Internal Conflicts

Definition

Internal conflicts refer to the psychological struggles within a character, often manifesting as a clash between competing desires, emotions, or beliefs. These conflicts can drive character development and influence their decisions and actions across episodes and seasons, highlighting their journey and transformation throughout the narrative.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Internal conflicts can arise from personal dilemmas, such as moral questions, identity issues, or emotional struggles, impacting how a character interacts with others.
2. These conflicts are essential for creating depth in characters, allowing audiences to connect with their struggles and growth over time.
3. Throughout multiple episodes or seasons, internal conflicts can evolve, showing how characters adapt or change in response to their circumstances.
4. Well-crafted internal conflicts often create tension in the story, keeping viewers engaged as they anticipate how characters will resolve their struggles.
5. A character's internal conflict can also serve as a catalyst for external actions, affecting relationships and plot developments in significant ways.

Review Questions

• How do internal conflicts contribute to character arcs over multiple episodes?
  • Internal conflicts play a crucial role in shaping character arcs as they showcase the personal struggles that characters face. These conflicts provide motivation for characters to grow and evolve, influencing their decisions and relationships with others throughout the series. As characters confront and navigate their internal struggles, audiences witness their journey toward resolution or transformation, making the character arc more compelling and relatable.
• In what ways can the resolution of an internal conflict impact the overall narrative of a series?
  • The resolution of an internal conflict can significantly alter the trajectory of a series by providing closure for a character's emotional journey. When characters successfully navigate their internal struggles, it often leads to pivotal changes in their relationships or decisions that affect the broader plot. Additionally, these resolutions can introduce new conflicts or challenges, further driving the narrative forward and keeping viewers engaged with the evolving storyline.
• Evaluate how different types of internal conflicts can lead to varied character developments across a series.
  • Different types of internal conflicts, such as moral dilemmas, identity crises, or emotional turmoil, can lead to distinct paths of character development within a series. For instance, a character grappling with ethical choices may evolve into a more principled individual, while someone facing identity issues might embark on a journey of self-discovery. The specific nature of each internal conflict not only shapes the character's growth but also influences how they interact with others and respond to external events in the narrative. This variety enriches the storytelling by providing unique perspectives on human experience.

Related terms

Character Development: The process by which a character undergoes significant change or growth throughout a story, often influenced by their experiences and internal conflicts.

Motivation: The underlying reasons or drives that propel a character to act in certain ways, often shaped by their internal conflicts and desires.

Resolution: The point in the narrative where a character's internal conflict reaches a climax and is ultimately resolved, leading to a sense of closure or new understanding.