Day: March 20, 2023

Juxtaposition

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Etymology and Meanings of Literary Device Juxtaposition

Etymologically, the literary term, juxtaposition, has originated from the Latin term juxta which means close, near, or at hand. It entered the French vocabulary in 1660, which almost means the same thing that two things are close to each other, or one thing is beside the other, or one thing is near the other.

Definition of Literary Device Juxtaposition

In literature, juxtaposition means to put two ideas or literary or linguistic elements close to each other in the same sentence, showing their comparison and contrast, or for that matter their differences or similarities which are not explicit but implicit.

Common Examples of Juxtaposition
  1. Do what you wish and don’t do what you hate.
  2. Let us demonstrate bravery, but not demonstrate cowardness.
  3. Do not make black white or white black. Let the color stay the same and see the same sameness.
  4. It was the best of the times and it was the worst of the times. (A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens)
  5. Let us not dispel our fear, but expel our cowardness.
  6. Show your guts and remove the ruts.
Literary Examples of Juxtaposition
Example # 1

From Hamlet by William Shakespeare

And to the manner born, it is a custom
More honored in the breach than the observance.
This heavy-headed revel east and west
Makes us traduced and taxed of other nations.
They clepe us drunkards, and with swinish phrase
Soil our addition, and indeed it takes
From our achievements, though performed at height,
The pith and marrow of our attribute.

Hamlet speaks these lines in the first act of the play where he juxtaposes different ideas as shown as “honored in the breach than the observance.” It shows a comparison in the very next line about the east and west as well as “pith and marrow.” This shows how Hamlet differentiates different conventions in different cultures and compares them to his own culture.

Example # 2

From A Pair of Blue Eyes by Thomas Hardy

Elfride had as her own the thoughtfulness which appears in the face of the Madonna della Sedia, without its rapture: the warmth and spirit of the type of woman’s feature most common to the beauties––mortal and immortal––of Rubens, without their insistent fleshliness. The characteristic expression of the female faces of Correggio*––that of the yearning human thoughts that lie too deep for tears*––was hers sometimes, but seldom under ordinary
conditions.

This passage occurs in the novel of Thomas Hardy, A Pair of Blue Eyes. He presents the character of Elfride and her thoughtfulness as how it looks when compared to mortal and immortal, common and specific, and superficial and deep. The last one is rather implicit as the other two ideas are explicitly compared.

Example # 3

From A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

Two women, one white and one colored, are taking the air on the steps of the building. The white woman is Eunice, who occupies the upstairs flat; the colored woman a neighbor, for New Orleans is a cosmopolitan city where there is a relatively warm and easy intermingling of races in the old part of town.

This setting in the first scene of the play by Tennessee Williams shows how the author has beautifully compared two ladies with two different cultures putting the ideas in juxtaposition so that the readers fully understand his purpose. This juxtaposition intensifies the understanding of the audience.

Example # 4

From A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

I don’t enjoy it,” I said. He shook his head and looked out of the window.
“You do not mind it. You do not see it. You must forgive me. I know you are
wounded.”
“That is an accident.”
“Still even wounded you do not see it. I can tell. I do not see it myself but I feel it a
little.”
“When I was wounded we were talking about it. Passini was talking.”
The priest put down the glass. He was thinking about something else.
“I know them because I am like they are,” he said.

This passage occurs in the novel, A Farewell To Arms, by Ernest Hemingway. It shows how Hemingway has juxtaposed different ideas about knowing, not knowing, enjoying, not enjoying, and looking, not looking in the conversation between Rinaldi and the priest. Rinaldi even states that he does not see but only feels that is an interesting juxtaposition of two different ideas of seeing and feeling.

Example # 5

“Fire and Ice” by Robert Frost

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

This short poem presents the anaphoric juxtaposition of two different ideas as shown in the title. Frost compares both the ideas of fire and ice after equating them with love and hate and survival and destruction though survival is implicit and not explicit.

Example # 6

From Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurston

Now, women forget all those things they don’t want to remember, and remember everything they don’t want to forget. The dream is the truth. Then they act and do things accordingly.

