By the end of this lesson, you will be able to: identify conflict as it appears in literature. identify conflict as it appears in literature. distinguish between internal and external conflict. distinguish between internal and external conflict. place conflict in one of four subcategories. place conflict in one of four subcategories.

Internal Conflict Definition: A struggle that takes place in a character's mind is called internal conflict.

Internal Conflict is … NOT a visual or tangible opposition. It is a character dealing with his or her own mixed feelings or emotions.

Example of Internal Conflict A character may have to decide between right and wrong or between two solutions to a problem. A character may have to decide between right and wrong or between two solutions to a problem.

Internal Conflict Subcategory Man vs. himself Internal conflict is often referred to as man vs. himself since the struggle is inside one’s head.

External Conflict Definition: A struggle between a character and an outside force is an external conflict.

Example of External Conflict Characters may face several types of outside forces. The outside force may be another character. It may be the community/society. The outside force may also be forces of nature. For example, a story might be the main character struggling against the arctic cold.

External Conflict Subcategories Man vs. Man Man vs. Nature Man vs. Society

Man vs. Man This is mostly seen in the form of two characters against each other. It does not have to be a physical confrontation; it can be a battle between two ideas.

Man vs. Nature Nature is defined as anything surrounding a person. This can include weather, objects, activities. Basically anything external EXCEPT people.

Man vs. Society Society can be represented by a group of people. It can also be represented by the community surrounding the character.

Summary Conflict is a struggle between forces. It occurs within all stories of fiction. It can be within a character or it can occur between characters or groups of characters. There are four main types of conflict.

Review What are the four main types of conflict? What are the two categories of conflict? You will now use this knowledge to complete a chart based on the novel which you have been reading.