1. CONFLICT Types & The Ones Many People Face
¨You Got a Problem Man ?¨
CONFLICT Types & The Ones Many People Face

2. Conflict in Literature
External
Person vs. machine
Person vs. fate
Person vs. nature
Person vs. society
Person vs. person
Internal
Person vs. self

3. Conflict Conflict is a struggle between opposing forces
Every story must contain some kind of conflict
Stories can have more than one conflict
Conflicts can be external or internal
External conflict- outside force may be person, group, animal, nature, or a nonhuman obstacle
Internal conflict- takes place in a character’s mind

4. Internal Conflict Person vs. Self
A character has a problem deciding what to do in a particular situation. (Feelings & emotions)
Character finds inner strength despite poor odds.
Character must develop moral compass.
Character must discover self-worth.

5. External Conflict Person vs. Person
One character has a problem with one or more of the other characters.
One character must battle another character to gain power, true love, freedom, justice or acceptance.
One group of characters must free themselves from another.
One character must confront another to survive.

6. External Conflict Person vs. Society
A character has a problem with some element of society: the school, the law, the accepted way of doing things, etc.
Character trapped by circumstances of birth.
Character falsely accused by society.
Character feels apart from society and discovers own values.

7. External Conflict Person vs. Nature
A character has a problem with some natural occurrence: a snowstorm, an avalanche, the bitter cold, or any other element of nature.
A person trying to survive in hostile natural conditions

8. External Conflict Person vs. Fate
A character has to battle what seems to be an uncontrollable problem. Whenever the problem seems to be a strange or unbelievable coincidence, fate can be considered the cause of the conflict.

9. External Conflict Person vs. Machine
A character has to confront technology or other elements of human creation (as opposed to natural creation.)

10. Discussion Activity
In groups of 4, discuss the conflicts each character faces… 1) Is it External, Internal ? 2) What Type of Conflicts (Person vs ?) 3) What Other Personal Conflicts are Present? 4) How do you think they will be able to get through it ? 5) How would you deal with that conflict if you were that character?