Zora Neal Hurston has beautifully reversed as well as juxtaposed two ideas remembrance and forgetting in the same sentence, joining them with a conjunction. Although it is a reversal of the same ideas, it is a beautiful juxtaposition that an African American woman writer has used.

How to Create Juxtaposition
  1. Make a plan to compare, contrast, differentiate, or equate two events, characters, ideas, character traits, objects, or abstractions.
  2. Think about where, how, and when you want to employ those two ideas.
  3. Create a sentence with two ideas in it with both in different clauses, each clause having an equal number of words.
  4. Read the sentence again to check that you have compared or contrasted them.
  5. Now relate them to what you have used the idea for.
Benefits of Using Juxtaposition
  1. Showing good or bad traits of a character through the juxtaposition of two characters such as God and Satan in Paradise Lost by John Milton, or Hamlet and Claudius in Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
  2. Showing relations between ideas, races, nations, characters, and objects such as Claudius and Hamlet are related to each other. Black and white color are related to each other in racial discrimination.
  3. Showing a binary opposition in the theoretical lenses.
  4. Showing a sense of humor through comparison and contrast of opposite ideas such as in “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift.
Literary Device Juxtaposition in Literary Theory
  1. Juxtaposition is an integral part of the formalistic analysis of a literary piece as it shows different ideas compared, contrasted, and equated to each other such as totalitarianism and democracy have been contrasted in Animal Farm by George Orwell and liberalism and authoritarianism have been contrasted in 1984 by George Orwell.
  2. Juxtaposition is also very useful when analyzing a piece of literature from indigenous critical theory, critical race theory, or post-colonialism. It outlines the binary oppositions of different cultures, races, and social structures during the analysis of the texts written in these cultural scenarios.
  3. It also helps in outlining ideas in the reader’s response theory as it juxtaposes the author and the text, the reader and the author, and the author’s ideas and ideas of the society in which he lives.
Suggested Readings

Abrams, Meyer Howard, and Geoffrey Harpham. A Glossary of Literary Terms. Cengage Learning, 2014. Print.

Bennett, Andrew, and Nicholas Royle. Literature, Criticism and Theory. Harlow, UK: Pearson, 2004. Print.

Horrocks, Roger. Mosaic: A Study of Juxtaposition in Literature, As An Approach to Pound’s Cantos and Similar Modern Poems. Diss. ResearchSpace@ Auckland, 1976. Ebook. Sontag, Susan. “Happenings: An Art of Radical Juxtaposition.” Against Interpretation (1966): 263-74.

Imagery

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Etymology and Meanings of Literary Device of Imagery

Etymologically, the literary term, imagery, seems to have originated from the archaic French word, image. It soon transformed into imager which means making an image, or imagerie that entered the English language as imagery. In Middle English, it meant statuary or carved images. It is also said that the term has originated from a Latin term, imitari which means to copy or imitate something.

Now, it is used as imagery which also means images. In grammar, it is a noun.

Definition of Literary Device of Imagery

As a literary term, imagery means the use of language in novels, poems, short stories, or essays, showing the use of figurative language intended to evoke sensory experiences of the readers. It often appeals to the five senses: sight, smell, touch, sound, and taste. In other words, it means the verbal description of things to create mental images in readers.

Common Examples of Imagery

Imagery is common in everyday language. People often use these images to make their audience picture things.

  • His gait was abnormally dismal like a lame duck.
  • The trees were shedding leaves like a hailstorm.
  • The leaves were making a blanket on the grass.
  • The grass was waving its long arms in the wind.
  • The darkness was threatening their calm walk.
Literary Examples of Imagery
Example # 1

From Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

“Brutus, I do observe you now of late:
I have not from your eyes that gentleness
And show of love as I was wont to have:
You bear too stubborn and too strange a hand
Over your friend that loves you.”

This is a very good use of descriptive language Shakespeare uses in his play, Julius Caesar. The images that Cassius creates about Brutus and his eyes show that he lacks gentleness. This shows that his hand is not only strange but also stubborn. The metaphorical language creates two powerful images; strange eyes and strange hands that both have turned to their benefactor, though, the owner of both is Brutus. This is a beautiful way of indirectly saying things to a person about another person through the use of imagery.

