Conflict
We spend so much time analyzing and writing about our conflicts to
understand the concept, “to be is to suffer” ... “all is suffering”.
DEFINITION:
 Conflict is the struggle (drama) grows between two opposing
forces in a piece of literature.
 At least one of the opposing forces is customarily a person.
 If you have sufficient conflict, you will be able to move the plot
forward and keep the attention of your reader.
 If your writing lacks conflict, it will lack tension and will fall flat.
Man vs Man
(external conflict)
DEFINITION:
 The most common and most obvious literary conflict
 Epitomizes the daily troubles we have with others.
 The conflict between two characters
 Plays a large role in the plot and contribute to the development of
both characters
 Books driven by this conflict primarily revolve around resolution
via violence or defeat.
Forms of Man vs Man conflict:
 Intellectual - arguments
 Moral - conflicting desires or opposing goals
 Physical - confrontations
 Emotional - dilemmas
Examples:
Film/Television
Rocky
Short Stories/Books
Kramer Versus Kramer
Of Mice and Men
Man vs Himself
(internal conflict)
DEFINITION:
 Often portrayed by a character fighting against his conscience or
moral beliefs, his own will, his own confusion, or his own fears.
 In order to attain happiness man must overcome his conflict with
himself by coming to a realization, finding out who he is or
changing his character.
 Ultimately the study of this conflict reveals the concept that life is
suffering.
 The struggle of the human being to come to a decision is the basis
of Man vs. Himself.
Example:
Film/Television
A Beautiful Mind
Short Stories/Books
Crime and Punishment,
The main character struggles with his
inability to forgive himself.
Sophie’s Choice,
Sophie must decide which of her
children to save and which of her
children to sacrifice to the Nazis, a
conflict of the soul.
Man vs Society
(external conflict)
DEFINITION:
 Often represented by a person who is an outcast or by a character
who tries to break the normal rules society has established.
 The character is repressed by society. Society itself is often
represented as a single character
 The main character fulfills his destiny in the midst of
uncomprehending or hostile social environments.
 Main source of conflict is social traditions or concepts.
 Such literature gives the writer an opportunity to comment on
positive/negative aspects of society as a whole.
Example:
Film/Television
Crash
Short Stories/Books
Frankenstein
In which the monster has no respite from the
judgment and horror expressed by all of
society, leaving him loveless and despondent.
Malcolm X
Animal Farm
The main conflict in this story is between the
exploited classes and the segment of society
that exploits the main characters.
Soylent Green
Man vs Nature
(external conflict)
DEFINITION:
 Man fights against the forces of nature.
 The forces of nature are out of the characters’ control.
 It is especially prominent in an uncivilized world. In modern times,
this theme is primarily seen when civilized man is put into a less
civilized setting.
 Many disaster films focus on this theme, which is predominant
within many survival stories. It is also strong in stories about
struggling for survival in remote locales.
Example:
Film/Television
The Happening
Jaws
The Day After Tomorrow
Castaway
Short Stories/Books
The Andromeda Strain,
Tarzan
Robinson Crusoe
Moby Dick
Man vs
Supernatural
DEFINITION:
 This could be ghosts, monsters, demons, etc.
 The main character must call upon his or her strength to defeat
the fantastic enemy confronting him or her.
 Often the supernatural acts as a catalyst for another conflict—man
vs himself.
Example:
Film
Ghost Busters
Poltergeist
Books
The Tell-Tale Heart
The spectral beating of a dead man's
heart is used to illustrate a murderer's
descent into madness.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Man vs
Technology/Machines
For some unseemly reason, once man has conquered the things he cannot
control, and has mastered his own self, he is still unsatisfied. Man invents
new conflicts to disrupt his state of balance ... and thus adds
technology/machines to his list.
DEFINITION:
 The battle with the machines usually arises out of a dystopia that
occurs as appearance and reality are blurred.
 A manifestation of man's fear of machines, positing what would
happen should machinery become sentient and exploring whether
machines could be superior to humans through their lack of emotion
or human frailty.
 Places a character against robot forces with "artificial intelligence".
 Because man created machine, this is a metaphysical manifestation of
a man vs himself conflict.
Example:
Film/Television
Terminator
The Matrix
Blade Runner
Short Story/Books
2001: A Space Odyssey
Frankenstein
The Veldt
Man vs Fate/God
DEFINITION:
 A struggle against metaphysical or abstract forces
 It is a theme where one attempts to break free of a predetermined
path chosen before him prior to his knowledge.
 It can also be referred to as an issue between fate and freewill.
Example:
Film/Television
Final Destination
Matrix
Star Wars
Batman Begins
Short Stories/Books
The Book of Job (Bible)
Romeo and Juliet
Oedipus Rex
Midsummer Night’s Dream
Man vs Impulse
civilization vs. savagery
order vs. chaos
reason vs. impulse
law vs. anarchy
good vs. evil
illusion vs. reality
freedom vs. bondage
constancy vs. change
balance vs. imbalance
Film
Television
Books
Man vs Time
DEFINITION:
 A character is constrained by time or time is directly conflicting
with the character's goal.
Example:
Film/Television
Butterfly Effect
24
Short Story/Books
The Time Machine