CONFLICT IN LITERATURE

What is conflict? All stories are built on conflict. It provides the central source of tension and drama that make stories interesting to read.

CONFLICT Necessary to a story Usually only one conflict in a short story Longer stories/novels have one “main” conflict, as well as several other smaller conflicts Conflict adds excitement and suspense Conflict becomes more intense in the rising action Conflict is solved by the resolution of the story/novel

Conflict=a problem/struggle Conflict-The story’s problem…to figure out the main conflict in a story, try to state the central problem of the story in one sentence. (Ex: Jack London’s “To Build a Fire” is a story about a man’s desperate struggle to keep himself alive in the wilderness.)

Types of Conflict INTERNAL- A struggle between a character and his/her inner self. The character has trouble making a decision.

Types of Conflict EXTERNAL-Involves a struggle between a character and a force outside him/herself. *Another person *nature *society

Character vs. self (internal conflict) Character vs. self-a character may battle an internal conflict, such as trying to make a decision or trying to make sense of some event. It often involves’ psychological conflicts with themselves-such as overcoming a drug habit or alcoholism, grieving over the loss of a loved one, etc.

Character vs. character (external conflict) Character vs. character-a character has a struggle/fight with another character(s). The conflict is between people-such as family, trouble with a bully, difficulties in a romance, etc.

Character vs. nature (external conflict) Character vs. nature-involves conflict between an individual and the natural world or natural forces such as fighting a powerful hurricane, remaining safe in a flood or snowstorm, surviving after a plane crash, lost in the desert, etc.

Character vs. society (external conflict) Character vs. society-involves conflict between an individual and larger group of society such as being an outsider in a strange culture, a poor character’s struggle to “make it” in the business world, an environmentalist fighting to preserve a wilderness area that most residents of the nearby area would like to see opened to development, etc.

In Summary… Conflict is the main problem or struggle in the story Conflict can be either internal or external There are 4 main types of conflict- Character vs. self Character vs. character Character vs. society Character vs. nature