Conflict

Conflict

• Conflict:– A struggle between opposing forces– Characters in conflict form the basis for

novels, short stories, and plays.• Two kinds of conflict:

– Internal– External

Conflict

• External Conflicts:– The main character struggles against an

outside force.• Person vs. Person• Person vs. Nature• Person vs. Unknown• Person vs. Society

Man vs. Man

• An example of an External Conflict – Two characters fighting against each other

Man vs. Man

• Dodge Ball:– In this film, Peter Le

Flure owns a gym, and his arch enemy, White Goodman, threatens to take over Peter’s failing business.

– The entire plot is centered around the Peter vs. White conflict.

Man vs. Man

• Other popular examples include:– Wyle Coyote vs. Road

Runner– “A Visit to

Grandmother’s”– Batman vs. Joker– Austin Powers vs. Dr.

Evil

Man vs. Nature

• Another example of an External Conflict– Individuals fighting against nature…

• The elements of nature– Weather– Wilderness– Etc

• Illness• Aging

Man vs. Nature

• Survivor– On this popular television

show, individuals are forced to survive in the wilderness. Contestants are given the bare essentials for survival, and they must survive the weather, harsh conditions, and occasionally animals.

– What other types of conflict do contestants on Survivor face?

Man vs. Nature

• Other popular examples include:– Bruce Almighty– Hatchet– Lost– “With All Flags Flying”

Man vs. Unknown

• Is considered an External Conflict but usually prompts an Internal Conflict by raising questions– This conflict encompasses:

• Man vs. Supernatural• Man vs. God

– Usually prompts Man vs. Self conflict of either fear or indecisiveness.

– In multiple cases it can produce joy– Can have devastating effects

Man vs. The Unknown

• Scooby Doo:– In this cartoon, Scooby and

the gang are always in conflict with a supernatural being of some sort (or so they think).

– After catching the “ghost”, the gang always finds out that the “ghost” is really a human.

• At the end of each episode, this Man vs. The Unkown conflict turns into what other type of conflict?

Man vs. Society

• A type of External Conflict that centers around a main character’s struggle with social traditions or society as a whole.– Society: a group of individuals living together

as a community.

Man vs. Society

• Shrek:– In this film the protagonist,

a very sweet but physically unattractive ogre, fights to change the kingdom’s mind about ogres…he wants humans to see that ogres aren’t all bad!

Man vs. Society

• Other examples include:– The Wave– Borat– “Two Friends”– Schindler’s List

Conflict

• Internal Conflict– Involves a character in conflict with himself or

herself.

Man vs. Self

• The Water Boy:– Bobby Bouche, a

sheltered “mama’s boy”, battles with himself over whether to disobey his mother and play football or obey his mother and remain the water boy for the team.

Man vs. Self

• Other Examples:– “Through the Tunnel”– Tommy Boy– George in Of Mice and

Men.– Rocky in Rocky

Balboa (all six movies center around Rocky’s internal struggle)