Major and Minor Conflicts [Show the major conflicts in the story and how these affect the

characters and plot of the Novel]

Major conflict: Character vs. Society

The most obvious conflict in the story is the conflict between the main characters and society. In
the novel, an individual like Shay is always trying to escape from their current society. Shay
doesn’t want to become Pretty, which is actually disobeying their society’s law. Thus, Shay
escaped the city before she got the operation. In order to make Shay follow society’s law, in order
to make all of the escaped uglies follow the law of the society, the Specials, the one who controls
the society, sent Tally to chase Shay and catch all of the people against the society back, which has
actually started the following plot. In the chapters in Part 2, these kinds of conflicts have been
further developed, and, eventually, it has determined the plot.

Major conflict: Character vs. Self

This is also an important conflict because it mainly happens to the main character Tally. At the end
of the second part, after Shay’s escape, Tally’s idea of becoming a Pretty has changed because of
her arrival in the Smoke. After she arrived at Smoke for a short period, she started to hesitate
about whether to betray Smoke or not, she started to think, it really necessary to become pretty?
After a whole load of events, she throws the pendant into the fire and decides to live in the Smoke,
and fight for the Smoke.

Major conflict: Character vs Character

The conflict between character and character is also a major conflict in the story, but it can be
classified under character versus society. Tally’s conflict with Dr. Cable is one of the major
characters versus character-conflicts. In the novel, the Specials have invaded the Smoke. Tally was
forced to face Dr. Cable. Because Tally doesn’t want to be with Dr. Cable anymore, she tricks Dr.
Cable, and eventually, at the end of the novel, David beats her. This conflict carries the plot
forward and makes the story become more dramatic.

Minor conflict: Character vs Nature

This conflict is shown in the Rusties and the plague virus and the Rusties and the orchid. The
plague virus and orchids have conducted the extinction of the Rusties together, and they are all
part of the natural force. This conflict actually affects the plot because it creates a piece of
background information for the story and kind of creates a foreshadowing for the following story.

Minor conflict: Character vs. Technology

Character versus technology is kind of shown at the end of the story, where Maddy tries to invent
a medicine that can cure the brain lesion. The invention resulted in Tally’s self-sacrifice of
becoming the first tester of this medicine. This conflict is minor, but it still creates a
foreshadowing of the following plot.