ENC 102
08/04/2026
ONLINE CLASS
Conflict in narrative
analysis
LESSON
FOCUS:
Point of view in
narrative analysis
Themes in narrative
analysis
Lesson outcomes:
• Define conflict, point of view, and theme.
• Identify different types of conflict in a story.
• Explain the narrator's point of view and its effect on the reader.
• Identify and analyse the major themes in a narrative.
• Support my ideas with quotations from the text.
• Explain how conflict, point of view, and themes help the author
communicate meaning.
Conflict is the struggle or problem that a
character faces in a story. It creates tension,
keeps readers interested, and moves the plot
forward.
Conflict
Very NB: If there is no conflict, there is no story.
Without a problem or challenge, there is little
reason for readers to continue reading.
• Creates excitement and suspense.
Conflict..
• Gives characters challenges to overcome.
• Develops character growth.
• Keeps readers engaged.
• Leads to the climax and resolution of the story.
Types of
conflict in
narratives
• Internal Conflict
A struggle that happens within a character's
mind or emotions.
• External Conflict
A struggle between a character and outside forces
such as the society, another character, nonhuman obstacle nature etc.
Identifying conflict in a narrative
When reading a story, asking these questions will lead
you to identifying conflict that exists:
• Who is the main character?
• What problem does the character face?
• Who or what causes the problem?
• Is the conflict internal or external?
• How does the conflict affect the story?
Example from The Toilet
Type of Conflict
Definition
Character vs. Self (Internal Conflict)
The character struggles with their own thoughts,
emotions, or decisions.
Character vs. Character
The main character faces conflict with another person.
Character vs. Society
The character struggles against unfair social conditions,
rules, or expectations.
Character vs. Environment (or Character vs.
Surroundings)
Character vs. Nature
The character struggles against the physical conditions
around them.
The character struggles against natural forces such as
weather or disasters.
(Read the story and identify the conflicts present and
populate this column)
POINT OF
VIEW
• Point of view is the
perspective from which
the narrator tells the
story. It determines
whose thoughts,
feelings, and
experiences the reader
has access to.
POINT OF VIEW
Point of View
Narrator's Position
Whose thoughts does the narrator
know?
First Person
Inside the story
Only the narrator's thoughts
Second Person
Speaks directly to the reader
Usually addresses the reader rather than
revealing multiple characters' thoughts often used in instructions, speeches, or
interactive conversations.
Third Person Objective
Outside the story
No, the narrator does not reveal any
character's thoughts or feelings.
Third Person Limited
Outside the story
Yes, but only one character's thoughts
Third Person Omniscient
Outside the story
Yes, all characters' thoughts and feelings
Questions
to ask
when
identifying
the POV in
a narrative
Who is telling the story?
Is the narrator a character in the story
What pronouns are used in the story
What does the narrator know?
How does the point of view affect the
reader?
Read the quotation below and Identify which
point of view The Toilet is written from:
“Sometimes I wanted to give up and be a good girl who listened to her elders.
Maybe I should have done something like teaching or nursing as my mother
wished. People thought these professions were respectable, but I knew I wanted
something different, though I was not sure what. I thought a lot about acting… My
mother said that it had been a waste of good money educating me, because I did
not know what to do with the knowledge I had acquired (got). I’d come to
Johannesburg for the December holidays after writing my Matric exams, and then
stayed on, hoping to find something to do. My elder sister worked in Orange Grove
as a domestic worker, and I stayed with her in her back room. I didn’t know
anybody in Jo’burg except my sister’s friends, with whom we went to church. The
Methodist Church up Fourteenth Avenue was about the only outing we had
together. I was very bored and lonely.”
Based on
your
answer on
the
previous
slide:
Which pronouns would change if the story
was written in third person?
Would the story have the same emotional
impact if it were told from another point of
view? Explain.
How would the story change if it were told
from Irene’s or the Madam's point of view?
How does the first-person point of view help
readers understand the narrator?
Themes in
a narrative
• A theme is the main
idea or message
that emerges from
the events,
characters, setting,
and conflicts in a
story.
What is the main problem in the story?
Identifying
themes in a
narrative:
What lesson does the main character
learn?
What ideas keep appearing throughout
the story?
How does the character change by the
end?
What message does the ending leave
the reader with?
Identify the Theme
Explain the Theme
Provide Evidence
Explain the Evidence
Name the central idea.
Describe how it
develops throughout the
story.
Use quotations from the
text.
Show how the quotation
supports the theme.
EXAMPLE: The theme of
hope
The narrator remains
hopeful despite many
hardships.
“Before long, I was
Being alone in the toilet
sitting on that toilet seat, and writing symbolises
hope for the main
writing a poem."
character
EXAMPLE: The theme of
resilience
The narrator shows
resilience despite the
challenges around her
“Slowly I walked over to
a bench nearby... and
wrote my story anyway."
The narrator adapts to
challenges instead of
giving up, demonstrating
perseverance.
Homework
activity: In a
paragraph
of not more
than 12
lines:
• Identify one symbol within the story that
develops the theme of inequality.
• Discuss how the ending reinforce the story’s
theme of resilience?
• Discuss how the themes of loneliness and
poverty contribute to the narrator's personal
growth in The Toilet.
QUESTIONS
In
preparation
for next
week’s
class:
Read
“The suit” short
story