Juxtaposition — Definition, Purpose, and Examples
What is juxtaposition?
Juxtaposition occurs when a writer places two ideas or things side by side to illustrate the differences between the two. It creates an implied comparison without directly detailing the similarities or differences; instead, the reader infers the comparison using the other information presented in the text.
Writers can make use of juxtaposition by utilizing foils and oxymorons.
Foil: A foil illustrates or reveals information about one character by contrasting them to another character. Authors create a foil by juxtaposing the two characters.
Example: Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Oxymoron: An oxymoron is the pairing of two words or ideas that are contradictory. Therefore, the literary device uses juxtaposition to emphasize the contrast between the two.
Examples: jumbo shrimp; icy hot; small crowd
The etymology of the English word juxtaposition comes from the Latin juxta, meaning near.
Juxtaposition purpose
Through juxtaposition, writers and filmmakers want their readers to consider the relationship between the two items or ideas. Typically, authors use juxtaposition for character development and the setting.
Character Development: By juxtaposing two or more characters, authors can flesh out their traits instead of simply utilizing direct or indirect characterization. Contrasting characters make it easier for the reader to recognize a trait in one character when that trait is lacking in another.
Romeo and Mercutio in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet: Mercutio and Romeo specifically contrast with their view on love. Romeo is the lovestruck character, relying mainly on his emotions to dictate his actions, whereas Mercutio has a more rational mindset, suggesting that love must be sensible. In doing so, Shakespeare intensifies just how romantic Romeo is.
Setting: By juxtaposing two contrasting settings, writers can utilize opposite locations to enhance the understanding of their characters. Detailing how characters act in what setting compared to its opposite allows the author to provide additional insight into their mindset.
East Egg vs. West Egg in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby: Fitzgerald juxtaposes two main settings in his novel: East Egg, which represents "old money," and West Egg, which signifies the "self-made man." He presents those from East Egg as entitled and materialistic and those in West Egg lacking social grace but more compassionate. The juxtaposition allows the reader to understand how and why characters act the way they do based upon the setting.
Juxtaposition examples
Identified in the following chart are common elements writers juxtapose along with a literary example that contains the juxtaposition:
| Elements | Example |
|---|---|
| light and dark | Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare |
| young and old | The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros |
| wealth and poverty | The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck |
| ordinary and strange | Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson |
| good and evil | Something Wicked this Way Comes by Ray Bradbury |
| nurture and nature | Frankenstein by Mary Shelley |
| day and night | Dracula by Bram Stoker |
| free will and fate | Paradise Lost by John Milton |
| forgiveness and revenge | The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas |
| civility and barbarism | Lord of the Flies by William Golding |
Juxtaposition examples in literature
The following quotes highlight examples of juxtaposition found in literature:
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness."
Throughout the first lines of Dicken's novel, he juxtaposes various elements to showcase how opposites can exist simultaneously.
"The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell: "The world is made up of two classes – the hunters and the huntees."
Connell juxtaposes Rainsford (hunted) and Zaroff (hunter) to showcase the function of both roles and how easily they can shift.
Animal Farm by George Orwell: "The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again, but already it was impossible to say which was which."
By juxtaposing the pigs and man, Orwell suggests that the differences that once existed between them were no longer perceptible. He incorporates the initial contrast to showcase that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Juxtaposition poetry examples
The following poems include the use of juxtaposition:
"The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
The poem incorporates the juxtaposition of two paths, seemingly suggesting one is more worn than the other. By providing a contrast between the roads, Frost emphasizes the importance of the one the speaker chose.
"Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night" by Dylan Thomas
"Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
Thomas juxtaposes light and dark to illustrate the combative natures of life and death.
"The Wasteland" by T.S. Eliot
"April is the cruelest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.
Winter kept us warm, covering
Earth in forgetful snow, feeding
A little life with dried tubers."
Eliot juxtaposes spring and winter, utilizing the former to represent rebirth and life, while the latter signifies darkness and death.