Juxtaposition: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

Juxtaposition is when a writer places two contrasting ideas, characters, images or settings side by side to highlight their differences and reveal something deeper. It’s a technique that appears across poetry, prose, and drama, and when used well in your analysis, it shows high-level insight into a writer’s craft.

This blog post will help you:

• Understand what juxtaposition is

• Recognise it in GCSE and A-Level texts (or SAT, IB, AP)

• Analyse it effectively in essays

  
  

What is Juxtaposition?

At its simplest, juxtaposition means placing things next to each other to draw out contrast. These can be:

• Opposite characters (e.g. good vs evil)

• Conflicting imagery (e.g. light vs dark)

• Contrasting settings (e.g. rural vs urban)

• Contradictory ideas (e.g. freedom vs control)

  
  

Juxtaposition isn’t just about pointing out a difference. Writers use it to emphasise key themes, challenge assumptions, or highlight tensions in a character, situation or society.

Examples from GCSE and A-Level Texts

Here are some well-known examples from texts you might be studying:

1. A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens (GCSE)

Dickens juxtaposes the character of Scrooge at the beginning and end of the novella.

• At the start, Scrooge is described as “hard and sharp as flint,” whereas by the end, he becomes “as good a man as the good old city knew.”

• This transformation is made more powerful because the two versions of Scrooge are placed in sharp contrast, showing the possibility of redemption.

How to write about it in an essay:“Dickens uses juxtaposition to present Scrooge’s transformation. The harsh imagery of ‘hard and sharp as flint’ contrasts with the generous tone of ‘as good a man’, highlighting the moral message that personal change is possible.”

2. An Inspector Calls – J.B. Priestley (GCSE)

Priestley uses the contrasting attitudes of Mr. Birling and Inspector Goole to explore socialist and capitalist ideologies.

• Mr. Birling is confident in his individualist views: “A man has to mind his own business.”

• The Inspector counters this with, “We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.”

Exam tip: Link the contrast to context.“Priestley juxtaposes the capitalist arrogance of Mr. Birling with the Inspector’s socialist message. This reflects the playwright’s critique of social inequality in post-war Britain.”

3. Macbeth – William Shakespeare (GCSE/A-Level)

Shakespeare opens Macbeth with “Fair is foul, and foul is fair,” a line that immediately juxtaposes opposites.

• This sets up a world where appearances are deceptive and moral boundaries are blurred.

• Later, Macbeth himself is described in contrasting terms — a brave warrior, but also a murderer.

How to write about it:“The line ‘Fair is foul, and foul is fair’ is a clear example of juxtaposition. Shakespeare presents a world of moral confusion where traditional opposites collapse, foreshadowing Macbeth’s descent into moral chaos.”

4. The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood (A-Level)

Atwood often juxtaposes the past (Offred’s memories of freedom) with the present (her oppression in Gilead).

• These shifts highlight what has been lost and create emotional impact.

• The freedom of jogging in shorts is contrasted with the enforced modesty of a red cloak.

“Atwood juxtaposes Offred’s past and present to highlight the brutality of Gilead. The contrast between everyday freedoms and current oppression emphasises the fragility of rights when power goes unchecked.”

5. Frankenstein – Mary Shelley (A-Level)

Victor and the Creature are a powerful juxtaposition.

• Victor is human but often acts selfishly and irresponsibly.

• The Creature, though unnatural, often shows more empathy and longing for connection.

“Shelley creates a complex juxtaposition between Victor and his creation. Ironically, the ‘monster’ often appears more humane than the man who made him, forcing the reader to question traditional ideas of morality and monstrosity.”

How to Write About Juxtaposition in Exams

Here’s a step-by-step method to make sure you use this technique effectively in your analysis:

Step 1: Identify the contrast

Pinpoint what is being contrasted — characters, imagery, setting, tone, ideas.

Step 2: Describe the effect

Explain why the writer might have used this contrast. What is it highlighting or exposing?

Step 3: Link to theme or context

Connect it to the writer’s wider message, theme, or social/historical context.

Example sentence starters:

• “The writer juxtaposes X with Y to show…”

• “By placing these two contrasting images side by side, the author reveals…”

• “This contrast highlights the theme of…”

• “Juxtaposition is used here to expose the difference between…”

Final Thoughts

Whether you're analysing Scrooge’s transformation, Macbeth’s inner conflict, or the oppressive regimes in dystopian fiction, juxtaposition is a technique that reveals more than surface-level difference. It invites you to explore contradictions, question appearances, and uncover deeper meanings.

Master this technique, and you’ll unlock more perceptive interpretations — exactly what examiners are looking for in the top bands.

Extended Example:

Of Mice and Men – Dreams vs Reality

In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck presents dreams as a source of hope but ultimately uses reality to crush them, exposing the harsh conditions of life during the Great Depression. The central dream of owning “a little piece of land” is shared by George, Lennie, and eventually Candy, and represents a desire for stability, independence, and dignity. Steinbeck makes this dream vivid through sensory imagery: Lennie’s excitement over tending the rabbits, the description of “live off the fatta the lan’,” and the vision of “a big vegetable patch and a rabbit hutch and chickens.” However, this hopeful vision is consistently juxtaposed with the brutal reality of the characters’ lives: itinerant work, low pay, and systemic powerlessness. This contrast is seen clearly in the structure of the novel itself — moments of hope are immediately followed by disappointment or violence. For example, Lennie’s joy in the dream is cut short by the tragic killing of his puppy, which symbolises the fragility of innocence and the inevitability of loss.

Crooks’s experience further develops this contrast. When Lennie shares the dream with him, Crooks dares to believe in it — “If you... guys would want a hand to work for nothing — just his keep, why I’d come an’ lend a hand.” Yet Crooks quickly retracts this hope when Curley’s wife reminds him of his status as a Black man in a racist society. The swift shift from hope to humiliation reflects how Steinbeck uses juxtaposition not just to highlight difference, but to expose the structural forces — racism, classism, ableism — that keep characters trapped. Dreams are not impossible because they are foolish, but because the social context makes them unreachable.

Ultimately, Steinbeck uses the death of Lennie as a final symbol of shattered dreams. The peaceful setting by the river is deliberately repeated from the novel’s opening, but whereas it began as a place of calm and companionship, it ends with death and loneliness. The cyclical structure of the novella, coupled with the use of symbolic juxtaposition between idealism and despair, reinforces Steinbeck’s message: the American Dream remains a myth for those at the bottom of society. George’s final acceptance that “I guess we got no choice” underlines this — the reality is too harsh to allow for dreams to survive.