SOCIETY AND LITERATURE : WEEK 2 & 3

TYPES OF CONFLICT
Literature without conflict is like living a monotonous life or watching a two-hour vlog of a person who recorded himself
sleeping for two literal hours – it is dull and boring. Oftentimes, we feel a tinge of pain as our favorite characters go through
hardships.

Not to mention how much we cried when star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet had to die together; or how Game of Thrones
character Ned Stark was beheaded just after we got so much attached to his character; and how we hated the demigorgons for
disturbing the coolest kids in Stranger Things. These struggles were necessary to keep us entertained, just as how the pain that
we experience adds color to the life that we are currently living.

So let's look at the seven of the most common types of conflict, using examples from famous novels to illustrate each type.

CONFLICT – is any struggle between opposing forces.

SOCIETY AND LITERATURE : WEEK 2 & 3
▪ Conflict Drives Characterization
Most enduring stories contain more than one of these types of conflict, and one conflict can develop into another
during a character's journey. It's important to understand your character's traits, as well as what type of literary
character he or she is, to comprehend more about any particular conflict.

LITERARY DEVICES
These are techniques which shape narrative to produce an effect on the reader.

Plot Device – is an object, character or concept introduced into the story by the author to advance its plot.

Plot Twist – any unexpected turn of the story that gives a new view on its entire topic. A plot twist at the end of the story is
called a twist ending.

Flashing Arrow – a technique used to focus the reader’s attention on an object or a location that will be important later in the
story.

Red Herring – a plot device that distracts the reader’s attention from the plot twists that are important for the story. It is used
to maintain tension and uncertainty.

Death trap – a plot device that the villain uses to try to kill the protagonist and satisfy his own sadistic desires.

Comic Book Death – a technique which makes a major character “die or disappear forever”, but the character re-appears later
in the story.

Dark and Stormy Night – a cliché-like opening that usually includes darkness, violent lightning and a general mood of solitude.

Reverse Chronology – a technique where a story begins at the end and works back toward the beginning.

In medias res – a literary technique where the narrative starts in the middle of the story instead from its beginning. The
characters, setting and conflict is often introduced through a series of flashbacks.

Analepsis (flashback) – presents the events from previous to the current time frame. Flashbacks are usually presented as
character’s memories and are used to explain their backgrounds and the back-story.

Prolepsis (flash forward) – presents events that will occur in the future.

Foreshadowing – it is a premonition, much like a flash forward, but only hints at the future.

*FINALES. There are several patterns for story endings:

Cliff-hanger – an abrupt ending that leaves the plot incomplete, without denouement. It often leaves characters in a precarious
or difficult situation which hint at the possibility of a sequel.

Twist Ending – an unexpected finale that gives an entirely new vision on the entire plot. It is a powerful technique but it can
leave the reader dissatisfied or frustrated.

Happy Ending – a finale when everything ends in the best way for the hero

Poetic Justice – type of a happy ending where the virtue is rewarded and the vice is punished.

Deus ex machina – a plot device dating back to ancient Greek theatre, where the conflict is resolved through a means (by god,
deus) that seem unrelated to the story. This allows the author to end the story as desired without following the logic and
continuity of the story.