Character vs.

Nature

The Titanic sinks

Have you seen a disaster film? Character vs. Nature is the conflict we see in so many of those
types of films. In our example photo, Rose and Jack are attempting to escape the Titanic, which
is sinking. This conflict places a character against the forces of nature. The conflict is external
but there may be some internal conflict as the character is often forced to survive and face their
own fears.

On a separate sheet of paper, with your group members, come up with three examples of either
films or novels that contain this conflict. Be ready to share these in class.

Man versus nature:

 Hurricane Katrina destroying a person’s house and livelihood
 Trying to summit Mount Everest
 A guard dog attacking a thief

Man versus society:

 Martin Luther King Jr. speaking out against segregation
 Mahatma Gandhi encouraging non-violent protests
 A loner struggling to fit in at school