Types of Conflict
Conflict in Literature
Genuine tragedies in the world are not conflicts between right and wrong. They are conflicts between two rights.
-George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
Conflict's Place in Literature
Conflict is an ever-present force in any work of literature. It drives the plot and guides the actions of the characters as they maneuver from the start of the book to the end. Characters act and react to conflict to events in the story, working against someone, or something, that is directly in the way of their desires, whether real or psychological. If a character wants only peace and happiness, that which is in their way is what they are going to work to overcome, whatever it may be.
Conflict can arise from a number of things. It can be in the form of another person, or a natural force like an animal or the elements. Characters can work against fate and destiny, trying to avoid the inevitable. Sometimes, society is what the character conflicts with, and sometimes the character is in conflict with their own mind.
The five types of conflict most recognized are:
It should be noted that the conflicts are not mutually exclusive, meaning, more than one conflict can take place in a story. Though a story may adopt one conflict as the central focus of the story, many conflicts can occur.
Conflict can arise from a number of things. It can be in the form of another person, or a natural force like an animal or the elements. Characters can work against fate and destiny, trying to avoid the inevitable. Sometimes, society is what the character conflicts with, and sometimes the character is in conflict with their own mind.
The five types of conflict most recognized are:
- Man vs. Man
- Man vs. Nature
- Man vs. Society
- Man vs. Fate
- Man vs. Self
It should be noted that the conflicts are not mutually exclusive, meaning, more than one conflict can take place in a story. Though a story may adopt one conflict as the central focus of the story, many conflicts can occur.
Man vs. Man
Man vs. Man is probably the most common, rivaled only by Man vs. Self.
Man vs. Man is any conflict between two or more characters and makes up the bulk of all literature. One character has certain wants, desires, goals, and they come into contact with someone who has opposing wants, desires, and goals. Perhaps these characters are competing for the same job, their parent's approval and affection, the love of a woman/man, or one is just plain evil and the other wants to cleanse the world of that evil. The conflict can be over anything, but the key factor is that two or more people are in conflict.
An example of Man vs. Man can very easily be seen in any number of literary works. One such example would be the conflict between John Marston and Bill Williamson in the video game, Red Dead Redemption. John Marston has to kill or capture Bill Williamson in order to repay his debt to society for all of the gunslinging and law breaking he did in his younger years. The conflict is between John and Bill; Bill does not want to be captured, John is attempting to capture him. Both stand in the way of the other person's goal.
Man vs. Man is any conflict between two or more characters and makes up the bulk of all literature. One character has certain wants, desires, goals, and they come into contact with someone who has opposing wants, desires, and goals. Perhaps these characters are competing for the same job, their parent's approval and affection, the love of a woman/man, or one is just plain evil and the other wants to cleanse the world of that evil. The conflict can be over anything, but the key factor is that two or more people are in conflict.
An example of Man vs. Man can very easily be seen in any number of literary works. One such example would be the conflict between John Marston and Bill Williamson in the video game, Red Dead Redemption. John Marston has to kill or capture Bill Williamson in order to repay his debt to society for all of the gunslinging and law breaking he did in his younger years. The conflict is between John and Bill; Bill does not want to be captured, John is attempting to capture him. Both stand in the way of the other person's goal.
Man vs. Nature
In Man vs. Nature conflicts, the main character is pitted against the wilderness in an effort to survive. The conflicts are not terribly complex. People must survive the forces of nature, either animals, disease, or the elements. Most often these stories take place in nature settings. Often the character faces a great degree of hardship before finally mastering nature's forces. Once they have learned how to survive, the story slowly moves towards their eventual saving.
In some cases, it is not about being lost in a natural setting, but merely having to survive. A story in New Orleans right after Hurricane Katrina deals especially with Man vs. Nature, fighting to survive in a setting destroyed by nature.
A good example of Man vs. Nature would be Gary Paulsen's The Hatchet in which a young boy crash lands in the middle of the Canadian wilderness with nothing but a hatchet and his wits. With this hatchet and some knowledge of survival, he must find food, avoid becoming food himself, and survive against the weather with the hopes of being found and saved.
What makes Man vs. Nature interesting is that there is no other modern force working against the main character, and the struggles are fairly primitive, so it calls upon a struggle much of us have never faced, and presents a reaction and response that situation that most all people would have in common.
