Conflicts in literature can be broken into 5 major categories, man vs society, man vs self, man vs nature, man vs man, man vs technology
Internal conflict: a conflict that occurs within the mind of a single character
- Man vs self
“Life, although it may only be an accumulation of anguish, is dear to me, and I will defend it. ” – hates how he has been treated and is miserable but also recognizes the value of life and is willing to fight for it.
“Often did my human nature turn with loathing from my occupation whilst still urged on by an eagerness which potentially increased, I brought my work near to a conclusion. ”
External Conflict: A conflict that occurs between one or more characters and an opposing force (this could be a character, an act of nature, technologically based)
- Man vs Man
‘‘Frankenstein! you belong then to my enemy—to him towards whom I have sworn eternal revenge; you shall be my first victim.”
“The monster saw my determination in my face and gnashed his teeth in the impotence of anger. ‘Shall each man,’ cried he, ‘find a wife for his bosom, and each beast have his mate, and I be alone?”
‘You must create a female for me with whom I can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for my be- ing. This you alone can do, and I demand it of you as a right which you must not refuse to concede.’ … ‘I do refuse it,’ I replied; ‘and no torture shall ever extort a consent from me. You may render me the most miserable of men, but you shall never make me base in my own eyes. Shall I create another like yourself, whose joint wickedness might desolate the world? Begone! I have answered you; you may torture me, but I will never consent.’
- Man vs Society
Jess,
It is important that you complete this task.
In addition to noting quotations that display some kind of conflict, it would be useful to you to explain what the conflict is and what its function is in the text.
Mrs. P