Man vs. Self Conflict in Writing

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nietzsche famously said: “the worst enemy you can face will always be yourself.”

You are reading: Man vs self examples in books

what happens when a fictional character is his own worst enemy? That’s when you get the man vs. self conflict, a conflict that involves a character’s internal struggle against himself.

man versus man conflict is one of the most compelling types of literary conflict, because it is the type that creates the most complex characters.

everyone has flaws and doubts, that’s what makes us human. Readers love stories where a character is willing to challenge their own biases and flaws, or come to terms with who they really are.

In this article, I’ll explain what the term man against himself means, discuss some popular examples in the literature, and teach you how to use this type of conflict in your own writing.

what is the literary conflict between man and self?

the conflict between man and self (also known as conflict between character and self) is one of the seven types of literary conflict. refers to the internal struggle of the main character.

This type of conflict often involves a character choosing between two conflicting obligations, facing their flaws and fears, or coming to terms with their own nature.

the struggle can be small, like the protagonist trying to decide what to wear to a job interview to make the best impression. Or it could be huge, like the protagonist realizing that she’s been selfish all her life and making the difficult decision to start putting others first.

Often, stories that have a conflict between the man and the self also have other types of conflict. the internal conflict may reflect or inform other external conflicts that occur in the narrative.

what are the best examples of conflict between man and self?

man versus self can take many different forms. in fact, almost every story involves a certain amount of conflict between the man and the self, because inner conflict is such a universal human experience. remember, the conflict between man and self is one of several conflicts that occur in a narrative.

Let’s look at five examples of man versus man conflict from successful novels and movies.

1. emma woodhouse in emma by jane austen

In Emma, the main character starts out thinking that she knows what’s best for her friends. she repeatedly intrudes on her friends’ lives, acting as a matchmaker and telling them what they should and shouldn’t do.

Over time, he begins to realize that his matchup ended up hurting his friends, rather than helping them. She struggles with realizing it herself and tries to deny it, but finally accepts that she was wrong and sets out to correct her mistakes.

Emma is a fantastic example of a novel where man against self is the main type of conflict. There are other major conflicts at play in the story, such as man against man and man against society, but Emma’s internal struggle and growth is the crux of the novel.

2. prince hamlet in william shakespeare’s hamlet

prince hamlet is a fascinating case study for the conflict between man and self because he faces a lot of internal conflicts.

hamlet wants to avenge his father by killing his uncle claudius, but he also struggles internally with multiple reasons not to go down this path.

the conflict between a man and oneself is hamlet’s struggle with the morality of whether or not it is justified to kill claudio. he wants revenge on his father, but he knows that it is wrong to kill his own uncle, especially when he is not sure if the ghost he saw was really his father.

The conflict between another man and oneself is Hamlet’s internal debate about whether to kill Claudius or commit suicide. this internal debate is the subject of his famous act 3 monologue, which begins with “to be or not to be, that is the question…”

All of these internal conflicts keep the tension high as the play progresses.

3. katniss everdeen in the hunger games by suzanne collins

At the beginning of The Hunger Games, Katniss’s main goal is to keep herself and her family alive at all costs. Even when she sees horrible injustices happening in District 12, she never takes a stand, because it would put her and her family in danger.

However, throughout the trilogy, Katniss is repeatedly forced to choose between surviving or fighting for something greater. She realizes that she is willing to risk her life, and even her family’s, to act as a figurehead for the rebellion and help fight for what she believes in.

katniss’s man vs. self conflict is a struggle between two values that matter to her: keeping her family alive and fighting against the oppressive capitol. Neither of these values is something you’re willing to give up, but your circumstances prevent you from prioritizing both.

In the end, Katniss ends up losing her little sister and her home in District 12 due to her decision to help the rebellion. Externally, these results are the result of the man vs. man conflicts that Katniss fought in the real world, but internally, they are the result of the man vs. self conflict that she fought within his own mind.

4. cole sear in the sixth sense

In the sixth sense, eleven-year-old Cole has the ability to see the dead. he sees them everywhere: at school, at home, at his classmates’ birthday parties.

As the movie begins, Cole is in constant terror, because he doesn’t know how to make these ghosts leave him alone.

In this case, the conflict between man and himself is a battle between Cole and his supernatural power. he’s afraid of his own abilities and wishes he could be normal, so he wouldn’t have to live in fear anymore.