Example # 2

From Hamlet by William Shakespeare

So, oft it chances in particular men,
That for some vicious mole of nature in them,
As, in their birth–wherein they are not guilty,
Since nature cannot choose his origin–
By the o’ergrowth of some complexion,
Oft breaking down the pales and forts of reason.

These lines from Hamlet show that the readers or audiences see the use of the metaphor of a mole, the personification of nature, and images of color create a strong sense of an evil person. This is the use of images of color, sight, and sound that makes these lines powerful. The sense that the imagery creates is that of an evil.

Example # 3

From Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie

Mrs. Darling Screamed, and, as if in answer to a bell, the door opened, and Nana entered, returned from her evening out. She growled and sprang at the boy, who leapt lightly through the window. Again Mrs. Darling screamed, this time in distress for him, for she thought he was killed, and she ran down into the street to look for his little body, but it was not there; and she looked up, and in the black night she could see nothing but what she thought was a shooting.

This passage occurs in Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie. The images of sound in the second line show the use of figurative language and the sensory experience of sound that the readers will go through. It seems as if Nana is a dog. The response is almost the same as Mrs. Darling shows the same thing. Again, an image of color appears by the end. This passage shows the use of imagery.

Example # 4

From “Past, Present, Future” by Emily Bronte

Tell me, tell me, smiling child,

What the past is like to thee?

‘An autumn evening soft and mild

Wind a wind that sights mournfully.’

Tell, what is the present hour?

‘A green and flowery spray

Where a young bird sits gathering its power

To mount and fly away.’

These verses from the poem “Past, Present, Future” by Emily Bronte show the use of different images. The image of touch “soft and mild,” the image of sight of color “green and spray” and of movement such as “mount and fly” show that Emily Bronte has used balanced imagery to make the children read this rhyming poem as a song.

Example # 5

From “A Birthday” by Christina Rossetti

My heart is like a singing bird

Whose nest is in a water’s shoot;

My heart is like an apple-tree

Whose boughs are bent with thickest fruit;

My heart is like a rainbow shell

That paddles in a halcyon sea;

My heart is gladder than all these

Because my love is come to me.

These lines from “A Birthday” shows the beautiful use of different images. The use of metaphors makes these images accentuate as the singing bird, water, heart, apple, boughs, fruits, and sea seem to create a powerful scene in the eyes of readers.

How to Create Imagery
  1. Select an object, thing, idea, or figure.
  2. Create a metaphor or simile to relate it with.
  3. Write down its features and create and use sound devices and structural devices to bedeck it with more images.
  4. Place that person or object in a setting and write lines about the setting and the relation of the person with the setting in a timeline.
Benefits of Using Imagery
  1. Imagery helps writers to engage readers and audiences.
  2. It helps in making reading interesting.
  3. It helps in clarifying things, events, scenes, and characters.
  4. It helps in associating meanings with symbols and things.
Literary Device of Imagery in Literary Theory
  1. As imagery creates mental pictures, it not only embodies things, persons and events but also gives them a referential position with reference to consciousness and rationality. Having four varieties of mental imagery, it is important for a literary narrative to create an asymmetric relationship between words and referents.
  2. Imagery is an essential element of figurative language. Therefore, it is important in the formalistic analysis of a poem or a piece of prose to draw meanings that the writers put into their writings.
  3. As far as other literary theoretical perspectives, imagery is important in postmodern as well as in indigenous critical theory, as both draw their meanings from the environment as well as descriptive features of characters, objects, and events.
Suggested Readings

Finke, Ronald A. Principles of Mental Imagery. The MIT Press, 1989. Print.

Abrams, Meyer Howard, and Geoffrey Harpham. A Glossary of Literary Terms. Cengage Learning, 2014. Print. Baldick, Chris. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms. Oxford University Press, 1996. Print.

More from Literary Devices:

A Man Who Was Almost a Man by Richard Wright

Written by Richard Wright, an African American writer, the beautiful short story, “A Man Who Was Almost a Man” first appeared in 1961 as part of his collection of short stories.

