The Parts That Show the Conflict of the Story: Definition, Characteristics, and Examples

The part that shows the conflict of the story (freepik)

YOGYAKARTA - In a story, conflict is an important element that makes the flow of life interesting. The part that shows the conflict of the story can help readers understand the tension experienced by the characters, as well as trigger curiosity about the continuation of the story.

Without conflict, the story will feel flat and will lose its appeal. That's why it's important to recognize the parts that show the conflict of the story, both for the writer and the reader.

Understanding Conflict in Stories

Reported from the Helping Writer Become Authors website, conflict is one of the main driving forces of a story. However, there are still many people who are still confused about what is meant by conflict in fictional works.

There is a famous writer who once revealed his secret in an interview. He said, one of the keys to his success is to ensure that every page of his work contains conflict.

The author's statement is indeed interesting and even has been underlined by many readers. However, this also raises the question, what about the page that only describes the journey of the character? What about conversations that just build relationships? Or a love scene that feels calm?

When hearing the word conflict, most people may immediately imagine physical fights or even violence. At least, the image that appears usually involves a form of confrontation.

It is natural that many readers, especially from the modern Western culture, equate conflict with confrontation in fictional works. This is because, in many stories and scenes, conflict often comes in the form of confrontation (whether implied, verbal, or physical).

However, limiting the understanding of conflict to confrontation is a view that is too simple. Many literary works from various traditions prove that compelling stories do not always contain direct confrontation. However, the excessive emphasis on confrontation, especially that associated with violence, not only reflects the culture that glorifies it, but also helps strengthen the pattern.

Using confrontation to create a plot conflict is indeed legitimate, but interpreting conflict solely as confrontation is too narrow. The correct answer to defining conflict is as an obstacle.

Confrontation can indeed create obstacles, but it often arises from the obstacles themselves. In other words, conflict as a plot mover is not only about the emergence of confrontation, but about the obstacles that prevent the characters from achieving their goals.

The Part That Shows the Conflict of the Story

In the subject of Indonesian, especially when studying the intrinsic elements of narrative texts, the crisis is the part of the story where the conflict begins to emerge and peak.

Usually, the crisis is after the 'rising action' stage or the introduction of the problem, and before entering the climax stage.

In this section, the characters begin to be confronted with problems that test emotions, logic, or relationships between characters. The purpose of the crisis is to build tension and make readers curious about the story's resolution.

Professional Educator and AI Trainer, Tonya Thompson, gave some examples of conflicts in literary works by sharing in several groups, as follows:

Man with Himself

One famous example of how William Shakespeare used internal conflict to build a character can be seen in Hamlet's monologue, the following excerpt:

"Life or death, that is the question: which is more noble, enduring suffering and bad luck, or fighting the waves of problems and ending them? Death: sleep; nothing more; and with sleep, ending the heartache and the thousands of natural wounds that are part of human life, it is the desired end. Death, sleep; sleep, maybe dream; yes, that's the point. For in the sleep of death, what dreams will come when we leave this mortal world, that is what makes us hesitate; and it is this hesitation that makes the suffering of life long. "

In this section, Hamlet wrestles with his own thoughts by questioning the value of life, the meaning of suffering, and the uncertainty of death. This conflict is purely within the mind of the character.

Read also the article discussing the Viewpoint of Short Stories: Definition, Types, and Examples of Works

Man against man

A classic example of conflict between characters can be found in the opening of Edgar Allan Poe's short story The Cask of Amontillado:

"A thousand insults from Fortunato I have withstood as best I could, but when he dared to insult, I swore to retaliate. You, who know so well my soul, must know that I do not utter threats openly. My determination is firm: I must retaliate, and the retaliation must be without risk for me. Retribution is considered failed if the retaliation is hit by bad luck, or if the perpetrator does not realize that he has been retaliated against. "

Here, the main character faces a direct conflict with someone he considers an enemy, with a strong motivation to seek revenge.

Man against society

The conflict between the individual and society is clearly depicted in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. The main character, Hester Prynne, is ostracized by the Puritan community for having a child from an extramarital relationship, while her husband is lost at sea. Hawthorne writes:

"No one, for a long time, can wear one face to himself and another face to the public without finally being confused, which is the real face."

This story shows how the pressures and judgments of society can be a source of great conflict that shapes the life path of the main character.

Thus, conflicts in the story can arise from within the characters, between characters, or between characters and society. Each provides a unique tension that shapes the plot and character development.

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