CHARACTER CONFLICTS VERY BASIC

1. CONFLICT
UNIT 10.1

2. What is
Conflict?
Give me
examples.

3. Types of conflict

4. CHARACTER VS. CHARACTER
MAN VS. MAN
• Characters are pitted against one another.
• The antagonist (or enemy) tries to keep the
protagonist from reaching his goal.
• The protagonist must overcome the efforts
of the antagonist to reach his goal.
Example: Avengers

5. CHARACTER VS. NATURE
• The hero must overcome a force of nature to
meet his goal.
• Nature can be a force of nature (like a storm,
earthquake, or difficult climate) OR an animal
from nature.
• In literature, the hero sometimes meets his
goal, but sometimes is defeated.
Example: Day After Tomorrow

6. MAN VS. SOCIETY
• A protagonist sees something in a unique way.
• People in his town or culture don't like his way of
thinking, the way he looks, or the way he acts.
The character diverges from tradition or the
norm. He is compelled to act.
• The protagonist must overcome action form
others to reach a goal.
Example: Divergent

7. CHARACTER VS. SELF
• The protagonist must overcome their own
nature to reach a goal.
• The protagonist struggles within their own
mind.
• The protagonist needs to overcome their
struggle to reach a goal. He/She may, or
may not, succeed.
Example: Split

8. CHARACTER VS. TECHNOLOGY
• The protagonist must overcome a machine or
technology.
• Most often the encounter with the machine or
technology is through the character's own doing. For
example, it may be technology or a machine that they
created, purchased, or owned with the assumption that
it would make their life easier.
• Over time the protagonist must overcome the
technology, in some instances, even destroying it before
it destroys them.
Example: Terminator

9. Bibliography
• http://www.storyboardthat.com/articles/e/types-of-
literary-conflict