Name: ______________________________
Date: ________________________
6B- _____
Reading: Conflict Notes
Conflict: the problem, struggle, tension, or issue that adds intensity and usually action to
a story. Generally, the plot (action) is based on the conflict.
*In a short story, there is usually only one conflict.
*In a novel, there may be more than one conflict; the less important conflicts are
part of minor storylines called “sub-plots.”
2 Major Kinds of Conflict
1. Internal Conflict: The conflict occurs within a character. There is 1 specific type:
a. Character vs. Self: Often, characters don’t like themselves, or they don’t
understand themselves well. Sometimes, they struggle with “emotional survival”;
in other words, they are depressed, lonely, hurt, etc., and they must figure out how
to deal with or overcome these powerful feelings. Commonly, characters are
“torn” by conflicting choices or opinions: Tell the truth and hurt a friend or keep
a secret by hiding the truth? Some sources of internal conflicts include guilt,
regret, identity (figuring out and accepting who you are); low self-esteem (lack of
confidence), a troublesome character flaw (weakness), or simply a tough decision.
For example, a character might lie to his parents and struggle with a sense of
guilt. Similarly, an adopted child might yearn to meet his biological parents to
learn the truth about his biological origin. Or maybe an older sister struggles with
guilt. She feels responsible for a tragedy that befalls her younger sibling while
she, herself, was pursuing her own interests, instead of looking out for him.
2. External Conflicts: The conflict occurs between a character(s) and a force outside
the character(s). There are 4 specific types:
a. Character vs. Nature: The conflict occurs between a character(s) and some
element of nature. Examples include survival in nature, an avalanche, a
snowstorm, a flood, a tornado, etc. *Note: A rainy day is not necessarily an
example of character versus nature conflict. If an element of the weather, like a
storm, is to represent a character vs. nature conflict, it must seriously endanger a
(over)
character’s well-being; obstruct a character’s ability to reach a goal or fulfill an
obligation; or even threaten her survival. A gloomy day, on the other hand, might
simply be a gloomy day. Maybe it establishes a mood, but it won’t always create
a conflict. Finally, if the environment is truly the source of a conflict, it will often
contribute to the theme of the story, as well. In many cases (though not always), a
character vs. nature conflict will occur in a survival story.
b. Character vs. Character: The conflict occurs between individual characters or
between groups of characters. Often the characters have different values and
beliefs, or they are competing for the same thing. Examples include sibling
rivalries, bullies and victims, rival gangs, parents and children, friends who don’t
get along, and many more… Again, this conflict tends to appear in stories where
the tension between characters significantly affects them; it has serious
consequences or it really disturbs the characters. Also, a character vs. character
conflict will rarely consist of simple teasing or annoyance between characters.
Instead, it might start with teasing between characters and then become more
complicated and significant. The complication of the teasing or annoyance 
and especially some kind of realization about these things in the climax of the
story  usually signals that a genuine conflict, not just a minor irritation, exists.
c. Character vs. Society: The conflict occurs between a character(s) and some
institution (organized group), establishment of society, or element of a culture,
such as the legal system, a school, a religion, a custom, race, or a value.
Examples include prejudice, discrimination, and racism; individuality vs.
tradition; resistance to an act of initiation; and individuals who are otherwise not
accepted by a larger community of people — in other words, a person struggling
to fit in to a larger group. In character vs. society conflicts, characters often face
not just an individual or a small group of individuals, but a broader group or
organization of people. This organization of people  be it a school, a temple, a
neighborhood, or a culture, in general  might have a few key representatives
who belittle, ignore, ridicule, or reject a character. However, the idea with a
character versus society conflict is that these representatives are the faces of some
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larger group to which they belong. So, in many cases, the character vs. society
conflict has to do with themes of acceptance, fitting in, tolerance, discrimination,
racism, and alienation.
d. Character vs. Fate: The conflict occurs between a character(s) and what is often
called “destiny.” Usually, characters struggle against an invisible force, like a bad
situation beyond their control that seems to govern their future or determine what
is bound to happen to them. Sometimes, this conflict looks like a case of bad luck
because it seems, no matter what a character does, things won’t go his or her way.
In other cases, a character knows what is “bound to be” but can’t do anything to
avoid it. With character vs. fate conflicts, a character might learn that she is 
against her wishes  “supposed to be” queen or leader, maybe because a prophet
or the gods have predicted her rise to power or because the people have elected
her to the position or because she has inherited the crown and can do little to
avoid her fate. Or a character might feel “doomed” because he has done
something wrong that has condemned him to a fruitless life, made up of endless
disappointments or near misses, leaving him unable to change his future or
overcome the invisible forces of fate that seem to leave him powerless.
*Character vs. Fate is different from Character vs. Self because, when
you struggle against your fate, you are often powerless, with no control
over the future. When you struggle against yourself, you usually have a
better chance of resolving your problem because you might have choices.
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