Understanding Conflict

3.3 Analyze interactions

between characters in a

literary text by focusing

on internal and external

conflicts.

Wha

t is

CONFLICT?

Conflict means tension between characters

A conflict can be. . .

a struggle

a personal war

a clash of ideas

a problem

Every conflict needs a resolution

Without a resolution, bad

thingstend to happen

There

aretwo typesconflic

t

of

An external

conflict is a

struggle between

a character and

an outside force

In The Dark

Knight, the Joker

initiatesan external

conflictwith Batman

is the

“outside

force”

The

Joker

that

Batma

n

has to

overcome

In Star Wars,

Darth Vader

is the source

external conflict of the

In movies

like28 Days Later

and

Resident Evil,

zombies are

for the externalresponsible

conflict

An external conflict is. . .

beyond the character’s control something the character encounters face to facea physical force

that keeps the

character from

achieving his or

her goals

An external conflict is NOT. . .

An external conflict is NOT. . .

a simple

misunderstandingthat can be

resolvedover a cup of

coffee

For many characters, an external

conflictis a matter of

life and death

Think about the effects of an external conflict

Who do they

What kind of IMPACT do they

have on the story?

In The Dark Knight, the Joker

inflicts death, doom, and

destruction on Gotham City—

all effects of the external

conflict he creates

In the Harry

Potter series,

Lord

Voldemort

creates a

similar

external

conflict,

whose

effects

include

murder,

mayhem, and

genuine fear

Why is external conflict important?

Without external conflict,

there is no action

no drama

no tension

no story

External conflict is

what forces a character

to make tough

decisions

External conflict is

what forces a character

to make tough

decisions

Without external conflict, the

protagonist will always be a static

character, without an opportunity

to change, grow, or discover

something new about life

There are FIVE external conflicts

that are popular in fiction and movies

Man vs. man Man vs. man

Man vs. societyMan vs. society

Man vs. nature

Man

vs. the

unkno

wn

Man vs. machin

e

Now for INTERNAL conflict

An internal conflict

is a struggle that

takes place in a

character’s mind

An internal conflict can be. . .

a belief

a need or desire

a personal problem

a fear

In The Dark Knight, Batman’s internal

conflict is his unwillingness to kill the Joker

Another one of

Batman’s internal

conflicts is that he

often makes choices

that are dangerous

and outside the law

Internal

are psychological conflictsExternal

conflicts are

physical

An internal conflict is

often the RESULT of

an external conflict

In The Dark Knight, the

Joker triggers one of

Batman’s biggest internal

conflicts: his refusal to

disclose his identity as

Bruce Wayne.

When thinking about a story’s conflict, ask yourself these

questions: What’s at stake for the

protagonist?

What happens if the conflict isn’t

resolved?

In The

Wizard of

Oz, the

Wicked

Witch is

Dorothy’s

external

conflict.

Dorothy’s internal conflict is that she feels as if she doesn’t belong in the Land of Oz.

Dorothy’s internal conflict is that she feels as if she doesn’t belong in the Land of Oz.

Dorothy resolves her conflicts by

killing the witch and by learning that

there really is no place like home.

Little

Red

Riding

Hood’s

external

conflict

is the

Big Bad

Wolf.

Little Red Riding Hood’s

internal conflict is that

she has mixed feelings

about the Big Bad Wolf.

Little Red Riding

Hood resolves her

conflicts by escaping

the Big Bad Wolf and

by learning that she

shouldn’t talk to

strangers.

As you read a story. . .

decide what conflicts they face look for steps they take to resolve their conflicts identify the main characters

see if these steps cause other conflicts

An important idea

related to conflict

is character

motivation

Motivation is the

reason characters

behave the way

they do—it’s what

drives their actions

To be motivated

means to be moved

to do something

There are two types of motivation

Intrinsic motivation comes from within

It means doing something because it’s fun

Extrinsic motivation comes from outside

It means doing something for an outcome

There are different factors

that motivate characters

REVENGE is

what motivates

Two-Face

In The Dark Knight,

In the movie

Scarface, three

things motivate

Tony Montana:

power, money, and

his desire to move

up in the world.

A sense of justice and a need to help others is what motivates most

superheroes.

A sense of justice and a need to help others is what motivates most

superheroes.

Antagonists like

the Joker use fear

and the threat of

death or violence

to motivate people.

Love is a source

of motivation for

many characters

allows you

Understandinga character’s motivation

to understand the character

So what motivates

YOU?