Conflict and Writing Character

Conflict is the root of good story telling. Conflict isn’t just about war. Conflict can be the little devil on one shoulder and the little angel on the other. Conflict can be between men and women. Conflict can be between children. Sometimes conflict is the story (“The Hatfields and the McCoys”), sometimes it moves the story and sometimes it’s subtle and you have to search for it within the story. No good story is worth telling without conflict, unless the story is about avoiding conflict – which is by itself a form of conflict.

Whether it’s the conflict between classes as in Strindberg and Ibsen, the conflict between families as in “Romeo and Julie,” the conflict between lovers as in “Taming of the Shrew,” the conflict for power as in “Julius Caesar,” or any other conflict – conflict makes all stories more interesting and often forms the core around which the story is built.

The Harry Potter stories are replete with conflict. The overarching conflict is between the Dumbledore good guys and the Voldemort bad guys. The fundamental conflict is over control of the world – both wizarding and muggle. But there are many more conflicts within these books. Initially there is the conflict between Harry and the Dursleys. From time to time there are conflicts between Ron and Hermione, Harry and Ron, Harry and other friends within Gryffindor or in houses within which Harry should have friends and allies. There is always the conflict between Harry and Draco Malfoy and Harry and Snape. Even within deep friendships, like that between Remus Lupin and Harry there are moments of conflict – as when Remus tries to run away from his wife because of the taint of his werewolf status, which is also an internal conflict for Lupin himself.

Conflict, inner and outer, is an excellent tool for getting characters up a tree so you can throw stones at them. Your story becomes layered with uncertainty and unfairness if the central character has to fight her boss while fighting off the bad guys and solving the mystery. Vulnerable characters are much more interesting than two dimensional always strong and always right characters.

A healthy discussion of the conflicts in a story is an excellent approach to a term paper. What is the conflict and how does it advance the plot? What is the conflict and how does it add to an understanding of the character? What would happen to the story if it didn’t have that conflict? What conflicts do you think the writer might have added and how would that have advanced the plot? Are the conflicts between characters or within a character? Are the conflicts large and small? Are the conflicts symbolic of major social movements or class struggles? And if yes, what are those struggles and how does the author carry out the representation