What is Conflict?

• A conflict is a struggle between opposing forces.

• There are two main kinds of conflict in stories:

internal and external.
Internal Conflict
• A struggle that takes place in a character's
mind is called internal conflict.
• For example, a character may have to decide
between right and wrong or between two
solutions to a problem. Sometimes, a character
must deal with his or her own mixed feelings
or emotions.

(Character vs. Self)

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

Characters may face several types of outside forces:

• The outside force may be another character. (Character vs character)
• It may be the community. (Character vs society)
• The outside force may also be forces of nature. (Character vs nature)
External Conflict

• Character vs. Character (Harry Potter vs. Voldemort)

• Character vs. Nature (Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz)
• Character vs. Society (Shrek from Shrek)
So, what’s the difference?
• An internal conflict is just that– a conflict that takes place
internally. This is better known as character vs. self.

• An external conflict is a conflict that can be seen physically.

We know external conflicts as character vs. character,
character vs. nature, and character vs. society.
1. Character vs. ?
1. Character vs. ? Nature
2. Character vs. ?
2. Character vs. ? Self

Could this
also be
Char. Vs.
Society?
How?
3. Character vs. ?
3. Character vs. ? Character
4. Character vs. ?
4. Character vs. ? Society

Could this
also be
Char. Vs.
Character?
How?
5. Character vs. ?
5. Character vs. ? Nature
6. Character vs. ?
6. Character vs. ? Society
7. Character vs. ?
“If she had only proceeded more slowly.
If she had only taken the Southerly route, avoiding the
icebergs. If only the watch had had a pair of
binoculars.”

(news story about the Titanic)

7. Character vs. ? Nature

“If she had only proceeded more slowly.

If she had only taken the Southerly route, avoiding the
icebergs. If only the watch had had a pair of
binoculars.”

(news story about the Titanic)

8. Character vs. ?
Charles decided to break all the rules the day he
decided to steal that car. He was immediately arrested
and sent to jail to await his trial. He should have
known better than to mess with the “rules.”
8. Character vs. ? Society

Charles decided to break all the rules the day he

decided to steal that car. He was immediately arrested
and sent to jail to await his trial. He should have
known better than to mess with the “rules.”
9. Character vs. ?
“I don’t care who you talk
to!” screamed Sarah to
West. “I just wish I had
never met you!”
9. Character vs. ? Character

“I don’t care who you talk

to!” screamed Sarah to
West. “I just wish I had
never met you!”
10. Character vs. ?
After lowering himself into the damp and dark cave
Tom began to reprimand himself for not having
replaced his flashlight batteries. Tom’s terror slowly
began to take over as the light around him grew
dimmer and dimmer and dimmer.
10. Character vs. ? Self
After lowering himself into the damp and dark cave
Tom began to reprimand himself for not having
replaced his flashlight batteries. Tom’s terror slowly
began to take over as the light around him grew
dimmer and dimmer and dimmer.
11. Character vs. ?

After the light in the cave was completely

gone Tom began to stumble through the
cave blindly cutting his hands on what
appeared to be sharp rocks.
11. Character vs. ? Nature

After the light in the cave was completely

gone Tom began to stumble through the
cave blindly cutting his hands on what
appeared to be sharp rocks.
12. Character vs. ?

Tom found a dry spot to sit down in the dark

and began to obsess over an argument he
had had earlier in the day with his mother in
which he had said, “I hope I never see you
again!”
12. Character vs. ? Character

Tom found a dry spot to sit down in the dark

and began to obsess over an argument he
had had earlier in the day with his mother in
which he had said, “I hope I never see you
again!” Could this
also be
Char. Vs. Self?
How?
13. Character vs. ?
Tom’s mother was upset that he wanted to skip going
to college in order to go spelunking in all of the world’s
greatest caves before he turned thirty. Tom didn’t
understand the big deal, he didn’t really believe in
structured “learning” anyway.
13. Character vs. ? Society
Tom’s mother was upset that he wanted to skip going
to college in order to go spelunking in all of the world’s
greatest caves before he turned thirty. Tom didn’t
understand the big deal, he didn’t really believe in
structured “learning” anyway. Could this
also be
Char. Vs.
Character?
How?