Let’s keep it simple!
Conflict = a problem
Two broad types
• Internal – a conflict that takes
place INSIDE a character
• External – a conflict caused by
something OUTSIDE a
character
Six specific types
• Man vs. Self
• Man vs. Man
• Man vs. Society
• Man vs. Nature
• Man vs. God/the gods/Fate
• Man vs. Machine
Internal conflict
Only one type!
Man vs. Self – a character has a
conflict with himself
Ex 1: Larry can’t decide if he should
date Karen or Betty.
Ex 2: Larry is super shy and so he
has trouble asking a girl out on a
date.
Internal conflict
Ex 3: Larry had a nightmare
and now he can’t go back to
sleep.
Ex 4: Larry wants to run faster,
but his legs will only move as
fast as they’re already moving.
Your Example
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External conflicts
• FIVE types!
• Man vs. Man
• Man vs. Society
• Man vs. Nature
• Man vs. God/the gods/Fate
• Man vs. Machine
Man vs. Man – a character has
a conflict with another character
Ex 1: Larry and Karen get into
an argument about where to
eat.
Ex 2: Karen and Betty get into
a fist fight over Larry.
Man vs. Man – a character has
a conflict with another character
Ex 3: Karen hates that Larry is
dating Betty, so she spreads
rumors that Betty is cheating on
Larry.
Ex 4: Larry refuses to put the milk
back in the fridge, so Betty gets
mad at him.
Your Example
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Man vs. Society – a
character has a conflict
with the society as a whole
(laws, established
authority, schools, etc.) or
the most powerful group in
a society at any given time
Man vs. Society
Ex 1: Larry got caught
speeding down the interstate
at 106 mph so he went to jail.
Ex 2: Karen refuses to follow
the dress code, and so she
gets sent to safe.
Man vs. Society
• Ex 3: Barry is a cannibal.
• Ex 4: Betty protests
against a school policy.
Your Example
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Man vs. Nature – a character
has a conflict with nature –
weather, animals, etc.
• Ex 1: A hurricane sinks a boat
with Larry on it.
• Ex 2: A meteor crashes into
Cynthiana and everyone
(including Betty) must flee.
Man vs. Nature – a character
has a conflict with nature –
weather, animals, etc.
• Ex 3: A bear sneaks into
Barry’s campsite and
chases him into a pond.
• Ex 4: Karen’s cats wake
her up at 2 a.m.
Your Example
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Man vs. God/the
gods/fate – a character
has a conflict with God,
the Greek gods or
goddesses, or ‘Fate’
Man vs. God/the gods/fate
Ex 1: God told Jonah to go to Ninevah
and he didn’t, so God put him in the
belly of a whale.
Ex 2: Icharus was told by his father,
Helios, the Greek sun god, not to fly
too close to the sun, but Icharus
disobeyed, and so Helios punished
him (ultimately plummeting him to his
death in the sea).
Man vs. God/the gods/fate
Ex 3: Larry gets saved, but
then sins and feels guilty for
it.
Ex 4: Oedipus was fated to
sleep with his mother and kill
his father.
NOTE: FATE WILL RARELY BE AN ANSWER.
Your Example
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Man vs. Machine – a
character has a conflict with
some sort of man-made
‘machine’ – real machinery
or things that work as
machines (i.e. a window)
Man vs. Machine
Ex 1: Karen is frustrated
because the window in her
room is stuck and it’s too
hot.
Ex 2: Barry’s car won’t start
so he is late to work.
Man vs. Machine
Ex 3: Larry’s gun misfires
and he shoots his toe off.
Ex 4: Betty’s computer
won’t save to a disk or
print.
Your Example
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