SCHOOL OF TEACHER EDUCATION

ENG 107
TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT OF LITERATURE STUDIES
1ST SEMESTER, A.Y. 2023-2024

Module 5
DIVISIONS, CONFLICTS, MULTIPLE FORCES
WITHIN THE SELF BOUNDARIES
MS. JAROL S. BATILARAN, LPT
Instructor

Ms. Jarol S. Batilaran, LPT

ENG 107 |Teaching and Assessment of Literature Studies Module No.5
Module 5
Topics:
Divisions, Conflicts, With in the Self Boundaries
 Division, Conflicts within the Self
 Writing Arguments about Literature
 Activities to use during Literature Circles
 Engaged Learning

Overview:
Literature are not just about reading and discussing in student led groups, teacher led groups,
or online. They are also an opportunity to review old skills and introduce new ones. Opting to use mostly skill
based activities (i.e activities that focus on conflict or character) rather than text based activities (i.e. activities
that are specific to a certain book) allows all students to engage in the same work regardless of what book
they are reading.

Module Outcome:
At the end of the module, the studentsmust be able to:
 Discussed key concepts on divisions, conflicts, and multiple forces within the self
 Understood the essence of subjective and objective assessment
 Numerated novel ways in teaching and assessing literature
 Compiled sample learning task on teaching literature

Lecture/Discussion
Division, Conflicts, and Multiple Forces within the Self
The tension between the inner self and outer self is common in the modern world. Each of us is tugged
in multiple directions every day and our actions and behaviors do not always align with our core values as a
result.
However, becoming aware of your inner self and how it balances with your outer self is the foundation
for good mental, physical, and spiritual health. This is why it is an important aspect to consider when working
on a good balance in your life.

The Outer Self

At times it is helpful to present a different outer self to the world than what we experience on the
inside. Most of us weigh the pros and cons of sharing our true feelings depending on what we expect in each
set of circumstances.
Our outer self is what we present to the world, and we usually try to curate it to reflect the best.
However, problems arise when this becomes a habitual pattern at the expense of your true feelings.
The outer self is generally concerned with material things, such as how you present yourself (hair,
clothes, etc.), as well as groups you belong to or personas that you portray. Your outer self spends its time
coping with the demands of school, work, home life, and whatever other real-world distractions you
experience each day.

The Inner Self

In contrast to the outer self, the inner self is about what can't be seen: feelings, intuition, values,
beliefs, personality, thoughts, emotions, fantasies, spirituality, desire, and purpose. A strong inner self means
that you cope well with your emotions, are self-aware, have clarity and a good sense of your values, and feel
a purpose in life. It also means that you are able to remain calm and resilient in the face of adversity from the
outer world.

Ms. Jarol S. Batilaran, LPT

ENG 107 |Teaching and Assessment of Literature Studies Module No.5
Conflict Between Inner and Outer Self
Problems begin when the inner self and outer self are in conflict or out of balance. In its simplest
terms, a conflict between the inner and outer self refers to a mismatch: you think one thing but do another.
Often, this conflict arises due to spending too little time considering your inner self. How much of the
time are you "running on empty," just struggling to get through the demands of the day, without considering
whether your actions and behaviors are in line with your inner self?
The conflict between the two selves can result in stress, which makes you more vulnerable to illness.
Your daily functioning may also be affected. You may feel successful on the outside but empty on the inside.
When this happens, you may also be at risk for quick fixes to heal your pain, such as turning to drugs or
alcohol.
One way to identify if you are experiencing a conflict between your inner and outer selves is to identify
gaps between your true values and outer actions.
 Take a moment and list your core values. These might be things like believing in the value of
honesty, integrity, friendship, helpfulness, etc.
 Make a list of activities that you do each day that is in alignment with each value. Examples
might include calling friends to see how they are doing or telling the truth even when it is difficult.
 Look for values that have little actions each day to support them. This is where you will find
your conflict. If you value friendship but spend each day alone, that reflects a conflict between your
values (inner self) and actions (outer self).
What Is Conflict in Literature?
In literature, a conflict is a literary device characterized by a struggle between two opposing forces.
Conflict provides crucial tension in any story and is used to drive the narrative forward. It is often used to
reveal a deeper meaning in a narrative while highlighting characters’ motivations, values, and weaknesses.
Internal vs. External Conflict
All conflict falls into two categories: internal and external.
 Internal conflict is when a character struggles with their own opposing desires or beliefs. It
happens within them, and it drives their development as a character.
 External conflict sets a character against something or someone beyond their control. External
forces stand in the way of a character’s motivations and create tension as the character tries to reach
their goals.
Including both internal and external conflict is crucial for a good story, because life always includes both.

How to Create Conflict in Your Writing

To create conflict for your protagonist, you’ll need forces of antagonism that work against them. In genre
writing, antagonists are usually arch-villains, but they don’t have to be people—they can be any oppositional
element that thwarts your character’s main desire. In crafting this conflict, it’s helpful to remember some
basic principles of antagonism.

