What is Conflict

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What is Conflict?
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• Conflict is the struggle, problem, or issue
  faced by characters in a story.

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There are two types of conflict.

• Internal Conflict.
• External Conflict.

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Types of Conflict
Internal Conflict A problem that exist within
(inside) of a person.
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Types of Conflict

• Examples
• Feelings of insecurity.
• Self-Doubt.
• Worry and fear.
• Being undecided, not knowing what to do or where
  to go.

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Types of Conflict
External Conflict A problem that exists outside
of a person.
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Types of Conflict

• Examples
• A storm.
• A violent environment or atmosphere.
• An angry mob or crowd.

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• Are there any questions?

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Read the following excerpt. Identify the conflict.

• One winter morning in the long-ago, four-year-old
  days of my life I found myself standing before a
  fireplace, warming my hands over a mound of
  glowing coals, listening to the wind whistle past
  the house outside. All morning my mother had been
  scolding me, telling me to keep still, warning me
  that I must make no noise. And I was angry,
  fretful, and impatient. In the next room Granny
  lay ill and under the day and night care of a
  doctor and I knew that I would be punished if I
  did not obey. I crossed restlessly to the window
  and pushed back the long fluffy white
  curtainswhich I had been forbidden to touch-and
  looked yearningly out into the empty street. I
  was dreaming of running and playing and shouting,
  but the vivid image of Granny's old, white,
  wrinkled, grim face, framed by a halo of tumbling
  black hair, lying upon a huge feather pillow,
  made me afraid.
• 
  From Black Boy by Richard Wright.

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• One winter morning in the long-ago, four-year-old
  days of my life I found myself standing before a
  fireplace, warming my hands over a mound of
  glowing coals, listening to the wind whistle past
  the house outside. All morning my mother had been
  scolding me, telling me to keep still, warning me
  that I must make no noise. And I was angry,
  fretful, and impatient. In the next room Granny
  lay ill and under the day and night care of a
  doctor and I knew that I would be punished if I
  did not obey. I crossed restlessly to the window
  and pushed back the long fluffy white
  curtainswhich I had been forbidden to touch-and
  looked yearningly out into the empty street. I
  was dreaming of running and playing and shouting,
  but the vivid image of Granny's old, white,
  wrinkled, grim face, framed by a halo of tumbling
  black hair, lying upon a huge feather pillow,
  made me afraid.
• 1. What is the conflict described in this
  excerpt?
• 2. Find examples of both internal conflict and
  external conflict here. Explain.

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Remember

• Pure action stories usually hook us with violent
  external conflicts.
• Whatever kind of conflict a story is built on, it
  must be strong enough to keep us turning the
  pages or glued to our seats.

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Review

• Study your notes and prepare to answer the
  following questions.

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A fist fight is an example of which type of
conflict?
14
Worrying about cheating on an exam is an example
of which type of conflict?
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Which type of conflict is easiest to resolve
internal or external? Explain.
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Literature-Conflict

• External and Internal Conflict.Decide which kind
  of conflict each item describes.
• Choose INTERNAL, EXTERNAL, or BOTH
• Questions are worth 10 points each.

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Quiz

• Jim and Mac disagreed about where they should
  take the dog they found. Is this an example of
• Internal conflict
• External conflict
• both

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Quiz

• Carly struggled to walk through the hot,
  blowing sand. Is this an example of
• Internal conflict
• External conflict
• both

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Quiz

• Sarah couldn't decide what to do that night.
  Should she study or should she go out? Is this an
  example of
• Internal conflict
• External conflict
• both

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Quiz

• In the high winds, the crew was barely able to
  keep the ship from tilting sideways. Is this an
  example of
• Internal conflict
• External conflict
• both

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Quiz

• Hector thought, "Why did I ever agree to be in
  this play? I'll never have the nerve to act in
  front of an audience. Is this an example of
• Internal conflict
• External coflict
• both

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Quiz

• After MaryAnne's brother had teased her about
  being afraid, she had decided to climb the cliff.
  Now she stood at the foot of the cliff, wishing
  she could figure out a way to back out. Is this
  an example of
• Internal
• External
• both

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Quiz

• Kim knew that the whole class was angry with
  her for reminding the teacher about the
  assignment. At the time, she thought she was
  doing the right thing. Now she wasn't sure. Is
  this an example of
• Internal
• External
• both

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Quiz

• The snarling dog placed himself between his
  master and the angry stranger. Is this an example
  of
• Internal
• External
• both

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Quiz

• All the way home, Jeffrey felt angry with
  himself. "Why couldn't he open his mouth at a
  party? Why was he always so shy? Is this an
  example of
• Internal
• External
• both

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Quiz

• Violet wanted her friends to let the new girl
  join the club, but no one else agreed. Violet
  felt badly for the new girl, but she didn't know
  what to do about the problem. Is this an example
  of
• Internal
• External
• both

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Check your Answers

• Both 6. Both
• External 7. Both
• Internal 8. External
• External 9. Internal
• Both 10. Both