7 Types Of Internal Conflict In Literature (Plus How To Use Them)

What is an internal conflict?

An internal conflict occurs when a character in literature experiences tension within themselves. Internal conflict is the opposite of external conflict, which occurs when a character faces outside oppositional forces, such as another character or an act of nature. Sometimes referred to as man vs. self, internal conflicts involve the character experiencing opposing needs, desires, or values. Sometimes, these battles represent conflict between a character’s mind or subjective knowledge and their heart or feelings. Internal conflicts can include struggles with:

• Relationships

• Work

   

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• Religious beliefs

• Ethics

• Societal systems

Characters managing internal conflicts may experience emotions such as fear, anxiety, doubt, and confusion, which can lead to climactic scenes forcing the character to make a decision.

Types of internal conflict

Here are several types of internal conflict:

Religious conflict

Religious conflicts occur when a character’s thoughts or feelings contradict their religious beliefs. This can lead to the character questioning their beliefs or doubting their own feelings. For example, a character who was raised as a pacifist is drafted into the war. Though they wish to help their unit and fellow soldiers, their religious beliefs prevent them from fighting.

Moral conflict

Moral conflict refers to a struggle between two opposing values. Characters may consider an action or behavior that goes against their morals in order to reach a goal or meet expectations. For instance, a high school character may consider cheating on a standardized test to help her chances of getting into a prestigious college.

Self-perception conflict

Self-perception conflicts happen when characters fight internally about their authenticity. They may question if they are presenting their true self to others. For example, a character running for public office may experience an internal conflict about the carefully crafted persona they deliver to the public and their genuine self. Characters doubt their self-image and self-awareness.

Love conflict

A love conflict occurs when characters face a decision that may hurt a person they love. These situations may happen when the character needs to work for the greater good or when their choice will ultimately benefit their loved one despite initial pain. For instance, a mother may send her children to stay with their grandparents while she deals with personal and financial struggles.

Political conflict

Political conflict happens when a character experiences a political struggle, such as agreeing with a politician’s policies but disliking their personality. A political conflict can also occur when a character discovers a policy they oppose within their own party. Sometimes, political conflicts can overlap with moral conflicts. For instance, a politician may consider lying to advance an agenda they think will benefit the public.

Societal conflict

Characters experience societal conflict when they experience conflicting emotions about their role in society or society’s expectations of them. For example, a mother in 1950 may struggle with the societal expectation for her to be a stay-at-home mother when she is passionate about pursuing a career.

Existential conflict

Existential conflicts occur when characters question their place or purpose in the world. They can include fears or questions about the nature of the universe or the meaning of life. For example, a character may experience a traumatic loss and question the purpose of their life as they process their grief.

How to use internal conflict

Conflict is a central component of fiction and serves to progress the story and reveal elements of a character’s motivation, values, and personality. When a character experiences an internal conflict, this struggle helps move the character forward in the story. Here are steps you can take to use internal conflict effectively in your writing:

1. Develop your character

Before creating an internal conflict, create the character you want to work with. Develop the character’s personality, interests, motivations, and desires. The more well-rounded you can make your character, the more believable they are and the easier it is to determine the types of conflict they might experience.

2. Identify the character’s goals

Determine what your character wants to accomplish in the story. This can be a personal or professional achievement. The character’s goals help explain their motivations and behaviors. Additionally, when you know what the character wants, you can more easily create an obstacle that leads to their conflict.

3. Introduce a conflict

Decide what type of internal conflict you want to introduce to your character. These details depend on the setting, tone, and genre of your story. For example, if you’re writing a humorous novel, the character’s internal conflict may be funny and light. If you’re writing a period drama, the conflict may be a life-threatening situation.

Further, the conflict should relate directly to your character’s goals and desires to make the conflict believable for the character. Consider what people, systems, or events may pose a threat to the character’s goals.

4. Strengthen the conflict

As the story progresses, the conflict should get stronger to maintain readers’ interest. You can add multiple layers to the internal struggle, such as combining love and religious conflicts to increase the tension in the story. This helps you keep readers invested in the character and the conflict’s resolution.

5. Create a turning point

At the height of the internal conflict, your character should reach a point where they have to make a decision. This choice typically impacts the character’s trajectory for the rest of the story.

6. Resolve the conflict

Internal conflicts may be resolved in a variety of ways. Most stories include a conflict resolution, but some internal conflicts may linger for characters. When writing a resolution or addressing the conflict, make sure the conclusion makes sense for your character to enhance believability.

Tips for using internal conflict

Here are tips you can use as you develop internal conflicts in your writing:

• Use a strong conflict. An internal conflict with significant risk and repercussions can draw readers into your story and create a more engaging character.

• Make the conflict appropriate for the character. Use your character development to identify what types of internal conflicts your character is likely to experience. For instance, if your character is a parent, this can lend itself to a love conflict.

• Link internal conflicts to external conflicts. Often, internal conflicts exist because of or in addition to external conflicts. Craft a story that incorporates both types of conflicts to enhance the tension in your story.

I hope you find this article helpful.