Daily Prompt S7, Insanely Awesome Character Contrast, Using Powerful Juxtaposition
Daily Prompt Session 7 includes character contrast, which involves placing two characters with opposing traits, backgrounds, or circumstances side by side to highlight their differences. Let’s get into it!
Session 7 follows directly from session 6, in that we will further explore the power of juxtaposition in writing.
If you have forgotten or missed the previous session, then be sure to check session 6 of Daily Prompt, and also the Living Dictionary to get clued up.
First, let’s do a visual, shall we? Looking at a visual of something helps me to get started. Let’s look at an image of juxtaposition between two people.
So, when you look at the image, what does it tell you? Try to analyze it and come up with your own answer before you look below.
If you looked at these two people side by side and noticed opposing traits, such as messy vs clean and happy vs sad, you’re on the right track!
Definition: Character contrast involves placing two characters with opposing traits, backgrounds, or circumstances side by side to highlight their differences. This technique emphasizes the disparities in their lives, personalities, and experiences.
Okay, now that both me and you have done our review and revision, let’s move on to the Daily Prompt.
Daily prompt session 7: character contrast
Two Worlds Apart (Inspired by a personal friend’s daily life)
Prompt: Write a short story or article showcasing the stark contrast between a wealthy businessman and a homeless person. Describe their daily routines, interactions, and thoughts to highlight social inequality.
Before you do that!
Before you go ahead and write, first, why not take the time to ‘label’ the picture. I find it to be good practice. I didn’t spend much time on it, but I chose a few glaringly obvious things.
Have another look:
So, this time I chose to do an article to highlight the differences here’s what this juxtaposition did for me guys. First I decided to imagine, then below that I wrote the beginning of an observational article. Check it out:
Imagine This
In the heart of downtown, Robert Davis, a successful businessman, starts his day with a fresh cup of coffee from a high-end café. His morning is filled with meetings and decisions that shape his company’s future. Just a few blocks away, John, a homeless man, wakes up on a park bench. His day begins with a search for food and shelter, navigating a world that often overlooks him. The bustling city serves as a backdrop, emphasizing the contrasting lives of these two men.
What I Came Up With
~Two Worlds Apart~
Each morning on my way to work, I feel like I see the same thing that fills me with envy. Each morning at precisely 8:56am, I walk past a man I know to be called Robert Davis. Each morning, I’m reminded that I can never forget his name is Robert Davis because of the employee badge he wears on his expensive, tailored suit. Each morning, as I walk past him on the left side, he passes me on my right. He never looks at me, yet each time I catch the scent of his Starbucks cappuccino, melding with the smell of his cologne and the car fumes from the heavy traffic buzzing by to his left. I wish I had what Robert Davis has.
My own workplace is through the alley across the road and through the alleyway. I go that way because it’s the fastest way to work, but the only reason Robert Davis walks past me each morning is to get to the limo that waits for him at the start of every workday. Every time I see him, Robert Davis, he’s got a smile on his face.
Walking through the alley to my own workplace is not necessary, but it’s what I enjoy to do. The reason for that is I get to see John, and he sees me. Each weekday I see John, and that’s every weekday, I’m not filled with envy, but I’m washed over with a sense of contentment. John’s always up as I’m walking through the alley, and he always says hello. I know his name is John because —
“Hello, Elliot, good morning to you,” says John each morning he sees me.
“Hi, John,” I say each day, and I hand him a hot coffee I bought from the newsagents just before the Starbucks. “Same old same old.”
John’s wearing the same thing he always wears. Dirty yellows head to toe, accompanied by a familiar, yet faint smell of sweat. John, as always, accompanies me on my left and walks with me the length of the alley towards work. As we walk past the group of dangerous-looking fellas near the end of the alley, John gives them a hello and they let us past with a nod.
Near the gate at the end of the alley, John asks me, “How’s that ladyfriend of yours doing?”
“Yvonne is very well,” I tell him with a smile, “thank you John.”
John nods back as I go through the gate and into my small place of work with my cheap coffee. I don’t smell cologne. In fact, I still smell sweat. But as I start my day, my envy is forgotten, and instead…I’m content.
“See you after work, buddy,” says John.
Well, that is what my Daily Prompt did for me today.
What did it do for you?
Let me know in the comments.
See you next time,
TW
