What type of conflict occurs in the passage character vs self

What would a story be without a conflict? It would be boring. Perhaps that is why all stories worth telling have a problem. Most scholars agree that there are six basic types of conflicts in literature. I will define each of these. Then I will provide PowerPoint lessons and worksheets that reinforce these ideas. Use these resources to help your students master the concept of conflict in literature.

In this type of conflict, the central character clashes with another person. It doesn't always have to be a person. They could be animals for instance. I guess It's just easier to say person instead of entity.

What type of conflict occurs in the passage character vs self

Not all conflicts are between characters.

Jimmy and Eric compete for the same position on the baseball team.

When a story has a person vs. self conflict, the main character battles him or herself. He or she may lack confidence or ability. He or she may have to make a difficult choice. Or he or she may have to address a personal problem. The key here is that the battle occurs within the character, though it may involve and affect other characters.

Alexa caught her friend Jamie stealing from a classmate. Now Alexa must choose between keeping her friendship with Jamie and doing the right thing.

With this type of conflict, the main character challenges a law, tradition, or institution. The main character or characters may battle against the forces that represent these institutions.

Vanessa makes an art project protesting police brutality. Her art teacher loves the project and tries to feature it in the town art show, but the county commission rejects the project. Now Vanessa, her art teacher are going to fight for the freedom of expression.

When a story has a person vs. nature conflict, the main character fights to endure or overcome forces of nature. He or she may struggle to survive harsh elements, navigate through a disaster, or meet his or her basic needs. Stories with this type of conflict may occur in the wilderness often, but they can occur in urban settings too.

Alex and Scott are out at sea on a small fishing boat when a large storm hits. After their boat flips over and sinks during the storm, Alex and Scott struggle to make it back to the shore. Just when they think that things can't get any worse, they see a shark fin circling them.

In stories with this type of conflict, the main character resists forces that are not of this world. He or she may battle monsters or strange creatures. He or she may challenge beings with magical powers. Or he or she may encounter hostile aliens. The key to this conflict is that forces that are not of this world threaten the main character.

Tara and her friends accept a dare to sleepover in the old abandoned house on the hill. They acted brave at first, but when they started seeing ghosts they tried to run. Trapped in the haunted house, Tara and her friends struggle to escape with their lives.

In a story with this type of conflict, the main character resists technological forces. He or she may battle rouge robots or hostile computers. Or he or she may just struggle to accept or use the technology of a changing world.

Bob is a salesman who never adapted to the new ways of doing business. Now he has a new boss who forces Bob to send text messages and emails. Bob struggles to use these technologies and fears that he will lose his job. But maybe some help from his youngest son will help Bob catch up to the pace of business today.

These worksheets and PowerPoint lessons are great for reinforcing this information. Worksheet files are saved in RTF (for editing) and PDF (for printing) format. Feel free to modify or change the content on these worksheets for use in your classroom. They are also available as preview files and the answer keys are included in web format as well.

Types of Conflict Worksheet 1

Looking for worksheets about the 6 types of conflicts in storytelling? Check this out! In this conflict worksheets students read ten short story descriptions. Then they determine the protagonist, antagonist, and type of conflict in each. Suggested reading level for this text: Grade 4-8.

What type of conflict occurs in the passage character vs self

Types of Conflict Worksheet 2

Students need practice to master literary skills. This worksheet has ten more problems to reinforce students' knowledge of conflict types in literature. Students will identify the protagonist, antagonist, and conflict type in each problem. Suggested reading level for this text: Grade 3-7.

What type of conflict occurs in the passage character vs self

Types of Conflict Worksheet 3

Here are ten more problems covering conflict. This worksheet will help students master conflict types in literature. They read descriptions of stories and identify the protagonist and antagonist. Then they determine the type of conflict. Suggested reading level for this text: Grade 3-7.

What type of conflict occurs in the passage character vs self

Types of Conflict Worksheet 4

This is the fourth conflict worksheet in a series of four. These conflict worksheets will help students achieve mastery of this basic reading skill. Students will read the short plot descriptions, identify the main character and the opposing force, and determine the conflict type. Suggested reading level for this text: Grade 4-8.

What type of conflict occurs in the passage character vs self

Types of Conflict Lesson 1

Here is a PowerPoint slideshow covering the six types of conflicts in literature. The lesson covers definitions of the six types of conflicts, examples, and few helpful tips. This slide show has animated transitions and a five problem practice activity after the lesson.

What type of conflict occurs in the passage character vs self

Types of Conflict Lesson 2

Here is another PowerPoint slideshow covering the six types of conflicts in literature. It is pretty similar to the lesson one but contains different examples and practice problems. This is great if you are teaching an 8th grade class that you also saw in the 7th grade, for instance. It contains defintions, examples, and practice problems covering the six types of conflicts in literature.

