How to Use Juxtaposition: The Art of Crafting Contrast for Captivating Fiction

If you saw yesterday's post, then you will be familiar with the sci-fi book I read not so recently titled Nexhuman. You will also be aware that I have mixed feelings about it. However, it did get me thinking about one of the ultimate tools in the writer’s kit:

Juxtaposition. Better known as contrast.

Just as an artist knows that a piece needs contrast (dark and light) to be engaging, a good writer knows that a book needs contrast to engage its reader.

After reading the first few chapters of Nexhuman, I was pleasantly pleased with the author’s use of juxtaposition. It felt like a love story contrasted against a backdrop of garbage and filth. Needless to say, this feeling did not last, and it turns out the book wouldn’t continue in this way past the first 20%. And for more on how Nexhuman utterly failed me, go to Dirty Worlds and Feeling Dirty: Writing that Gives Readers the Ick.

Writing that Gives Readers the Ick

However, your book need not be a let down in the end.

So let’s talk about how you can use juxtaposition in your writing to draw in the reader and highlight the best/most important parts. We'll go over:

• Definition of Juxtaposition

• Importance of Contrast

  • Examples of Juxtaposition in Literature

• Impact on the Reader

• Juxtaposing Characters

  • Contrast for Characterization

• Juxtaposing Settings

  • Examples from Classic Literature

• Juxtaposing Themes

  • How Contrasting Themes can Create Complexity and Nuance in a Story

  • Examples from Contemporary Fiction

• Word of Warning

• Tips for Using Juxtaposition Effectively

• Conclusion

Definition of Juxtaposition

To juxtapose is to place two or more ideas or concepts side by side. Derived from the Latin roots "juxta," meaning "next to" and "ponere," meaning "to place," it quite literally means to place things next to each other.

On its own, it might be hard to see how this can help you in fiction. But the purpose is to contrast and compare two things in order to draw attention to one or both. It's like creating a delightful tug-of-war between elements in your writing, where characters, settings or themes clash.

These contrasting elements add to the tension of your story, create intrigue, and draw the readers to specific ideas that you need them to remember.

Juxtaposition is an invitation to readers, asking them to view the story through different lenses. As a literary technique, Juxtaposition is used to create tension, add complexity to the story and characters, and enhance the reader's understanding and interpretation of it.

Importance of Contrast

Contrast is one of the most powerful tools that writers have at their disposal. It allows us to highlight different aspects of our story and characters and add an extra zing to our storytelling while keeping the reader engaged.

Contrast creates interest by giving readers something unexpected. And without contrast, stories can become flat and uninteresting—we learn nothing new about characters we're already familiar with; scenes become bland without any complexity; themes get lost among too many other ideas competing for attention.

Take a look at these two images:

The one on the left is Van Gogh's Starry Night with the contrast turned down. The one on the right is the original painting.

Your book without contrast is like the painting on the left. It doesn't draw the eye to any spot in particular, it appears flat and lifeless. Being able to contrast/juxtapose successfully will allow you to give your story depth.

And it will also be remembered like this Van Gogh here.

Examples of Juxtaposition in Literature

One famous example of the use of juxtaposition is F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald juxtaposes the opulence and extravagance of Gatsby's parties with the emptiness and shallowness of his guests' lives.

This contrast highlights the disillusionment that ultimately leads to Gatsby's downfall.

Another example can be found in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice where she uses contrasting characters such as Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet to depict social class differences during regency-era England.

Impact on the Reader

Using juxtaposition allows readers to see things from different perspectives by drawing attention to important details. It helps them better understand characters' motivations, enhances themes by forcing readers to consider opposing viewpoints at the same time, and adds depth to settings by highlighting key characteristics through comparison.

Using this technique can help authors make their writing more dynamic while giving readers new insights into different aspects of the story they may not have otherwise considered.

Juxtaposition injects dynamic energy to your writing, something many modern genre novels are unfortunately missing.

Juxtaposing Characters

Characters are the backbone of any story, and when it comes to using juxtaposition, contrasting characters can be a powerful tool. By taking two characters that are fundamentally different and placing them in the same scene or situation, you create tension that keeps you readers engaged.