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Introduction to “A Man Who Was Almost a Man” by Richard Wright

Written by Richard Wright, an African American writer, the beautiful short story, “A Man Who Was Almost a Man” first appeared in 1961 as part of his collection of short stories titled, Eight Men. The story follows the protagonist, a 17-year-old African-American boy, Dave, as he struggles to assert his manhood and independence in a racially divided society. Through vivid descriptions and realistic dialogue, Wright portrays the challenges young African-American faced in the rural South during the early 20th century. The story highlights themes of power, race, and the quest for personal identity.

Main Events in “A Man Who Was Almost a Man” by Richard Wright
  • Dave, a 17-year-old African American boy, lives in the rural South and works on a plantation.
  • Feeling powerless, he intends to prove his manhood by owning a gun.
  • In this quest, he approaches Joe’s store and lies about his age to buy a gun for two dollars.
  • However, he faces the problem of where to put it away from his family so that nobody could see it.
  • To test the gun’s power by shooting a tree, he accidentally shoots and kills his employer’s mule.
  • In consternation, he tries to cover up the accident and lies to his mother, but she finds out the truth.
  • When his employer confronts him about the dead mule, he runs away from home, thinking he can survive on his own.
  • However, h realizes the harsh realities of being a runaway and returns home, giving the gun to his father.
  • His father whips him for his foolishness, and Dave realizes that true manhood comes from responsibility and accountability and not from the power of weapons or physical power.
  •  
Literary Devices in “A Man Who Was Almost a Man” by Richard Wright
  1. Alliteration: Repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighboring words, such as “wrong wid” or “his hands.”
  2. Anaphora: Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences, such as “And he felt” in the phrase “And he felt a man oughta have a little gun.”
  3. Foreshadowing: Hints or clues that suggest what will happen later in the story, such as the repeated references to Dave’s desire for a gun.
  4. Hyperbole: Exaggeration is used to emphasize a point, such as when Dave says that having a gun will make him treat everybody right.
  5. Imagery: The use of sensory details to create a vivid image in the reader’s mind, such as when the sense of color as “the long rails were glinting in the moonlight.
  6. Irony: A contrast between what is expected and what actually happens, such as when Dave shoots the mule instead of the rabbit.
  7. Metaphor: A comparison between two unlike things suggests a similarity, such as when Dave thinks of the gun as a magic wand.
  8. Onomatopoeia: Words that imitate sounds, such as “pop” and “bang” in the description of the gun firing.
  9. Personification: Giving human qualities to non-human things, such as when the gun is described as “The gun felt loose in hisfingers.”
  10. Point of View: The perspective from which the story is told, such as the third-person limited point of view that allows the reader to see events through Dave’s eyes but still maintain some distance from him.
  11. Tone: The author’s attitude towards the subject matter or the audience, such as the ironic tone that Wright uses to highlight the absurdity of Dave’s behavior.
  12. Rhetorical Question: A question that is asked for effect, rather than to elicit an answer, such as when Dave asks himself, “Wondah did Ah shoot this mule??” This question is intended to underscore Dave’s overconfidence and lack of understanding of the situation, rather than to receive an actual response.
  13. Simile: A comparison between two unlike things using “like” or “as,” such as when Dave thinks himself a mule such as “They treat me like a mule” or “Like a hungry dog.”
  14. Symbolism: The use of objects, characters, or events to represent larger concepts or ideas, such as the gun representing power and masculinity.
  15. Theme: The central idea or message of a work, such as the theme of the dangers of misguided ambition in “A Man Who Was Almost a Man.”
Characterization in “A Man Who Was Almost a Man” by Richard Wright
Major Characters
  1. Dave Saunders:
  2. He is the main character and protagonist of the story.
  3. He is a seventeen-year-old African American boy who works on a plantation.
  4. He is fed and felt frustrated with being treated like a child and desires a gun to prove his manhood.
  5. He Makes a series of poor decisions that have tragic consequences.
  6. Joe:
  7. Dave’s boss on the plantation.
  8. Represents authority and control in the story.
  9. Disapproves of Dave’s desire for a gun and tries to dissuade him.
  10. Jim Hawkins:
  11. Another worker on the plantation who friends with Dave.
  12. Tries to warn Dave about the dangers of owning a gun.
  13. Ultimately unable to prevent Dave from making a fatal mistake.
  14. Dave’s mother:
  15. A minor character who is mentioned briefly.
  16. Represents the voice of reason and caution in the story.
  17. Tries to convince Dave not to buy a gun.
  18. The mule:
  19. A minor character who becomes the unintentional victim of Dave’s first shot.
  20. Represents the consequences of Dave’s reckless behavior.
  21. Serves as a symbol of the dangers of misguided ambition.
Minor Characters
  1. Mrs. Saunders: Dave’s mother who tries to dissuade him from buying a gun.
  2. Sister Carrie: Dave’s sister who appears briefly at the beginning of the story.
  3. Mr. Hawkins: Jim’s father who sells Dave the gun.
  4. Mr. Joe Dixon: The white landowner who employs Dave and the other workers on the plantation.
  5. John: A worker on the plantation who witnesses Dave’s first shot.
  6. The train conductor: The man who sells Dave the gun on the train.
Writing Style in “A Man Who Was Almost a Man” by Richard Wright