What type of conflict occurs in the passage character vs self

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What type of conflict occurs in the passage character vs self

  • Woman with internal conflict

  • uzenzen / iStock / Getty Images Plus

Conflict is used to bring a story to life. Internal conflict happens when a character struggles with something within themselves. These two contradicting wants, needs or desires help to build a character. Explore several famous examples of man vs. self and how it differs from external conflict.

Internal conflict -- also called man vs. self -- is a battle inside a character. In movies or TV shows, this might be shown as the good angel on one shoulder and the evil demon on the other.

With internal conflicts, you might feel a clash between competing desires. For example, an alcoholic may struggle not to reach for the bottle of bourbon. That person knows they need to stop drinking, but the desire to drink is very strong, leading to an intense internal struggle.

In fact, there are several types of internal conflict, including:

  • Conflicts about religion come into play when a person begins to question their faith or culture. For example, someone might question God after the death of a loved one.
  • Sexual conflicts are a war between your morals and sexual desires. For example, a person may feel conflicted about having sex before marriage.
  • Moral conflict is where you might bend your morals for a perceived greater good or immediate need. For example, a person might steal food to feed their starving family.
  • Conflict in self-image happens when a person's actions do not align with how they view themselves. For example, a mother may feel guilty if she thinks she's patient, but loses her temper with her children.
  • Conflicts of love is when you hurt something you love. Spanking children is a great example of this type of internal conflict.
  • Existential conflicts are internal struggles that a character might have about the meaning of life or the meaning in their life. For example, an environmentalist might work to save the planet while secretly believing it is doomed.
  • Interpersonal or societal conflicts are internal conflicts between your personal feelings and societal norms or expectations. A naturally introverted person who fakes being extraverted to fit in with classmates is an example. This can make them feel guilty about not being true to themselves.

Internal conflict is a character element that is utilized to add depth, mood, morality and humanism to characters in both movies and books.

Books and movies are a great place to find examples of internal struggles. As the character struggles with their inner thoughts and feelings, you begin to see their growth and change. Explore a few famous examples that truly exemplify man vs. self conflict.

Fight Club, a book by Chuck Palahniuk that was adapted into a movie, is a great example of internal conflict. The narrator struggles with mundane life so heavily that he actually creates an alter ego in Tyler Durden. This comes to a head at the end of the story when you realize that both characters are the same person.

One area that exemplified the narrator's internal struggle is in the line:

Maybe self-improvement isn't the answer. Tyler never knew his father. Maybe self-destruction is the answer.

In this passage, the narrator is having an existential internal struggle. He is trying to understand the meaning of it all and how an unwanted person could fit into a perfect society. The narrator concludes that since perfect isn't the answer, possibly self-destruction is.

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, there are several moral internal conflicts. Not only does Hamlet struggle with wanting to kill Claudius in revenge, he also struggles internally with his own depression and thoughts of suicide. Act 3, Scene 1 demonstrates Hamlet's struggle with suicidal thoughts:

To be, or not to be - that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles

And by opposing end them. To die, to sleep…

What's more, Hamlet's need for revenge is strong. Even the ghost of his father is calling for it. But, Hamlet knows that it is not right to kill Claudius out of revenge. This internal moral conflict throws him into a deep depression and apparent madness. This, in turn, creates an even deeper internal conflict in Hamlet of whether it is better to live in pain or to die and end the suffering.

In Lois Lowry's The Giver, Jonas' internal struggle builds as he gains the different memories that his society has lost from the giver. This is seen in Chapter 13:

They were satisfied with their lives which had none of the vibrance his own was taking on. And he was angry at himself, that he could not change that for them.

His internal struggle becomes a moral internal conflict when he finds out that Gabriel is going to be killed. He must then choose if he wants to save him and leave or stay and let him die. He ultimately decides to go and save Gabriel.

In the movie The Sixth Sense, Cole Sear exhibits internal struggles as he comes to grips with his sixth sense. He exhibits interpersonal internal conflicts because he wants to conform to societal norms but that is impossible. Cole also has conflicting feelings about helping the ghosts and wanting to ignore them, which leads to a moral internal conflict.

While internal conflict can take a large role in literature, it typically happens in conjunction with external conflict. Much like the name suggests, external conflicts happen between a character and an outside or "external" force.

This could be another character, like the conflict between Claudius and Hamlet, or even a force of nature, like how the snow affects Jonas and Gabriel. External struggles happen in the outside world, unlike internal struggles that happen inside a character's own head.

Good characters are well rounded and based on defining traits like having strong values. Because of these traits, they experience different kinds of internal struggle as they navigate their fictitious worlds. The internal conflicts they experience can also depend on the type of character they are.