read hundreds of such poems. However, by taking the same object (violets) and placing it in different settings and linking them to different associations, the poet creates an effective juxtaposition that lifts this sonnet above conventional love poetry.
Why writers use juxtaposition
Writers use juxtaposition to enhance the complexity and depth of their storytelling. Juxtaposition can help emphasize themes, reveal character traits, or create dramatic tension. For example, by placing a cheerful scene next to a tragic one, the sadness feels more pronounced.
However, the main point of juxtaposition is to highlight contrast. At its best, juxtapositions give a concrete feel to abstract ideas and concepts. It does show by throwing strongly opposing ideas into stark contrast.
Examples of juxtaposition
1. Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 1:
In Macbeth, Shakespeare juxtaposes the deceptive appearances of things with what they belie. The witches’ weird statement in Act 1, Scene 1, highlights this duality:
Fair is foul, and foul is fair.
This phrase foreshadows the depth of the crime and immorality that Macbeth is about to commit by murdering Duncan in his sleep while Duncan is a guest in the Macbeth household. In this perverted morality, Duncan is wrong or "foul" for accepting Macbeth's hospitality, and Macbeth is acting "fairly" for taking the chance to seize the crown.
2. Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d'Urbervilles (1891):
Hardy frequently juxtaposes the innocence of nature with the harshness of human society. For instance, Tess’s purity is often compared to the idyllic, pastoral landscapes. These landscapes stand in stark contrast to the cruelty and corruption she faces in her life. This juxtaposition emphasizes the tension between Tess’s inner virtue and the unforgiving harshness of the human world.
3. Hawthorne, "The Birth-Mark" (1843):
In the short story "The Birth-Mark," Hawthorne juxtaposes the scientist Aylmer with his assistant Aminadab. Aylmer seeks to cure his almost perfect wife, Georgiana, of one small imperfection, the tiny hand-shaped birthmark on her cheek. He and his servant Aminadab work to create a cure. Here is a passage making a juxtaposition between the reactions of the two men after achieving success removing the birthmark:
"By Heaven! it is well-nigh gone!" said Aylmer to himself, in almost irrepressible ecstasy. "I can scarcely trace it now. Success! success! And now it is like the faintest rose color. The lightest flush of blood across her cheek would overcome it. But she is so pale!"He drew aside the window curtain and suffered the light of natural day to fall into the room and rest upon her cheek. At the same time he heard a gross, hoarse chuckle, which he had long known as his servant Aminadab's expression of delight.
Aylmer is happy about the birthmark being gone, whereas Aminadab is happy at what the disappearance of the birthmark means. The birthmark is the only thing that keeps Georgiana rooted to life. Now, that it's gone, she will die.
To understand the juxtaposition, we first need to explain what Alymer and Aminadab symbolize and to understand what's happening here. Aylmer, in the short story, symbolizes the ideal or quest for spiritual perfection. On the other hand, Aminadab is a symbol of the earth and the natural world. The birthmark was the only thing keeping the near-perfect Georgiana tied to earth. With it gone, Georgiana now passes unto the realm of spirit. Upon the death of Georgiana, Aminadab triumphs. Her mortal body now belongs to the earth and him, as her spirit parts ways with her husband.
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Cite this EminentEdit article |
Antoine, M. (2024, November 28). What Is Juxtaposition? https://www.eminentediting.com/post/what-is-juxtaposition |
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