The writing style of Richard Wright in this story is characterized by a spare and direct prose style that emphasizes the harsh realities of life of African Americans in the rural South. Wright uses short, declarative sentences and simple, direct language to convey the experiences and emotions of his characters. His descriptions are often gritty and realistic, with a focus on the physical details of the environment and the characters’ actions. At the same time, Wright employs literary devices such as symbolism and irony to add depth and complexity to the narrative, creating a work that is both powerful and thought-provoking.

Major Themes in “A Man Who Was Almost a Man” by Richard Wright

“A Man Who Was Almost a Man” by Richard Wright explores themes such as power, masculinity, and racial discrimination. Some major themes in the story include:

  1. Power: The story explores the desire for power and the lengths that people go to have it. For example,  Dave, the protagonist, believes that owning a gun will give him power and respect in his community, despite being only seventeen years old.
  2. Masculinity: The story also examines the concept of masculinity and how it is tied to power and control. Dave feels pressure to prove his manhood and gain respect from others, especially his family and peers.
  3. Racial Discrimination: The story touches on issues of racial discrimination, with Dave being a young African American boy in a white-dominated society. He experiences racism and feels powerless to fight against it, leading him to seek power in other ways.
  4. Coming of Age: The story can also be seen as a coming-of-age tale, as Dave struggles to navigate his way into adulthood to find his place in the world. He feels torn between his desire for independence and the pressure to conform to societal norms.
  5. Consequences of Actions: The story also highlights the consequences of our actions, as Dave’s desire for power leads to tragic consequences for himself and those around him. It serves as a warning about the dangers of seeking power without considering the consequences.

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Literary Theories and Interpretation of “A Man Who Was Almost a Man” by Richard Wright

The short story “A Man Who Was Almost a Man” by Richard Wright can be analyzed through various literary theories, including:

  1. Marxist Theory: Marxist theory suggests that literature reflects the socioeconomic conditions of a society. In this story, the characters’ desire for power and control can be viewed as a reflection of the oppressive conditions of the society in which they live. Dave’s belief that owning a gun will make him a man and gain him respect can be interpreted as a result of his low social status as a poor, young, African-American male in a white-dominated society.
  2. Psychoanalytic Theory: Psychoanalytic theory focuses on the characters’ subconscious desires and motivations. In the story, Dave’s desire for power and respect can be seen as a manifestation of his repressed desires for independence and autonomy. His desire to own a gun may represent his need for protection and control over his own life.
  3. Reader-response Theory: Reader-response theory suggests that the reader’s interpretation of a text is influenced by their personal experiences and background. Readers can interpret the story differently based on their own experiences with power dynamics and discrimination.
  4. Feminist Theory: Feminist theory demonstrates the examination of role of gender in the characters’ desires for power and control. It presents a male-dominated society in which women are largely absent or relegated to supporting roles. Dave’s desire for power and control may show an attempt to assert his masculinity in a society that values it over femininity.
  5. Postcolonial Theory: Postcolonial theory examines the power dynamics between colonizers and colonized societies. In the story, the white community holds power over the African American community, and Dave’s desire for a gun may be interpreted a way to assert his own power in the face of this oppression. The story also touches on the cultural and linguistic divides between the two communities.
Questions And Thesis Statements about “A Man Who Was Almost a Man” by Richard Wright
  1. What motivates Dave’s desire for a gun? How does his desire for power and respect affect his decision-making throughout the story?

