It is Storytelling Sunday once more! Every story centers around a conflict, something that pushes the protagonist to make choices and move forward. Life does not come without conflict. I believe we can distill it down to 5 types of conflict in narratives, whether that be in media or in our lives.
Imagine yourself as a protagonist, dealing with all that life throws at you and more. You are dealing with yourself, with other people and with forces beyond your own comprehension. Here are the 5 types of conflict that you may face.
Me vs Myself
Inner conflict is the most potent. It burns through you slowly, a poison spreading from your own veins with no external inlet. This happens when your own fears and worries grip your insides, squeezing them until you think you will burst. You almost cannot recognize yourself from the person you used to be or the person you believed yourself to be.
Examples: The Narrator in Fight Club, Hamlet in Hamlet
Me vs You
There exists a single rival. This rival only exists to torment you, in your dreams and in your waking moments. They push against your weaknesses, figuring them out with an obsessive nature. Almost as if dancing, they believe there is no end, only the two of you until the end of time. It might not start off like this but eventually it becomes personal. This conflict is partially external, the rival pushes all your wrong buttons. However, it is partially internal as well as you are driven to seek revenge or gain some closure against their very being.
Examples: Batman vs Joker in Batman, Light vs L in Death Note, Harry Potter vs Voldemort in Harry Potter
Me vs Society
You exist within a prison. It may have gilded walls and you may have been taught optimism but make no mistake, the world is against you. Hoping to make you a cog in the carefully crafted machine, uprising or rebellion is not tolerated. You cannot grasp the futility of working against an entire system that wishes to control you. To break free from an oppressive system you must be stronger than all the forces baring down on you. You must exist as an individual, willing to surpass the expectations of you.
Examples: Katniss in The Hunger Games, Truman in The Truman Show, Beatrice in Divergent
Me vs Nature
There exists no harmony. The world has cracked itself into two. It spews out magma and disgust at the destructive humans that carved a space for themselves in the heart of the Earth. Half the time you do not even know if you are right. Your very nature is juxtaposed with the nature of the world. But survival and dominance is more important than what is right so you do not stop fighting. The very earth you stand on is against you so nowhere is safe, there is nowhere to hide.
Examples: Karana in Island of the Blue Dolphins, Chuck in Castaway, Ahab in Moby Dick
Me vs The Unknown
There exists the unknown. You are the known; that which has been brought to light and understood. But you face a conflict with the unknown, with a creature, being or force pushed so far into the recesses of the universe that it is unmatched. You fight not only for your survival but for your soul, hoping that if you fail you will not be facing its clutches for eternity. Breathe in and breathe out deeply – it might be the last time.
A lot of plots that focus around Me vs Unknown use apocalyptic plot points. If you are interested in reading more about an apocalyptic plot then click here.
Examples: Shepard in Mass Effect, Malorie in Bird Box, Rick O’Connell in The Mummy
Conflict moves a story forward and is necessary, but more often than not we see conflict in our every day lives. Something like a new job or a move to a new country can count as Me vs Unknown and can be used to write your own story!
If you have any other ideas for conflict types let me know!