Understanding Conflict in Literature: Internal vs. External, Study notes of Literature

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By the end of this lesson, you

will be able to:

ƒ identify conflict as it appears in literature.

ƒ distinguish between internal and external

conflict.

ƒ classify a conflict into one of four subcategories.

Internal Conflict

Man vs. self

A struggle that takes place in a character's mind

is called internal conflict.

An internal struggle is inside one’s head.

Man vs. Self Examples

ƒ Jessica thinks the sweater Grandmother made for her is ugly.

Grandmother is looking forward to seeing her wear it to her middle

school graduation. Todd, the boy she likes, will be there. She doesn’t

want to hurt Grandmother’s feelings, but she will feel embarrassed in

front of Todd on the last day before summer.

ƒ Martin’s family just moved here from France. He values his culture, but

wants to be “Americanized."

External Conflict

Definition:

A struggle between a character and an

outside force is an external conflict.

Man vs. Man

ƒ This is mostly seen in the form of two

characters against each other.

ƒ It can also be represented by a group of

people.

ƒ It does not have to be a physical

confrontation; it can be a battle between two

ideas.

Man vs. Man Examples

ƒ Jill vs. the bully

ƒ Max vs. his parents

ƒ The Ravens vs. the Giants

Man vs. Nature/Environment Examples

ƒ The hiker vs. the slippery slope

ƒ The captain of the ship vs. a hurricane

ƒ Laura vs. the raging dog

ƒ Society is defined as the customs, beliefs, or

actions of the community.

ƒ This can include a community unfairly treating a

character based on his/her race, nationality,

gender, language, religion, social status

(rich/poor), disability, etc.

Man vs. Society