Final answer:
Contrasting an imagined scene with present experience can illustrate a character's growth, the harshness of reality, or an emotional epiphany. It typically serves to deepen understanding and can evoke powerful emotional responses based on the narrative context.
Step-by-step explanation:
Contrasting an imagined scene with the present experience of a person often serves to highlight the disparity between aspirations, dreams, or illusions and the stark reality of the individual's current situation. This literary technique can illustrate a character's growth, disillusionment, or the harshness of their reality, which can lead to an emotional or philosophical epiphany for both the character and the reader. In the examples given, such as the man released from Plato's cave or the characters facing their own realities, we see a juxtaposition of what was believed to be true with what is actually true, inducing a powerful realization and a deepened understanding of self and the world.
In the case of Plato's Allegory of the Cave, the prisoner experiences physical and psychological distress upon encountering the real world after being released. The contrast highlights the pain of enlightenment and the difficulty of reconciling one's long-held beliefs with new truths.
Similarly, in the second scenario, the character envisions a hopeful, improved version of himself, which stands in stark contrast to his present life. This mirroring of potential against actuality can evoke a sense of longing, urgency, or despair, depending on the narrative context.