Like in the Pride and Prejudice example, the two main characters, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, come from vastly different backgrounds and have opposing personalities.

Elizabeth is lively, quick-witted, and more interested in marrying for love than for status.

Darcy is reserved, proud, and believes that his wealth entitles him to certain privileges in society.

Their clashing personalities create conflict throughout the novel, making readers wonder if they will ever be able to overcome their differences to find love. This tension keeps readers invested in the story until the very end.

In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, we encounter a striking contrast between Scout Finch, a spirited tomboy who embraces outdoor adventure and her mysterious neighbor, Boo Radley, who rarely ventures beyond the confines of his own home.

This stark juxtaposition fuels an atmosphere brimming with both fear and fascination, as Scout's curiosity about Boo intensifies. The tension mounts until the climactic moment when Boo unexpectedly emerges, revealing himself as an unlikely hero.

This masterful use of contrast not only adds depth to the narrative but also triggers emotional engagement within readers, compelling them to eagerly anticipate what unfolds next.

There is a reason you have to read To Kill a Mockingbird in grade school English, but I bet you never paid it a whole lot of attention then.

Contrast for Characterization

We have already mentioned that characters can be placed beside other characters to create tension in the plot or add impact to a twist. But contrast also helps you characterize your characters, flesh them out, and highlight their personalities.

You can do the same for their looks (eg. Beauty and the Beast), their goals and motivations (Ted explores New York to find true love, Barney does the same to sleep with everything on two legs—How I Met Your Mother).

But characters can also be juxtaposed against themselves. Like a vampire that puts newspaper down to keep the furniture clean before maiming someone (What We Do in the Shadows).

Juxtaposing Settings

One of the most effective ways that writers can use juxtaposition in their fiction is by contrasting different settings. By placing two or more vastly different environments side by side, writers can create a stark contrast that highlights the themes and messages they're trying to convey.

Settings are best juxtaposed with other settings across the span of the novel as your plot and characters evolve. For instance, when you begin your novel you will want to show your character in his normal setting. As the plot sets off, contrast this beginning setting with another that reflects how your character's life is now changed forever.

I thought when I started reading Nexhuman, that the author was going to use the garbage-land setting as a way to contrast the beauty of one small part of it. He did not end up doing that, but you could in your books.

Create a setting with the sole purpose of highlighting the small thing in it that does not fit.

Perhaps a debauched nightclub with a small, innocent child sitting at the bar or serene landscape with an animal carcass rotting in the grass. Anything you want.

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Examples from classic literature

Juxtaposing settings has been used effectively by classic authors for centuries.

In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, for instance, she highlights Victor Frankenstein’s obsession and his descent into madness by contrasting the idyllic Swiss setting with his dark laboratory where he brings his creation to life.

Similarly, in George Orwell's 1984, he uses juxtaposition to illustrate how oppressive and all-encompassing Big Brother's government truly is. By placing Winston's mundane quarters in Victory Mansions next to O'Brien's lavish apartment, Orwell highlights how little the ideology of everyone being equal in this society does not match the outcomes.

Overall, contrasting settings through effective use of juxtaposition can add richness, nuance, and complexity to any work of fiction. It provides writers with an opportunity not only to showcase their skills but also challenge readers' perceptions about certain themes.

Speaking of themes. Let's get into my favorite way to add juxtaposition to your novel.

Juxtaposing Themes

Themes are the underlying question that an author is attempting to answer through their story. By using juxtaposition to contrast different themes, you can really drive your story home and make the lasting impact on your reader that you desire.

When done effectively, it can add depth and complexity that would not be possible otherwise. However, it is important that you handle this technique with care, as by contrasting everything in the book can be confusing or lead to contradiction.

How Contrasting Themes can Create Complexity and Nuance in a Story

A great way to highlight the theme of your story is to be always contrasting it against…well...itself. A good theme explores the two (or many sides) of an issue. It asks a question. If it doesn’t then it is a moral and perhaps not a great fit for a modern fiction story.

Or perhaps it is….do what you want. There are no rules.

