Understanding Conflict

3.3 Analyze interactions between characters in a literary text by focusing on internal and external conflicts.

What is CONFLICT?

Conflict means tension between characters

A conflict can be... a struggle a personal war a clash of ideas a problem

Every conflict needs a resolution

Without a resolution, bad things tend to happen

There are two types conflict of

An external conflict is a struggle between a character and an outside force

In The Dark Knight, the Joker initiates an external conflict with Batman is the “outside force” The Joker that Batman has to overcome

In Star Wars, Darth Vader is the source external conflict of the

In movies like 28 Days Later and Resident Evil, zombies are for the external responsible conflict

An external conflict is... beyond the character’s control something the character encounters face to face a physical force that keeps the character from achieving his or her goals

An external conflict is NOT... a simple misunderstanding that can be resolved over a cup of coffee

For many characters, an external conflict is a matter of life and death

Think about the effects of an external conflict Who do they What kind of IMPACT do they have on the story?

In The Dark Knight, the Joker inflicts death, doom, and destruction on Gotham City— all effects of the external conflict he creates

In the Harry Potter series, Lord Voldemort creates a similar external conflict, whose effects include murder, mayhem, and genuine fear

Why is external conflict important ?

Without external conflict, there is no action no drama no tension no story

External conflict is what forces a character to make tough decisions

Without external conflict, the protagonist will always be a static character, without an opportunity to change, grow, or discover something new about life

There are FIVE external conflicts that are popular in fiction and movies

Man vs. man

Man vs. society

Man vs. nature

Man vs. the unknown

Man vs. machine

Now for INTERNAL conflict

An internal conflict is a struggle that takes place in a character’s mind

An internal conflict can be... a belief a need or desire a personal problem a fear

In The Dark Knight, Batman’s internal conflict is his unwillingness to kill the Joker Another one of Batman’s internal conflicts is that he often makes choices that are dangerous and outside the law

Internal are psychological conflicts External conflicts are physical

An internal conflict is often the RESULT of an external conflict

In The Dark Knight, the Joker triggers one of Batman’s biggest internal conflicts: his refusal to disclose his identity as Bruce Wayne.

When thinking about a story’s conflict, ask yourself these questions: What’s at stake for the protagonist? What happens if the conflict isn’t resolved?

In The Wizard of Oz, the Wicked Witch is Dorothy’s external conflict. Dorothy’s internal conflict is that she feels as if she doesn’t belong in the Land of Oz. Dorothy resolves her conflicts by killing the witch and by learning that there really is no place like home.

Little Red Riding Hood’s external conflict is the Big Bad Wolf. Little Red Riding Hood’s internal conflict is that she has mixed feelings about the Big Bad Wolf. Little Red Riding Hood resolves her conflicts by escaping the Big Bad Wolf and by learning that she shouldn’t talk to strangers.

A s y o u r e a d a s t o r y... d e c i d e w h a t c o n f l i c t s t h e y f a c e l o o k f o r s t e p s t h e y t a k e t o r e s o l v e t h e i r c o n f l i c t s i d e n t i f y t h e m a i n c h a r a c t e r s s e e i f t h e s e s t e p s c a u s e o t h e r c o n f l i c t s

An important idea related to conflict is character motivation

Motivation is the reason characters behave the way they do—it’s what drives their actions

To be motivated means to be moved to do something

There are two types of motivation

Intrinsic motivation comes from within It means doing something because it’s fun Extrinsic motivation comes from outside It means doing something for an outcome

There are different factors that motivate characters

REVENGE is what motivates Two-Face In The Dark Knight,

In the movie Scarface, three things motivate Tony Montana: power, money, and his desire to move up in the world.

A sense of justice and a need to help others is what motivates most superheroes.

Antagonists like the Joker use fear and the threat of death or violence to motivate people.

Love is a source of motivation for many characters

allows you Understanding a character’s motivation to understand the character

So what motivates YOU?