In Literature Conflict

6 types Is the main issue or problem and makes story move (creates excitement and anticipation) Short stories have one main conflict, novels may have more

Conflict Categories Internal Conflict (1) and External Conflict (5)

Internal Conflict Exists inside the character (in their head and heart) Makes character believable and credible Character vs. self

External Conflict Issue or problem that exists outside of the character’s head Character vs. character Character vs. nature Character vs. society Character vs. fate Character vs. technology

Character vs. Self Inner struggle with morals, beliefs, desires Must be resolved by the character alone, decisions made by the character Lion King- Character vs. Self

Character vs. Character One character struggles against or with another character Often due to moral, religious, or social differences Causes emotional, verbal, or physical conflicts between characters May be only conflict or coincide with other conflicts

Character vs. Fate When a character feels they should follow an unknown destiny or path Often leads to character vs. self conflict Star Wars video clip

Character vs. Nature One or more characters find themselves at odds with nature Ex: struck by lightning, boat sinks in a storm, hypothermia in a snow storm Cast Away video clip

Character vs. Society Characters struggle against the morals of their culture and government Battle evil or oppressive cultures (people of power trying to rule others), dictatorships (Hitler, Saddam Hussein)

Dystopian society- an imaginary place (often set in the future) where people are unhappy and usually afraid because they are not treated fairly. Ex: Hunger Games, Divergent “The books have nothing to say. They’re all about people that never existed. The people that read them, it makes them unhappy with their own lives, makes them want to live in other ways in which they can never really be.” Fahrenheit video clip

Character vs. Technology Character against man-made objects with “artificial intelligence” Just because we can, should we? Jurassic Park video clip My Sister's Keeper video clip

Conflict in literature can be complex Knowing the basics is key to understanding how conflict is built and how it affects the story There may be an individual conflict or many together, but conflict must exist for a story to exist.