But let’s look at an example. The theme of our science fiction short story anthology, The Beginning & End of All Things, is essentially: What is humankind’s role in the universe? Within that theme, the stories included explore what this ultimate role is, whether it is positive or negative, and if it even matters in the grand scheme of things.

Your novel should also explore your theme in this sense, and this exploration should be shown through your characters, setting, and plot. As you go through the motions of detailing your theme, highlight what you are saying by contrasting it against the opposite side of the argument.

Say your theme is: Are emotions helpful in a time of crisis? Your protagonist is hot-headed, and he is in an argument with another over something innocuous. You can contrast his emotional outburst against a foil (another character) who is calm, behaving the opposite of your protagonist. Perhaps this outburst ends with him being fired or even injured by the calm man he is arguing with.

You can also contrast something like this with the world around him.

You may want to highlight how vulnerable your protagonist’s anger makes him in a heavy situation (or the opposite). Juxtaposing him against a calm but deadly backdrop (calm seas before a storm, still heat before a tornado, even a cat slowly stalking its prey in the background) could be a powerful way to explore this idea without having to say it outright.

There are endless ways of contrasting your theme.

This type of contrast adds to the story by showing that there are no easy answers when it comes to these complicated issues. Because, let's face it. Your job is not to preach a single "right" way, it is to explore the many facets of the human experience.

It also allows readers to engage with the story on multiple levels, as they grapple with their own thoughts and feelings about these themes.

Examples from Contemporary Fiction

A great example of this technique can be found in Toni Morrison's Beloved. In this novel, Morrison contrasts the theme of the determination of motherhood with the theme of slavery and it's cruelty. Sethe is a former slave who has escaped from bondage but is haunted by her past experiences. She attempts to protect her children at all costs, which leads her down some dark paths.

By contrasting these two themes, Morrison creates complex characters who are forced to make difficult decisions based on competing values. This novel shows how using juxtaposition in fiction can create an impactful and thought-provoking experience for readers.

Another example comes from Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. This novel contrasts themes of duty/acceptance of fate and rebellion (that's my opinion and probably debated). The story is set in a dystopian society where women are forced into reproductive slavery.

The protagonist, Offred, struggles to maintain her identity and autonomy amidst the oppressive regime. Atwood uses the contrast between these themes and more to explore the complex issues of power, agency, and identity.

Word of Warning

Don't Overuse It - It Becomes Predictable and Cliché

Alright.

I know after my solid arguments on why juxtaposition is the best literary tool in your pocket, your probably revving to use it right now in your own writing. But hold on.

Yes, it adds depth, complexity, and can really make our stories stand out.

But here's the thing: too much of a good thing can become a bad thing. When we overuse juxtaposition, it loses its impact and becomes predictable or cliché. Readers may begin to roll their eyes when they see yet another example of contrasting settings or characters.

Especially if you have not been subtle with your contrasting. Which you should be. If you want to know how to achieve a subtle yet powerfully effective and vivid story than read my series, "Why Show, don't Tell Advice Might be Holding You Back," were I go over every level of creating amazing imagery and tapping into emotion.

How to REALLY 'Show, Don't Tell' Series

Tips for How to Use Juxtaposition Effectively

Now that we've established that we shouldn't overdo it with juxtaposition, let's talk about how to use it effectively.

1. Make sure that the contrast you're creating actually serves a purpose in your story. Don't just throw in contrasting elements for the sake of it—it needs to have a reason for being there.

2. Be subtle. Your contrasting elements should not even be too on-the-nose. Let readers discover it on their own as they go through your story.

3. Experiment with different types of contrasts beyond character, settings, themes. Try juxtaposing writing styles, language use, and more.

Conclusion

Juxtaposition is a powerful tool that writers can use to create contrast in their writing. By contrasting characters, settings, themes, language and style, writers can add depth and complexity to their stories.

Juxtaposition can be used effectively to create tension and interest for readers and highlight important themes. And it is what creates dynamic and engaging characters, settings, themes, language and style.

When you use juxtaposition effectively they are able to not only highlight important ideas but also engage readers on a deeper level.

Until next time, keep writing.