Conflict What’s the problem?

Conflict Conflict is the dramatic struggle between two forces in a story. It is sometimes referred to as the problem the protagonist must overcome. Conflict is used to move the story along and keep the reader interested.

More on Conflict The main character is usually on one side of the central conflict. On the other side, the main character may struggle against: another important character, the forces of nature, against society, an alien or scientific force or even against something inside himself or herself (feelings, illness, etc.)

Types of Conflict Man vs. Man Man vs. Nature Man vs. Society Man vs. Self Man vs. Technology or Fate or Machines

Most common and most obvious literary conflict In Twilight, Edward Cullen fights James to protect his love, Bella. Man vs. Man Most common and most obvious literary conflict Occurs when a character has a fight, disagreement, or other kind of “argument” with another character

Man vs. Nature When a character has a conflict with an outside force such as weather, animals, land, etc. In Hatchet, Brian fights to survive when his plane crashes in the forest of the Canadian wilderness.

Man vs. Society Occurs when a character disagrees with the government, rules of society, laws or beliefs and fights against them. In The Hunger Games, Katniss must fight against the Capital, a government that forces people to follow them blindly and fight to the death in a televised tournament.

Man vs. Self Occurs when a character develops an internal struggle between his thoughts and ideas. This can be a result of one of the other types of conflicts mentioned. In Uglies, Tally struggles to decide whether she will turn her friends in to the government and be turned pretty or live in the outside world and remain ugly forever. This is a result of a man vs. society conflict.

Man vs. Technology, Fate or Machines Covers many different areas such as: technological advances machines fate In the Terminator, in the year 2029, the ruling super-computer, Skynet, sends an indestructible Cyborg back in time to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor before she can fulfill her destiny and save mankind.

Review of Conflict Types Man vs. Man Man vs. Nature Man vs. Society Man vs. Self Man vs. Technology, Fate or Machines