In some cases, it is not about being lost in a natural setting, but merely having to survive. A story in New Orleans right after Hurricane Katrina deals especially with Man vs. Nature, fighting to survive in a setting destroyed by nature.
A good example of Man vs. Nature would be Gary Paulsen's The Hatchet in which a young boy crash lands in the middle of the Canadian wilderness with nothing but a hatchet and his wits. With this hatchet and some knowledge of survival, he must find food, avoid becoming food himself, and survive against the weather with the hopes of being found and saved.
What makes Man vs. Nature interesting is that there is no other modern force working against the main character, and the struggles are fairly primitive, so it calls upon a struggle much of us have never faced, and presents a reaction and response that situation that most all people would have in common.
Man vs. Society
Man vs. Society conflicts often take place in stories of rebellion. Society has one way of thinking and doing things, and the main character thinks differently. Throughout the story, they will attempt to preserve their identity and dignity no matter what society throws at them.
The main character is a Man vs. Society tale is typically young because of teenagers' natural rebelliousness, but that is not always true. The story can be about a young person trying to find and maintain their identity. It can also be about race, where a person of a minority population has to live in a society that does not like them. Sometimes, the plot is political, where a person of one view or religion is faced against another. And sometimes, it's just about wanting to go against the grain and do things differently because the main character does not believe that tradition justifies an action they disagree with.
An example of a Man vs. Society story would be Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet are both parts of separate feuding families. The families expect all members of that family to hate and despise the other family for no other reason than because that is how things have always been done. But in this feud, Romeo and Juliet find a romance and begin a rebellious marriage, despite what their families would want. They reject society's expectation for how they should despise each other and instead find love.
The main character is a Man vs. Society tale is typically young because of teenagers' natural rebelliousness, but that is not always true. The story can be about a young person trying to find and maintain their identity. It can also be about race, where a person of a minority population has to live in a society that does not like them. Sometimes, the plot is political, where a person of one view or religion is faced against another. And sometimes, it's just about wanting to go against the grain and do things differently because the main character does not believe that tradition justifies an action they disagree with.
An example of a Man vs. Society story would be Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet are both parts of separate feuding families. The families expect all members of that family to hate and despise the other family for no other reason than because that is how things have always been done. But in this feud, Romeo and Juliet find a romance and begin a rebellious marriage, despite what their families would want. They reject society's expectation for how they should despise each other and instead find love.
Man vs. Fate
Fate is the more metaphysical conflict of the five and deals with characters trying to avoid some terrible fate. It almost always deals with prophecies and the idea that our lives are predetermined.
The main focus of this conflict is the idea of a person trying to overcome something that will happen, taking all measures to avoid their destiny. In the end, either one of two things happen: the character finds the fate truly unavoidable and the actions taken by the character to avoid this fate only brought about that fate (this is an example of irony), or, the character is able to overcome this fate (which by definition, is not fate, but we'll ignore that).
Man vs. Fate is one of the less common conflicts in literature. The best example is the story of Oedipus Rex. The king of Thebes, Laius, abandons his infant son, Oedipus, on a hill because of a prophecy that said his son would murder him and become king and marry the queen, Jocasta. Oedipus is found by some shepherds and passed along to the charitable king and queen of Corinth, who have no heir. Oedipus learns of the prophecy and, thinking that the king and queen of Corinth are his biological parents, leaves Corinth and moves to Thebes. In a long series of events, he eventually does kill the king of Thebes, not knowing that he is his father, solves a magic riddle, and marries Jocasta, the queen. After a marrying and having some children, Oedipus finds that he did in fact kill his father and marry his mother, making the prophecy come true. So despite everyone's efforts to avoid fate, the fated end did in fact come true.
The main focus of this conflict is the idea of a person trying to overcome something that will happen, taking all measures to avoid their destiny. In the end, either one of two things happen: the character finds the fate truly unavoidable and the actions taken by the character to avoid this fate only brought about that fate (this is an example of irony), or, the character is able to overcome this fate (which by definition, is not fate, but we'll ignore that).
