Final answer:
Contrasting an imagined scene with the present experience heightens the emotional impact, underlining themes of hope versus reality and the human condition.
Step-by-step explanation:
By contrasting the imagined scene with the present experience of the man, the writer emphasizes the stark difference between hope and reality, dreams and their dissolution, and the internal world of the mind against the external world of actual events. The imagined scenes of home, love, and comfort are starkly offset by the abrupt return to a harsh reality, often involving pain or loss. This contrast serves to deepen the emotional impact on the reader, making the character's desperate situation more poignant and highlighting universal themes of longing and the human condition.