External Conflicts

Definition

External conflicts refer to the struggles or challenges that a character faces from outside forces, which can include other characters, society, nature, or fate. These conflicts are crucial in shaping a character's journey and often serve as catalysts for their development and transformation throughout a story.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. External conflicts can take many forms, including person vs. person, person vs. society, person vs. nature, and person vs. fate.
2. These conflicts are essential for creating tension and drama within the story, often pushing characters to their limits.
3. In character arcs, external conflicts can lead to significant transformations as characters confront challenges and grow from their experiences.
4. The resolution of external conflicts often coincides with key moments in the plot, influencing both the climax and the character's final transformation.
5. External conflicts often reflect larger themes within the narrative, such as justice, freedom, or survival, adding depth to character development.

Review Questions

• How do external conflicts contribute to a character's development throughout a story?
  • External conflicts serve as pivotal moments that challenge characters to confront their fears, beliefs, and values. As characters navigate these struggles with outside forces—like other characters or societal expectations—they often experience growth or change. This development is crucial in shaping their character arcs, allowing them to transform in response to the challenges they face.
• Analyze how an antagonist can create external conflicts that influence a protagonist's journey.
  • An antagonist plays a critical role in generating external conflicts that directly impact the protagonist's goals and desires. Through opposition and confrontation, the antagonist forces the protagonist to confront their weaknesses and make tough decisions. This struggle not only escalates the narrative tension but also serves as a key driver for the protagonist’s development as they must adapt and evolve to overcome these challenges.
• Evaluate the relationship between external conflicts and the themes presented in a story.
  • External conflicts are deeply intertwined with the overarching themes of a narrative. They often highlight societal issues, moral dilemmas, or existential challenges faced by characters. For example, a conflict between an individual and societal norms can underscore themes of rebellion or conformity. By examining how characters respond to external conflicts, audiences gain insight into these themes and the underlying messages intended by the author.

Related terms

Internal Conflicts: Struggles that occur within a character's mind, involving emotional, psychological, or moral dilemmas.

Antagonist:

A character or force that opposes the protagonist, creating external conflicts that drive the narrative.

Plot Development: The process by which a story progresses through a sequence of events, often driven by conflicts.