However, by the end of the film, Cole realizes that he can help the ghosts find peace instead of letting fear rule him. all he wanted was for the dead to leave him alone, but what he really needed was to find a way to help them.

The sixth sense is a fantastic example of the conflict between man and self. Once Cole realizes that his power doesn’t have to be something scary, he accepts his very nature and comes to see it as a gift, rather than a curse.

5. the narrator in chuck palahniuk’s fight club

In Fight Club, the main conflict appears to be a man-on-man conflict between the anonymous narrator and Tyler Durden.

tyler is a charismatic man who seems to know exactly what he wants and how to get it, while the narrator is an insomniac looking for something to believe in.

The two men become friends, but begin to clash as the narrator begins to question Tyler’s decisions.

later, we realize that tyler and the narrator are two different personalities within the same body. Tyler takes over when the narrator goes to sleep.

fight club is an example of an extremely literal version of man versus man conflict, to the point where it appears to be man versus man conflict. Most of this external conflict takes place inside the main character’s mind, because they are simply manifestations of his internal struggle.

How is the conflict between the man and the self created?

While I’m in no way telling you to stifle the examples above, it’s helpful to use your favorite authors for inspiration. it’s especially good to check out the work of authors who have written in the same or a similar genre as yours. that way, you’ll be even better at understanding the technical conventions of that genre (and maybe some rules to discard as well).

ProWritingAid’s Summary Report allows you to compare your writing to your favorite writers with the author comparison feature.

the conflict between man and self can be a powerful tool for asking thematic questions and increasing tension in your stories.

Here are some of my best tips for creating a conflict between man and self in your own writing process.

create a battle between wanting and needing

A fantastic way to create a conflict between man and self is by using the “want versus need” method.

first, start by giving your character something they want, a shallow goal that they think will ultimately make them happy.

examples of an “I want”:

becoming a successful businesswoman
getting revenge on a nemesis
earning the approval of an ex-boyfriend

then give them something they need, a deeper goal they must achieve in order to feel whole and satisfied.

examples of a “need”:

learn to trust
let go of the past
self-acceptance

finally, make the character’s “want” and “need” mutually exclusive. makes it clear that the protagonist cannot achieve both.

for example, your protagonist might want revenge on the man who murdered her parents, when what she really needs is to put the past behind her and forgive him.

This frame is an easy way to create a conflict between the man and the self because it sets up two conflicting goals in the character’s mind. those two goals can collide with each other, creating tension and risks, at various points in his story.

show us where the inner struggle began

The best internal conflicts arise from events in the protagonist’s backstory.

Readers will support a selfish, snobbish, or cynical character as long as they understand why that character is selfish, snobbish, or cynical.

One point to note though, when you develop your characters’ backstory, you’ll want to make sure your readers can follow along. prowritingaid’s pace check will help identify your introspection and backstory and suggest whether you need to go slower or faster in order to hold your readers’ attention.

for example, katniss everdeen appears to be extremely independent and unwilling to trust anyone, not even her own mother. however, her backstory shows us that her mother sank into a deep depression after katniss’s father died, leaving katniss and her sister to starve.

Thanks to this backstory, we understand where Katniss’s trust issues come from and how her conflicts between man and man affect her.

Show us the pivotal moments from the past that have brought the character to this moment.

link internal conflict to external conflict

Be sure to relate your man vs. self conflict to the external conflict in the story.

It’s a common pitfall to assume that because man vs. self is an internal conflict, it should take place entirely inside the character’s head. but no one wants to read pages and pages of internal monologue.

Instead, think of external events to trigger the character’s internal debate. think of ways the plot forces your character to choose between getting what he wants and getting what he needs.

once again, I’ll use katniss as an example. the hunger games is not about katniss sitting in her room and wondering if the survival of her family is more important than the freedom of her nation. instead, she has to fight battles and enact plans for rebellion.

Katniss’s entire inner conflict is action-driven, which made her story the best-selling franchise it is today.

Is man versus self internal or external?

There you have it: a complete guide to understanding and creating the conflict between man and self.

man against himself is a kind of internal conflict in fiction. if you want to explore different elements of your character’s psyche, try to introduce the conflict between man and self in your writing.

what are your favorite books in which a character struggles with a part of himself? let us know in the comments.

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