Thesis Statement: Dave’s desire for a gun is motivated by his desire for power and respect, which leads him to make dangerous decisions throughout the story that have tragic consequences.

  • How does the story address issues of race and racism? In what ways do the white characters in the story perpetuate discrimination against the African American characters?

Thesis Statement: The story addresses issues of race and racism by depicting the discrimination faced by African American characters in a white-dominated society, highlighting the power imbalances and injustices that result from this dynamic.

  • What role does Dave’s family play in his desire for a gun? How do their expectations and opinions of him affect his behavior?

Thesis Statement: Dave’s family plays a significant role in his desire for a gun, as their expectations and opinions of him contribute to his desire for respect and independence. This pressure ultimately leads him to make dangerous decisions that have tragic consequences.

  • How does the story explore the theme of masculinity? What does it mean to be a “man” in society as the story depicts, and how does Dave’s understanding of masculinity impact his actions?

Thesis Statement: The story explores the theme of masculinity by depicting a society that values traditional notions of manhood, such as physical strength and dominance. Dave’s desire to prove his masculinity drives his actions and decisions throughout the story, with tragic consequences.

  • What is the significance of the story’s title, “A Man Who Was Almost a Man”? In what ways is Dave still seen as a child, and how does he attempt to prove his maturity throughout the story?

Thesis Statement: The significance of the story’s title, “A Man Who Was Almost a Man,” lies in Dave’s struggle to prove his maturity and independence in a society that views him as a child. Despite his efforts to prove his adulthood by owning a gun, he ultimately fails to achieve true maturity and respect.

  • What message does the story convey about the consequences of seeking power and control? How does Dave’s desire for a gun ultimately lead to tragic consequences for himself and others around him?

Thesis Statement: The story conveys a warning about the consequences of seeking power and control, as Dave’s desire for a gun leads him to make dangerous decisions that result in tragic consequences for himself and those around him. The story highlights the importance of considering the consequences of one’s actions before seeking power and control.

Short Question-Answer “A Man Who Was Almost a Man” by Richard Wright
  1. What is the story “A Man Who Was Almost a Man” about?

“A Man Who Was Almost a Man” by Richard Wright is a short story about a young African American boy named Dave who desires to be treated like a man, but is not yet ready for the responsibilities that come with it. The story is set in rural Southern America in the 1930s, where Dave works as a field hand where his low social status and control of the white community over his life frustrates his ambition for independence.

  1. What is the central conflict in “A Man Who Was Almost a Man”?

The central conflict in “A Man Who Was Almost a Man” is the tension between Dave’s desire to be treated like a man and his inability to take on the responsibilities that come with adulthood. Dave believes that owning a gun will make him more respectable and independent, but he has not prepared himself for the consequences of his actions when he accidentally shoots and kills a mule.

  1. What themes are explored in “A Man Who Was Almost a Man”?

“A Man Who Was Almost a Man” explores themes such as coming of age, identity, power, and the African American experience in the rural South during the 1930s. The story highlights the challenges that young African American men faced in their efforts to assert their manhood and independence in a society that did not value their humanity.

  1. What is the significance of the title “A Man Who Was Almost a Man”?

The title “A Man Who Was Almost a Man” is significant because it highlights the central conflict of the story. Dave desires treatment like a man, but he is not yet ready for the responsibilities that come with it. The title suggests that Dave is on the cusp of adulthood, but he has not yet fully matured. It also highlights the challenges that young African American men faced in asserting their manhood in a society that did not value their humanity.

You may also read: Dead Man’s Path by Chinua Achebe