Unit Lesson Body
Analyzing Conflict
Once you know what a character wants, you can think about the obstacles in the way—what the person has to overcome. Obstacles create conflict. You’ll find six basic types of conflict:
- Person versus self means the character is his or her own worst enemy or is struggling to make up his or her mind.
- Person versus person pits the character against another character.
- Person versus society brings the character into conflict with what other people want or think is okay.
- Person versus nature has the person fight weather, animals, wilderness, natural disaster, or forces like aging or gravity.
- Person versus supernatural sets the character against fate or magic.
- Person versus machine pits the character against computers or technology.
Analyze conflict.
Identify the type of conflict in the three stories you have read.
- What is the main conflict in “Glenda of the Giraffe People”? Explain.
- What is the main conflict in “The Most Sensible Car”? Explain.
- What is the main conflict in “Worm with a Backbone”? Explain.