Man vs. Fate is one of the less common conflicts in literature. The best example is the story of Oedipus Rex. The king of Thebes, Laius, abandons his infant son, Oedipus, on a hill because of a prophecy that said his son would murder him and become king and marry the queen, Jocasta. Oedipus is found by some shepherds and passed along to the charitable king and queen of Corinth, who have no heir. Oedipus learns of the prophecy and, thinking that the king and queen of Corinth are his biological parents, leaves Corinth and moves to Thebes. In a long series of events, he eventually does kill the king of Thebes, not knowing that he is his father, solves a magic riddle, and marries Jocasta, the queen. After a marrying and having some children, Oedipus finds that he did in fact kill his father and marry his mother, making the prophecy come true. So despite everyone's efforts to avoid fate, the fated end did in fact come true.
Man vs. Self
Man vs. Self is likely the most interesting and thought-provoking of all the conflicts because it offers many opportunities for reflection of one's own thoughts.
Man vs. Self revolves around questions of morality. "Do my actions match my values?" "Am I doing the right thing?" It is characterized by a conflict of interests where a character has to choose what they think to be the best choice in a given situation, often questioning their own choices. It isn't all about morality though. Sometimes it is about loyalty to family, friends, or country. Is going off to fight in a war for your nation a good reason to leave your family in a time of economic hardship? If your friend abuses his girlfriend, is it okay to look past because he's your friend, or do you turn him in because he shouldn't treat someone that way? Do you follow your dream to be an artist, or abandon that dream to run your father's business?
Man vs. Self not only presents a character's dilemma, but allows us as readers to question our own beliefs. How would you handle the scenarios above? But rather than live through them and make the decisions in your own life, you can see the scenario play out in a story. Or, it gives you some perspective on your own choices, showing the negative consequences of a lifestyle or choice you may agree with.
Sometimes fate has nothing to do with morality and is simply a conflict between a character and their own abilities. A story about a overweight man's struggle with obesity, who then is able to become healthy and lose weight is an example of Man vs. Self. Or the story of a youth league baseball team that loses every game every season that through hard work and determination is able to go to the championship game and win, is another example of Man vs. Self. It is the overcoming of one's own inabilities.
But mainly it is the moral questioning.
A great example for an internal conflict would be the internal conflict felt by Hazel in John Green's The Fault in Our Stars. Hazel falls for a boy named Augustus Waters and both form a relationship. The only problem with this is that they both have cancer. While Augustus has recovered from his cancer, Hazel has not, and she deals with the question of if she should pursue this relationship with this boy, make him fall in love with her, knowing that she may die soon. All readers, depending on their background, dispositions, sense of character, and values, will all have their own opinion and a way that they themselves would respond to this situation. However, it is the character, and ultimately the author, who makes the decision, which we as readers watch play out.
Man vs. Self revolves around questions of morality. "Do my actions match my values?" "Am I doing the right thing?" It is characterized by a conflict of interests where a character has to choose what they think to be the best choice in a given situation, often questioning their own choices. It isn't all about morality though. Sometimes it is about loyalty to family, friends, or country. Is going off to fight in a war for your nation a good reason to leave your family in a time of economic hardship? If your friend abuses his girlfriend, is it okay to look past because he's your friend, or do you turn him in because he shouldn't treat someone that way? Do you follow your dream to be an artist, or abandon that dream to run your father's business?
Man vs. Self not only presents a character's dilemma, but allows us as readers to question our own beliefs. How would you handle the scenarios above? But rather than live through them and make the decisions in your own life, you can see the scenario play out in a story. Or, it gives you some perspective on your own choices, showing the negative consequences of a lifestyle or choice you may agree with.
Sometimes fate has nothing to do with morality and is simply a conflict between a character and their own abilities. A story about a overweight man's struggle with obesity, who then is able to become healthy and lose weight is an example of Man vs. Self. Or the story of a youth league baseball team that loses every game every season that through hard work and determination is able to go to the championship game and win, is another example of Man vs. Self. It is the overcoming of one's own inabilities.
But mainly it is the moral questioning.
A great example for an internal conflict would be the internal conflict felt by Hazel in John Green's The Fault in Our Stars. Hazel falls for a boy named Augustus Waters and both form a relationship. The only problem with this is that they both have cancer. While Augustus has recovered from his cancer, Hazel has not, and she deals with the question of if she should pursue this relationship with this boy, make him fall in love with her, knowing that she may die soon. All readers, depending on their background, dispositions, sense of character, and values, will all have their own opinion and a way that they themselves would respond to this situation. However, it is the character, and ultimately the author, who makes the decision, which we as readers watch play out.