In literature, conflicts is an inherent incompatibility between the objectives of two or more characters or forces.
Conflict creates tension and interest in a story by adding doubt as to the
outcome
.[1]
A narrative is not limited to a single conflict.
[2]
While conflicts may not always resolve in narrative, the resolution of a
conflict creates closure, which may or may not occur at a story's end.
Conflict is most visible between two
or more characters, usually a protagonist
and an antagonist, but can occur in many different forms.
Basic
conflicts
Types of conflict in fiction have
been commonly codified as "man against man", "man against
nature", "man against himself."[4][5]
In each case, "man" is the universal and refers to women as well.
Although frequently cited, these
three types of conflict are not universally accepted. Ayn Rand, for
instance, argued that "man against nature" is not a conflict because
nature has no free will and thus can make no choices.[6]
Sometimes a fourth basic conflict is described, "man against
society".[7][8]
Man
against man
"Man against man" conflict
involves stories where characters are pitted against each other.[5][7]
The conflict may be direct opposition, as in a gunfight or a robbery, or it may
be a more subtle conflict between the desires of two or more characters, as in
a romance or a family epic.
Man
against nature
"Man against nature"
conflict positions the hero against an animal or a force of nature.[5][7]
Man
against himself
With "man against himself"
conflict, the struggle is internal.[5][7]
A character must overcome his own natures or make a choice between two or more
paths - good and evil; logic and emotion.
History
As with other literary terms, these
have come about gradually as descriptions of common narrative structures.
Conflict was first described in ancient Greek literature
as the agon, or central contest in tragedy.[2]
According to Aristotle, in order to hold the interest, the hero must have a single
conflict.
The agon, or act of conflict, involves the protagonist
(the "first fighter") and the antagonist (a more recent term),
corresponding to the hero and villain. The outcome of the contest cannot be
known in advance, and according to later critics such as Plutarch, the
hero's struggle should be ennobling.
Even in contemporary, non-dramatic
literature, critics have observed that the agon is the central unit of the plot. The easier it is for the protagonist to triumph, the less
value there is in the drama. In internal and external conflict alike, the
antagonist must act upon the protagonist and must seem at first to overmatch
him or her. For example, in William Faulkner's
The Bear, nature might be the antagonist. Even though it is an abstraction,
natural creatures and the scenery oppose and resist the protagonist.
In the
same story, the young boy's doubts about himself provide an internal conflict,
and they seem to overwhelm him.
Similarly, when godlike characters
enter (e.g. Superman), correspondingly great villains have to be created, or
natural weaknesses have to be invented, to allow the narrative to have drama.
Alternatively, scenarios could be devised in which the character's godlike
powers are constrained by some sort of code, or their respective antagonist.
Conflict Resolution Conflicts can be
resolved through the following ways:
- Dialogue :When groups or parties involved in a conflict, dialogue is a solution to their differences which is likely to be discovered.
- Tolerance :When people tolerate and accept that others have a right to be different.
- Practice of justice and fairness :When the principles of justice, fairness and fair play is applied to human relationships, conflicts will be resolved.
- Peace keeping :Armed personnel can be used for keeping and maintaining peace.
- Going to court :Conflicts can be resolved by taking the matter to court.
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