Monday: Conflict This Is Due Today

Monday: Conflict --- This is due today

Conflict: Conflict is necessary to every story. In short stories, there is usually one major conflict. In longer stories, there could be several conflicts.

Conflict adds excitement and suspense to a story. The conflict usually becomes clear to the beginning of a story. As the plot unfolds, the reader starts to wonder what will happen next and how the characters will handle the situation. Many readers enjoy trying to predict the final outcome.

The excitement usually builds to a high point, or climax. The climax is the turning point of the story. Something has happened to resolve the conflict.

Internal Conflict: A struggle that takes place in a character's mind is called internal conflict. For example, a character may have to decide between right and wrong or between two solutions to a problem. Sometimes, a character must deal with his or her own mixed feelings or emotions.

 Man against himself.

External Conflict: A struggle between a character and an outside force is an external conflict. Characters may face several types of outside forces. The outside force may be another character. It may be the character and the community. The outside force may also be forces of nature. For example, a story might be the main character struggling against the arctic cold.

 Man against man.  Man against nature.

Examples of Conflict

Conflict External or Internal with Explanation Two three-year olds fight over the same toy dump truck

An 80-year-old wants to attend his grandson’s graduation in another state, but is afraid that his health won’t take the stress of the trip. Two teens on a hike get lost in a blizzard

Recall a 1) Story, 2) Novel, 3) Movie, 4) Videogame, and 5) TV show you have recently viewed: Recall a conflict that each of the main characters faced. For each of the conflicts you remember, identify whether it was a Internal or External Conflict and explain how it was resolved.

1) Story: Use Short Story Provided a. Conflict______b. External or Internal (circle one) explain______c. Resolution ______

2) Novel: Use Night

a. Conflict______b. External or Internal (circle one) explain______c. Resolution ______

3) Movie: Your Choice ______

4) Videogame: Your Choice______

5) TV Show: Your Choice ______

DIRECTIONS: First, read each item below. Next, think of a plausible, exciting conflict of the type described in boldface. Write out the conflict on the lines, and explain how the introduction of this conflict affects the story. Do this on a lined sheet of paper and staple it to this packet.

1. Rashid sighed. So far it had been a perfect day for a picnic. Everyone in his family had been having a great time. But suddenly . . .External Conflict With Nature.

2. Tabitha wasn’t sure what to do. Friday night was Suki’s party, and she had already told her she was going. Unfortunately, . . .Internal Conflict

3. When Oliver found the shoe department, there was only one pair of size 13 sneakers left on the sale rack. As he reached out to grab them, so did another person, a man with metal teeth who appeared to be at least eight feet tall. The sneakers were tied together by their laces. “Excuse me,” said Oliver, holding tight to one of the sneakers, . . .External Conflict With Another Character:

4. When Akiko decide to take up wrestling, she had difficulty finding an instructor who would help her. Until now, all the wrestlers as her school had been boys, and . . .External Conflict With Society