In the day 45 post, I introduced basic external conflict and the shape of the story’s action. Now I’d like to sketch out internal conflict. External change within the environment will give rise to conflict within the protagonist as they attempt to make sense of and confront what’s happening in their world. One of the most useful ways of categorizing internal conflict is found in the work of literary critic Norman Friedman, who observed that inner conflict arises in how the protagonist sees themselves, values their own needs versus those of others, and sees the world. Friedman called these three internal conflicts plots of fortune, character, and thought.
Friedman was clear that all three internal plots are present in well crafted stories, because external change will naturally cause adjustments in how we see ourselves, how we value our needs and those of others, and how we imagine or model our world. These plots are interconnected, but one is emphasized above the other two in the way the story is presented to the reader. The shape of these plots will depend on subcategories within the main plot. I’ll explore these shapes in a future post.
Plots of Fortune
Plots of fortune focus on what Maslow identifies as our need for respect. They involve how the protagonist finds their place and role in the world. The protagonist experiences a change of fortune for the better or worse, and they attempt to succeed within their given arena. The conflict arises when external success requires betraying who they really are, their authentic self. Stories that emphasize internal plots of fortune include Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy, Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, Othello by William Shakespeare, A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin, Bleak House by Charles Dickens, Brooklyn by Colm Toíbín, and The Fishermen by Chigoze Obioma.
Plots of Character
Plots of character focus on what Maslow identifies as our need for self-transcendence. They involve how the protagonist negotiates conflict when their needs and those of others are in conflict. In the beginning, the protagonist chooses to pursue what they want and need, and the inner conflict arises when they are called to be of service or sacrifice to meet the needs of others. Stories that emphasize internal plots of character include A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, The Way of All Flesh by Samuel Butler, Selma (2014 film) by Ava DuVernay and by Paul Webb, and Breaking Bad.
Plots of Thought
Plots of thought focus on what Maslow identifies as our need for self-actualization. They involve how the protagonist understands their world. The conflict arises when things happen that don’t fit within their current worldview. The protagonist can embrace their former conception of reality or adopt a new one that is more accurate. Stories that emphasize internal plots of thought include The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, My Fair Lady (1964 film) by George Cukor and Lerner and Loewe, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, or The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen.
In a future post, I’ll break down these into subcategories and provide further examples.
This post is part of a 75-day writing challenge and experiment. From September 9 through November 22, I'll be posting daily thoughts on writing, storytelling, and creativity based on recent readings or reflections. While my intention was to keep them very short—250 to 400 words—I've found that this range doesn't give me enough space to cover these topics adequately. I aim to keep them brief enough to be read quickly, but they will often be longer than 400 words.
At the end of the challenge, I will organize and revise the material with intention. For now, the object is to explore and share.