Conflict in Literature

Two types of Conflict in Literature: External Internal

Internal Conflict Occurs within the characters mind A character may have to decide between right and wrong A character may have to make a difficult decision

Internal Conflict Internal Conflict is more specifically called “Man vs. Self.” It is called this because it is a battle occurring within the character’s head.

Internal Conflict is… NOT a visible or tangible (can be touched) opposition. A character dealing with his or her own mixed feelings and/or emotions.

Internal Conflict Example Denise replayed the events of the day in her mind. How could Sam have cheated on his Physics test? She did not know what to do. Should she pretend that she did not know and hope that no one ever found out? Or should she tell Mr. Prior about what Sam did even though it might mean losing his friendship? It was a difficult decision to be sure.

External Conflict External Conflict occurs outside of the character’s mind. It is a struggle between a character and an outside force. It takes place in the world and can be seen / heard / experienced by our senses.

Man vs. Man This type of conflict takes place when one character is opposing another. Though the battle can be physical, it can also be a battle of wills or ideas. There does not have to be violence to have a conflict.

Man vs. Society Man vs. Society occurs when one person (or a small group of people) faces a larger, established group. For example, if a character were attempting to rebel against the government, his rebellion would be considered Man vs. Society.

Man vs. Environment Man vs. Environment is often a broader term that includes many other more specific types of conflict. Environment includes anything external (outside of the mind) EXCEPT people. Ex. Objects, weather, activities, etc.

Man vs. Nature Man vs. Nature is explicitly dealing with natural elements. This would include weather, natural forces (such as a mountain), etc. An example might be a person trying to climb Mount Everest. There would be constant conflict between that person and the natural elements he/she would face.

Man vs. Machine This category is newer in terms of its use in literature. An example of Man vs. Machine would be a person facing a robot.

Man vs. Supernatural This type of external conflict is rarely used, however, it is nice to know about. Guess what it means. Man vs. Supernatural is a type of external conflict in which a person faces a supernatural element (such as a ghost). Think of any movie where there is a haunted house – this is an example of Man vs. Supernatural.

Identify the Conflict: Jody barely ducked the punch before it landed square on his jaw. “I will see that a new system is put in place that does not exclude any member of society!” She could hear the sound of the eerie laughter as it trickled down from the floor above. I warred with my own conscience whether to keep walking or stop and take a stand.