 The stronger the forces of antagonism are, the more well-developed your character will become.
 The conflict should be tailored to your protagonist’s main desire.
 Antagonism has to increase with time, or you’ll lose the reader’s interest.

The 6 Types of Literary Conflict

Just like it takes two to tango, it also takes two (or more) to create conflict. What you choose to pit your
characters against will have a significant effect on what kind of story you tell. Many stories contain multiple
types of conflict, but there is usually one that is the main focus.
1. Character vs. Self
This is an internal conflict, meaning that the opposition the character faces is coming from within. This may
entail a struggle to discern what the moral or “right” choice is, or it may also encompass mental health
struggles. All other types of conflict are external—meaning that a character comes up against an outside force
Ms. Jarol S. Batilaran, LPT
ENG 107 |Teaching and Assessment of Literature Studies Module No.5
that creates the conflict.
2. Character vs. Character
This is a common type of conflict in which one character’s needs or wants are at odds with another’s. A
character conflict can be depicted as a straightforward fist fight, or as intricate and nuanced as the ongoing
struggle for power in the HBO series Game of Thrones.
3. Character vs. Nature
In a nature conflict, a character is set in opposition to nature. This can mean the weather, the wilderness, or a
natural disaster. For example, in Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, the main character, Santiago
finally manages to reel in a fish after months and months of bad luck. He fends off sharks, who are trying to
steal his prized catch, but eventually they eat the fish—leaving Santiago with only a carcass. This is the
essence
4. Character vs. Supernatural
Pitting characters against phenomena like ghosts, gods, or monsters raises the stakes of a conflict by creating
an unequal playing field. Supernatural conflict also covers characters, like Harry Potter or Odysseus, who have
a fate or destiny and struggle to accept the sacrifices that come along with it
5. Character vs. Technology
In this case, a character is in conflict with some kind of technology. Think of the tale of John Henry, the
African American folk hero. In American folklore, Henry was a former slave who worked as a steel-driver on
the rail line. To prove his superiority over new technology, he raced a steam-powered rock drilling machine
and won. However, he suffered a heart attack after winning the race.
6. Character vs. Society
A character vs. society conflict is an external conflict that occurs in literature when the protagonist is placed in
opposition with society, the government, or a cultural tradition or societal norm of some kind. Characters may
be motivated to take action against their society by a need to survive, a moral sense of right and wrong, or a
desire for happiness, freedom, justice, or love.

Writing Arguments about Literature

What is argument?
Though most people think of argument as a disagreement between two parties, its definition as a
literary device is a bit different. In academic writing, an argument usually represents the writer’s position on a
particular issue, often in the form of a thesis statement or claim to be supported with subsequent reasoning
and evidence. In literary writing, an argument is a brief summary of a work that precedes a chapter, book.
Use of Argument in Literature
The use of argument became common during the Renaissance as a means of keeping readers oriented
throughout large literary works. These small summaries often appeared in prose at the beginning of a poem or
section of a poem. The use of argument allows readers to anticipate meaning in the text and focus on the
writer’s intentions.
Function of Argument in Literature
Literature, on face value, may be seen as a tool to entertain us – with attractive verse, with sweet
melody, or with a story with instances of humor or emotion displayed by interesting characters. However, this is
not its ultimate aim. Writers consider literature as a powerful tool in their hands to shape or reform our thinking.
Arguments come into play at this time. Writers carefully play with words, as well as giving reasons and
examples, to persuade us to their points of view. Our outlook is molded by words that also entertain us.
A good argument in literature:
1. Narrows the paper's focus.
You could say, "Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice was very prideful in the beginning but eventually
learns to love." However, that's a pretty broad topic. Mr. Darcy's pride and his relationship with Elizabeth
comprise the whole novel. Your topic needs to be narrowed down. For instance, you could argue that Mr.
Darcy's turning point from prideful to loving occurred at a particular place in the book and provide evidence
that shows Mr. Darcy's character changing in that section. You could argue that Elizabeth had a positive effect

Ms. Jarol S. Batilaran, LPT

ENG 107 |Teaching and Assessment of Literature Studies Module No.5
on Mr. Darcy because of her own good (or bad) personality traits and then provide evidence to show how her
characteristics impacted him. The key is to be specific.
2. Goes beyond the prompt.
Often teachers provide a simple prompt as a starting point. You can use your critical thinking skills to
dig deeper into the prompt and show your instructor that you have actually read and thought about the work.
For instance, if the teacher gives you a prompt asking you to discuss gender roles in traditional literature, you
could simply follow the prompt and describe those roles using a few quotes from the text... or, you
could choose two or three specific characters to use as a case study (extended example) throughout your
paper to show an in-depth understanding.
3. Focuses on the literary work, not the paper or its author.
If you begin to talk about yourself, you've lost track of the focus of your paper. Remember that you are
not arguing about how you felt about something, but rather how the piece is. You are writing about the
literature, not about yourself (unless your teacher specifically asked how you felt about a piece; in that case,
you should answer their question).
4. Engages with specific evidence.
Make sure you can find specific examples in the text. Go beyond plot summary into ways the author
said particular things. Think about how word choice matters.
5. Suggests a new way to "read" the text.
This is the all-important "so what" of a literature paper. What does your argument tell the reader about
how to think about the text? A truly great literature paper does not simply point out obvious, spark-notes-level
story summaries, but puts the story or the style into a new perspective.

