History Main / Conflict

->''"Once there was a beautiful girl named Disney/SnowWhite, who lived with seven dwarfs, and they lived HappilyEverAfter." Pretty dull, isn't it?''

# '''Male and Female.''' [Quibbler-Couch was [[AnOfferYouCantRefuse persuaded]] to remove the [[MarsAndVenusGenderContrast "versus"]].-]

# '''Man vs. Man,'''
# '''Man vs. Self.'''
# '''Man vs. Nature'''
# '''Man vs. Society.'''
# '''Man vs. God/Fate'''

# '''Male and Female.''' [-Quiller-Couch was [[AnOfferYouCantRefuse persuaded]] to remove the [[MarsAndVenusGenderContrast "versus"]].-]

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# '''Man vs. God/Fate,''' or anything cosmic like those.

# '''Man vs. Man,''' as in Character(s) vs Character(s). This could be the BigBad, a monster, a robot, a friend, aliens, or anyone, as long as it's another character, major or minor. After all, TheVillainMakesThePlot.

# '''[[ViolenceTropes Man vs. Man]],''' as in Character(s) vs Character(s).\\
[-This could be the BigBad, a monster, a robot, a friend, aliens, or anyone, as long as it's another character, major or minor. After all, TheVillainMakesThePlot.-]
# '''[[InternalConflictTropes Man vs. Self.]]'''
# '''Man vs. Nature''' or other [[YouWouldNotWantToLiveInDex Host]][[HostileWeather ile]] [[RiverOfInsanity Enviro]][[GaiasRevenge nment]]. [-or a [[ActionSurvivor Situation]] of some sort. Even {{Death Trap}}s could count here.-]

Going beyond Quiller-Couch's list, there is also
* '''Man vs. Machine,''' [-as in [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin machinery]]. Most commonly told from the perspective of a worker being replaced by a machine.-]

Now it seems that some fiction doesn't have conflict, but even then it's presented as a challenge, which is the third type of conflict. See NoAntagonist. Of course not every work in media needs conflict, but those tend to be non-fiction, or some episodes of SliceOfLife series can also qualify. If it's a story or game, conflict drives it.

Of course not every work in media needs conflict, but those tend to be non-fiction, but some episodes of SliceOfLife series can also qualify. If it's a story or game, conflict drives it.

Now it seems that some fiction doesn't have conflict, but even then it's presented as a challenge, which is the third type of conflict. See NoAntagonist.

Conflict can also come in many forms. According to Arthur Quiller-Couch, there are seven kinds of conflict, creating seven basic plots (Not to be confused with ''TheSevenBasicPlots'' by Christopher Booker, which articulates a theory closer to that of TheHerosJourney).

This is the basic problem to overcome in a story, the driving force. If you don't have {{Conflict}}, you don't have a story. Or [[TheTropelessTale just a story of things happening without incident]].

!!!Due to its universality, this is a huge SuperTrope. Any examples are best listed in these {{Sub Trope}}s (or notable instances of conflict on individual work pages).

This is the basic problem to overcome in a story, the driving force. If you don't have {{Conflict}}, you don't have a story.

* '''Man vs. Machine,''' [-as in [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin machinery]]. Most commonly told from the perspective of a worker being replaced by a machine. And no, not [[TeamFortress2 that]] Man Vs. Machine.-]

* '''Man vs. Machine,''' [-as in [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin machinery]]. Most commonly told from the perspective of a worker being replaced by a machine.-]

It could be said that MarySue stories are weak because there is no conflict in how the Sue achieves things, or that the conflict is so weak and ineffectual that it still comes across that way (as with {{Anti Sue}}s and {{Boring Invincible Hero}}es).

Conflict can also come in many forms. According to Arthur Quiller-Couch, there are seven kinds of conflict, creating seven basic plots.[[hottip:**:Not to be confused with ''TheSevenBasicPlots'' by Christopher Booker, which articulates a theory closer to that of [[TheHerosJourney Joseph Campbell]].]]

->''"Once there was a beautiful girl named Disney/SnowWhite, who lived with seven dwarfs, and they lived HappilyEverAfter." Pretty dull, isn't it?''\\
-- '''A Disney special on the importance of villains'''

# '''Man vs. Man,''' as in Character(s) vs Character(s).\\

# '''Man vs. Self.'''

+ NarrativeTropes

Conflict can also come in many forms. One theory (but not the only one of course) is that there are seven kinds of conflict, creating seven basic plots.[[hottip:**:Not to be confused with ''TheSevenBasicPlots'' by Christopher Booker, which articulates a theory closer to that of [[TheHerosJourney Joseph Campbell]].]] The exact breakdown varies according to the theorist, but they're often presented thusly:

# '''Man vs. Machine,''' [-as in [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin machinery]].-] [-Sentient machines may still be part of the first type. Most commonly told from the perspective of a worker being replaced by a machine.-]

# '''Male and Female.''' [-Poet and critic Arthur Quiller-Couch, who first articulated the theory, was [[AnOfferYouCantRefuse persuaded]] by his [[BlatantLies wife]] to remove the [[MarsAndVenusGenderContrast versus]].-]

If you don't have {{Conflict}}, you don't have a story.

->''"Once there was a beautiful girl named Literature/SnowWhite, who lived with seven dwarfs, and they lived HappilyEverAfter." Pretty dull, isn't it?''\\

->''"Once there was a beautiful girl named SnowWhite, who lived with seven dwarfs, and they lived HappilyEverAfter." Pretty dull, isn't it?''\\

Compare BooksOnTrope.

See also RuleOfDrama. A specific subtrope is ChandlersLaw; compare FinaglesLaw. For how conflict plays out in ThreeActStructure, see RisingConflict. See also BooksOnTrope.

See also RuleOfDrama. A specific subtrope is ChandlersLaw; compare FinaglesLaw. For how Conflict plays out in ThreeActStructure, see RisingConflict. See also BooksOnTrope.

See also RuleOfDrama. A specific subtrope is ChandlersLaw; compare FinaglesLaw. See also BooksOnTrope.

[-This could be the BigBad, a monster, a robot, a friend, aliens, or anyone, as long as it's another character, major or minor.-]