7 Types of Conflict in Literature Worth Exploring

Before writing your next book or short story, make sure you understand the different types of conflict in literature and how they affect your writing.

When writing a novel or short story, you are going to want to create some sort of conflict in the narrative. Conflict is what keeps readers engaged and makes the story feel more personal.

As a writer, you have many types of conflict in literature to study that you can choose from in your own writing.

Exploring The Different Types Of Conflict In Literature

Conflict in literature refers to the struggle a character faces that drives a story’s plot forward. The seven main types include Character vs. Self, Character vs. Character, and Person vs. Society, among others. Studies of bestselling fiction consistently show that strong, clearly defined conflict is the primary factor keeping readers engaged through a narrative.

Without conflict, writing and literature would be incredibly boring. Your main character needs to go on a journey, and that journey needs to involve some sort of problem. Literary conflict is what keeps people turning the pages of their favorite book.

As you learn to write fiction, you can position yourself among the best authors by learning to write conflict into your story. Here are 7 different types of conflict to consider. 

1. Character Vs. Self

The Character vs. Self or Man vs. Self conflict pits the main character against their own feelings and desires. Often, this is an internal battle between good and evil. The main character may have a noble goal, but also an inborn desire that conflicts with that goal. 

The dog in The Call of the Wild is a classic example of this, though he isn’t a man, because he finds himself torn between his desire to live in the wild and his desire to live a domesticated life. The entire book explores this pull between wild and domestic, until at last he gives in to the call of the wild.

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2. Character vs. Character

Character vs. Character may be one of the most obvious types of conflict in a story. When one person battles another person, such as in a good guy versus bad guy tale, it is a form of external conflict.

This is found in many types of classic literature, but the ongoing fight between Javert and Jean Valjean in Les Miserables is a classic example. Most of the time the protagonist is the good guy and his enemy is the main source of conflict in the story, driving the action from start to conclusion.

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3. Person Vs. Society 

Sometimes the best story is not the person against person, but rather a Man vs. Society style of conflict. This is commonly found in dystopian literature where the protagonist is fighting against a government construct that is unfair or dictatorial. It can also be found in stories that follow someone rising out of poverty or another similar difficult to find success.

Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games fought this type of battle. She took on an entire societal structure when she fought against the idea of being a tribute and offering herself up as a sacrifice for a tyrannical government. 

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4. Character Vs. Fate

In a Man vs. Fate story, the main character fights against what appears to be an unavoidable fate. He must persevere to change his destiny into something else, even when it seems impossible. 

This type of conflict shows up often in Greek tragedies, such as Odysseus. In his story, Odysseus must discover a way out of his fate of marrying his own mother and avoiding the wrath of Poseidon. 

5. Man Vs. Technology

In dystopian and science fiction narratives, the central character conflict may be not a person against a natural force or another person, but rather against the growing force of technology. In Man Vs. Technology literature, the technology begins to take on a life and sentience of its own, and the human characters must fight against it. 

Frankenstein is one of the first works to show this type of conflict. The technology in this work created the man-like monster that is central to the overall conflict. 

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6. Man Vs. Nature

Nature is a force to be reckoned with, and this Man vs. Nature conflict pits humans against natural disasters and other forces of nature. These can be weather, animals, illness or some other natural force.

Whether the natural force is an animal, as in the whale in Moby Dick an illness, such as cancer in The Fault in Our Stars, or natural wonder, such as the ocean in The Old Man and the Sea, this type of external conflict shows how finite man can survive against a mighty natural force.

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7. Person Vs. the Unknown

Another type of conflict that is common in science fiction, Person vs. the Unknown often shows an external conflict between a person something they are not aware exists. This can be an extraterrestrial being or a metaphysical force. Part of the conflict is the fact that the characters must learn about the unknown entity in order to fight it.

H.G. Wells used this type of conflict in The War of the Worlds. When the aliens landed on earth, scientists had to scramble to learn about them to fight successfully.

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A Final Word On Types Of Conflict In Literature

Without conflict, fiction writing would be very boring. Creative writing involves weaving a story around a central conflict. The conflict can be an internal conflict with the character or an external conflict between the character and an outside force.

If you are going to build your fiction writing skills, take the time to understand conflict. By choosing your type of conflict and weaving it into your story, you will create something people want to read.

FAQs on Types of Conflict in Literature

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the 7 types of conflict in literature?

The seven types of conflict in literature are: Character vs. Self, Character vs. Character, Person vs. Society, Character vs. Nature, Character vs. Technology, Character vs. Fate, and Character vs. the Supernatural. Each type presents a distinct obstacle that forces the protagonist to act, grow, or fail, shaping the overall story arc.

What is Character vs. Self conflict in literature?

Character vs. Self conflict, also called internal conflict, occurs when a protagonist struggles against their own emotions, desires, or moral beliefs. A classic example is Jack London’s ‘The Call of the Wild,’ where the dog Buck is torn between domesticated life and his wild instincts. This type of conflict reveals character depth and drives personal transformation.

How does Person vs. Society conflict work in storytelling?

Person vs. Society conflict pits a protagonist against a larger social structure, institution, or cultural norm. Katniss Everdeen in Suzanne Collins’s ‘The Hunger Games’ exemplifies this by resisting a dictatorial government that forces children into mortal combat. This conflict type is especially prevalent in dystopian fiction and stories about social injustice.

What is the difference between internal and external conflict in literature?

Internal conflict takes place within a character’s mind, involving struggles with emotions, beliefs, or desires, as in Character vs. Self. External conflict occurs between a character and an outside force, such as another person, society, or nature. Most compelling novels layer both types to create multidimensional characters and richer, more engaging plots.

Why is conflict important in fiction writing?

Conflict is the engine of fiction because it creates tension, raises story stakes, and compels readers to keep turning pages. Without conflict, characters have no meaningful obstacles to overcome and stories lack forward momentum. Literary agent Donald Maass notes in ‘Writing the Breakout Novel’ that high-stakes conflict on every page is a defining trait of commercially successful fiction.