Activities to use during Literature Circles

What is a Literature Circle?

A literature circle is part of a balanced literacy program where a small group of students meet to
have an in-depth discussion about a text they are currently reading. These weekly meetings are primarily
student-led, with students responding to the text and other readers critically. During these meetings, the
teacher acts as the facilitator, helping to guide discussions as needed only.
Here are some activities during literature circles:
1. Introducing or Reviewing Literary Elements
For each skills, begin with an introductory of a lesson. Using a technology is a great way to engage
students virtually and in person. The literary elements focused on during this literature circle unit were all
ones, so these introductory lessons included a quick refresher video, key terms and definitions, and then a
variety of practice activities.
2. Writing About Reading
After this reintroduction lesson, students would be assigned a skill based writing assignment that would
ask them to apply their knowledge of a literary element to their text, cite text evidence, and then synthesize
their ideas in a paragraph. Students might be asked to identify character traits, give evidence from the text of
those traits and then put it all together in a paragraph. These short, skill focused writing assignments allow
students to build up the structure and stamina needed for the text dependent analysis writing they'll see later
in the year during state testing.
3. Creative Skill-Based Assignments
Following this writing, students apply their knowledge of conflict, character, or point of view to their
text again but in a more creative way like creating a character web to show relationships between characters
or reflecting on an important event from their novel as they wrote a postcard from one character to another.
During these types of assignments (I call them mini-projects), I allow students reading the same book to
brainstorm together, but each student submits their own assignment.

Ms. Jarol S. Batilaran, LPT

ENG 107 |Teaching and Assessment of Literature Studies Module No.5
 Brainstorming in a group is a support for students who may not have read as much as others or
struggle with reading comprehension. If a student has not been engaged with the text, hearing from students
who are engaged in the text may help to draw them back into reading the text. Because students are each
submitting their own assignment, there is still accountability for all students. After students have finished
brainstorming, I allow them to work with any students in the class, regardless of what book they are reading.
This prevents "copying" and even if students have read different books, they can still ensure that they are
following the directions for the assignment and including all of the required elements. I often have them do a
quick peer check before turning in their work.
4. Tried And True Activities
One of the activities with students is a character web, which can be completed at any point in a book,
but once students have met all of the most important characters and have started to get to know their
personalities. This is a great assignment to help reinforce their knowledge of the characters and keep track of
who is who. Students brainstorm major characters, their relationships with each other, and symbols to
represent each character. Then students create a web, representing the characters with those symbols and
connecting characters with relationships.

Ms. Jarol S. Batilaran, LPT

ENG 107 |Teaching and Assessment of Literature Studies Module No.5
5. Conflict Map
Another activity use during literature circles is a conflict map. Like the character web, it can be
completed at any point in a book, but make sure students have read enough so that a number of conflicts
have begun to develop. This is a great assignment to help reinforce the central conflict in a text and help
students to understand how that problem moves the plot forward. Students brainstorm examples of different
types of conflict, discuss which the central one is, and then display that information along with text evidence in
their conflict map.

Engaged Learning
What is Engaged Learning?
1.An active process in which knowledge and understanding are acquired through participation, inquiry,
involvement and direct experience.

2.Focuses on relationships between students’ involvement and empirically-based university conditions that
positively impact and influence students’ commitment to participate
Ms. Jarol S. Batilaran, LPT
ENG 107 |Teaching and Assessment of Literature Studies Module No.5
3.Sustained interactions that involve exchange of ideas and information among learners in which they
progressively become intrinsically motivated to deepen the interactions accompanied by in-depth thoughts,
critical analysis, and purposeful discourse essential to construct and validate meaning.

4.Instructional methods that include active and collaborative activities designed to connect concrete
applications to professional and civic life.

5.Learning environments that provide learners with opportunities to be active, creative and critical as well as
being creators of their own perspective and identity, thus promoting their learning experiences.

6.Sustained interactions that involve exchange of ideas and information among learners in which they
progressively become intrinsically motivated to deepen the interactions accompanied by in-depth thoughts,
critical analysis, and purposeful discourse essential to construct and validate meaning.

7.In this concept, students are encouraged to be active participants in their learning (instead of passive
receivers of information). Students learn by integrating all of the mind/brain principles as they work in complex
ways to develop their intellects and skills. Students work individually and in cooperative groups to develop
critical thinking skills as they approach real world [problems and/or simulations.

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Reference:

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-conflict-in-literature-6-different-types-of-literary-conflict-and-how-to-create-conflict-in-writing
https://literarydevices.net/argument/
https://nmu.edu/writingcenter/building-argument-literature
https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2021/08/literature-circle-activities.html
https://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/engaged-learning/9865

Ms. Jarol S. Batilaran, LPT

ENG 107 |Teaching and Assessment of Literature Studies Module No.5