English 9 / Unit 1: Reading Fiction: Plot, Setting and Conflict
1.3 Types of Conflict
Notes
Conflict is a struggle between opposing forces. It drives the plot.
- Internal conflict: a character struggles within (character vs. self), such as guilt or a hard decision.
- External conflict: a character struggles against an outside force.
| Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Character vs. character | Two rivals compete for one scholarship |
| Character vs. nature | A sailor survives a hurricane |
| Character vs. society | A student fights an unfair school rule |
| Character vs. technology | A town fights a malfunctioning AI |
| Character vs. self | A boy debates whether to confess |
- Many stories have more than one conflict.
Practice
"Leo stared at the twenty-dollar bill on the sidewalk. Rent was due, but he had seen the old woman drop it." Leo's main conflict here is:
Leo is torn inside about what to do.
A teenager in a dystopian city protests a law that bans books. This is an example of:
The opposing force is a society's laws and authorities.
Which statement about conflict is accurate?
Conflict drives the plot; it can be mental, social or physical.
Ready for more? Take the Unit 1 test.