Conflict

 In literature, conflict is any struggle that characters must overcome to

achieve their goal. It can be a ‘real world’ obstacle or antagonist (external
conflict) or some inner turmoil that our heroes must confront before getting
what they want or need (internal conflict).
 As we mentioned in the previous section, all good stories are driven by
conflict. By understanding what stands between characters and their goals,
we can begin to grasp what their stories are about. The seven most common
types of conflict in literature are:
1. Character vs Character
2. Character vs Society
3. Character vs Nature
4. Character vs Technology
5. Character vs Supernatural
6. Character vs Fate
7. Character vs Self
 Character vs. Character
 Character vs. character conflict is commonly rendered as the
traditional “protagonist vs. antagonist” setup, where these two
central characters will usually have diametrically opposing goals.
For example, the protagonist might be a cat burglar looking to
steal a priceless painting, while the antagonist – a corrupt gallery
owner — wants nothing more than to stop them.
 Example:
 Les Misérables: Former convict Jean Valjean restarts his life with
a new identity, seeking to create a more just society for the
underclasses. He is discovered and pursued by Inspector Javert,
whose fanatical devotion to the law has blinded him to the actual
injustices being perpetrated by the system.
Character vs. Society
 In this type of conflict, society will put pressure on our character
to change and fall neatly into order. On the other hand, our
protagonist will resist this change and, in extreme cases, will try
to bend society to fit their vision. Like the story of David and
Goliath, our hero faces an uphill battle, but the reader holds out
hope that ‘the little guy’ can overcome a seemingly impossible
challenge.
 Example:
 The Hate U Give: When her friend is shot dead by a cop, African
American teenager Starr seeks justice, but finds herself up
against a system of structural racism that stretches from the
police and media, all the way to her private school and
internalized racism.
Character vs. Nature
 How do you fancy your chances in a fight against Mother Earth? In
this type of conflict, that is exactly what our protagonists are
facing. Whether it’s wildlife (Jaws), natural disasters (The Day
After Tomorrow), the weather (The Perfect Storm), or a post-
apocalyptic landscape (The Road), the antagonists in this type of
conflict cannot be reasoned with.
 Example:
 The Martian: Stranded on the Red Planet, astronaut Mark
Watney must overcome its unforgiving environment and survive
long enough to be rescued. Using his resourcefulness, he must
overcome the obstacles that Mars presents by growing food and
find a way to communicate with Earth.
Character vs. Technology
 Since the dawn of the industrial age, humanity has had a turbulent
relationship with technology. Some see scientific progress as a defiance
of God and the natural, while others have used it to question the limits
of our morality, patience, and greed. While the idea of ‘character vs.
technology’ might summon up the image of a Terminator-like robot
apocalypse, this type of conflict could also be as modest as someone
struggling to teach their Grandma Millie how to use emojis!
 Example:
 Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?: In the distant future of 1999,
bounty hunter Rick Deckard is given the task of retiring (read: killing) a
group of androids recently escaped from a Mars colony. The only
problem? These synthetic creatures are practically indistinguishable
from real people. When Deckard falls for one of these androids, he
begins to question the very nature of humanity.
Character vs. Supernatural
 When your hero finds themselves up against something that
cannot be explained by logic or science, they are probably in
conflict with supernatural forces! While some writers employ
this type of conflict to tell rip-roaring tales, supernatural
stories can also explore human fears and inexplicable everyday
events.
 Often see the protagonist face off against the forces of fate,
religion, ghosts, gods, demons or aliens.
 Example:
 Odysseus: Odysseus angers the god Poseidon after blinding and
mocking the god’s Cyclops son. Poseidon curses Odysseus not
to return home for ten years.
Character vs. Fate
 Can include dealings with God or the gods and their prophecies
— where our protagonists desperately try to assert their free
will. This is a common trope in Greek tragedies, where the
characters can do nothing but endure the destinies befallen to
them.
 Example:
 Oedipus Rex: Boy meets oracle. Oracle tells boy he will marry
his mother and kill his father. In an effort to defy the prophecy,
boy kills a stranger (who turns out to be his birth father) and
marries a woman (who turns out to be his birth mother). Boy
plucks his eyes out in a fit of frustration.
Character vs. Self
 Internal strife will stem from a debate that occurs within a
character. It might originate from any combination of the
character’s expectations, desires, duties, and fears. To get what
they want, they must make a choice that threatens to change
the very fabric of who they are.
 Example:
 The Hunger Games: Kind-hearted teen Katniss Everdeen is
drafted as a contestant in a deadly reality show staged by a
totalitarian government. As per the rules of the game, in the
end, there can be only one — to survive, it seems that Katniss
must overcome her reluctance to kill. Will she stick by her
principles, even if it ultimately results in her death?
 ANALYTICAL
LISTENING
Listening is an active process by which we make
sense of, assess, and respond to what we hear.
 Analytical Listening is about the ability and the
capacity to properly analyze what the speaker
said. It is not just understanding what the others
are saying and what they mean to say, but rather
being able to answer difficult questions in order
to get the main idea.
Five Stages of Listening
Process
 The Receiving Stage - It is the first stage of the listening
process that involves hearing and attending. In order to
gather the important information through listening, we
must physically hear what we are listening to.
 The Understanding Stage - It is the stage in which the
listener determines the context and meanings of the
words that are heard through a process called decoding.
Understanding or comprehending occurs when the
listener’s determination of the context and meanings of
the words matches the speaker’s message.
 The Evaluating Stage - This stage of the listening process
allows the listener to evaluate the information received,
both qualitatively and quantitatively. It allows the listener to
form an opinion of what they heard and, if necessary, to
begin developing a response. It occurs most effectively once
the listener fully understands what the speaker is trying to
say.
 The Remembering Stage - It occurs as the listener
categorizes and retains the information he or she has
gathered from the speaker for future access. If the listener
has been attending, understanding, and evaluating, the
result will be stored memory— allowing the listener to record
information about people, objects, and events for later
recall.
 The Responding Stage - It is the stage of
the listening process in which the listener
provides verbal and/or nonverbal reactions
based on short- or long-term memory.
Nonverbal responses such as nodding or eye
contact allow the listener to communicate
his or her level of interest without
interrupting the speaker, thereby
preserving the speaker/listener roles.
Steps in Solving a Problem
 Step 1: Identify and define the problem
 State the problem as clearly as possible.
 Step 2: Generate possible solutions
 List all the possible solutions.
 Step 3: Evaluate alternatives
 Evaluate the remaining solutions in terms of their
advantages and disadvantages. Eliminate less
desirable or unreasonable solutions.
 Step 4: Decide on a solution
 Specify how the solution will be
implemented.
 Step 5: Implement the solution
 Implement the solution as planned.
 Step 6: Evaluate the outcome
 Evaluate how effective the solution was.