An internal conflict is the struggle occurring within a character's mind. Things such as the character views for, but can't quite reach. As opposed to external conflict, in which a character is grappling some force of themself, such as wars or a chain-breaking off a bike, or not being able to get past a roadblock. The dilemma posed by internal conflict is usually some
ethical
Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns ma ...
or emotional question. Indicators of internal conflict would be a character's hesitation or self-posing questions like "what was it I did wrong?". An internal conflict can also be a decision-making issue.
The term "internal conflict" is also widely used to describe a military conflict within a nation, such as a
civil war
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
.
THE [ United Nations] SECURITY COUNCIL, PEACEKEEPING AND INTERNAL CONFLICT AFTER THE COLD WAR, MATS R. BERDAL
Example of "internal conflict" for a civil war. An internal conflict is a domestic conflict, and can be caused because of political, economic or religious causes.
See also
* Conflict (narrative)
Traditionally, conflict is a major literary element of narrative or dramatic structure that creates challenges in a story by adding uncertainty as to whether the goal will be achieved. In works of narrative, conflict is the challenge main charact ...
* Cognitive dissonance
In the field of psychology, cognitive dissonance is the perception of contradictory information, and the mental toll of it. Relevant items of information include a person's actions, feelings, ideas, beliefs, values, and things in the environment. ...
References
Chopin, K., & Correll, G. (2011). The story of an hour and other stories. Good Ink.
Hecker, L. (1993). The stolen party and anthology of women's stories. Cambridge Univ. Press.
"Internal Conflict Examples In Literature". Examples.Yourdictionary.Com, 2021, https://examples.yourdictionary.com/internal-conflict-examples.html.
Lessing, D. (2013). Through the tunnel.
Conflict (narrative)
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