Conflict

What’s the problem?

ConflictConflict 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 ConflictThe 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 forceor even against something inside himself or herself (feelings, illness, etc.)

Types of ConflictMan vs. ManMan vs. NatureMan vs. SocietyMan vs. SelfMan vs. Technology or Fate or Machines

Man vs. ManMost common and most obvious

literary conflictOccurs when a character has a fight,

disagreement, or other kind of “argument” with another character

In Twilight, Edward Cullenfights James toprotect his love, Bella.

Man vs. NatureWhen 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. SocietyOccurs 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 governmentthat forces people to follow them blindlyand fight to the death in a televised tournament.

Man vs. SelfOccurs 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 MachinesCovers many different areas such as: technological advancesmachinesfate

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 TypesMan vs. ManMan vs. NatureMan vs. SocietyMan vs. SelfMan vs. Technology, Fate or Machines