In literature, conflict is one thing that makes a work of art come alive. We can even go as far as stating that without conflict in a literary work, that novel or drama will be very boring. Once we know this already, power and conflict revision becomes relatively easy. It is just a matter of looking at the characters in the book and analyzing incidents of conflict vis-à-vis the plot of the literary work. Below are some aspects of conflict in a literary work.
Person vs. Person Conflict
This is one of the most popular types of conflict in literature. In this case, we have a conflict between one person and another. This could be a conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist. It could be a conflict between two minor characters or even a conflict that pits one family member against another. In all these cases, the conflict is resolved with some major events in the book and this helps in the development of the story line.
Person vs. Fate
This type of conflict is common in the classic Greek tragedies. It is also common in African drama. In cases where you have this type of conflict, the tragic character is fated to do a particular thing. Now, even when that character tries to evade his or her fate, this ostensibly evasive action leads to the exact situation the character was trying to avoid. We see startling examples of this in works like “Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles and “The Gods Are Not to Blame” by the Nigerian playwright Ola Rotimi.
Person vs. Machinery
This type of conflict is common in relatively recent works of art. In this case, the protagonist is up against technology and this conflict is usually a long and complicated one. Depending on the story line, the protagonist may overcome technology at the end of the day. In other cases, technology or machinery might vanquish the protagonist.
Conflict Among Groups of People
In some cases, the conflict in a work of art pits one group of people against another group in a particular society. Each group tries to outwit the other and at the end of the day, one group comes out on top.
Teaching the Elements of Conflict
The list above is not exhaustive because conflict covers a lot of ground. However, if you are teaching power and conflict revision, you should start from the basics, teach all the rudiments and give instances to buttress your points. Do this the right way and your students will be happy.