‘Conflict is inevitable in a dynamic world’. Conflict is defined as a state of opposition between two forces and is central to the human experience. There are numerous factors that can ignite conflict between groups, individuals, man and his surroundings or even within one’s self. An understanding of the nature of conflict can be acquired through looking at certain texts in order to get a better understanding of specific types of conflict and how they are portrayed in literature and ultimately, society.
One of the major categories of conflict is inner-conflict. This type of embroilment is a private war within oneself; this could be between good and evil, strength and weakness, love and hate. A great example of self-conflict is the film Rocky. Rocky Balboa is a washed-up outsider who has to believe in himself and overcome his own doubts and insecurities. Although the film is based around boxing and the real conflict seems to be a physical one between him and Apollo Creed, it’s really about whether he can “go the distance”.
Another key classing of conflict is social conflict. Social conflict is the struggle for agency or power in society, whether it is, just to fit in or to rule, these are all struggles where it is man-opposing society. The Elephant Man is social conflict in its purest form, in which the humanity of the individual is of its own accord. An indictment against the cruelty and indifference of socially mediated existence: it is “society” in its most grotesque form that can dehumanize and treat with contempt a gentle soul whose only crime is looking different than his
