http://www.dowlingcentral.com/MrsD/area/literature/Terms/conflict.html

Study Guide At the end of this unit you will be able to:

define conflict
point out the difference between internal and external conflict
The plots of most stories centers around conflict. A conflict is a struggle between opposing forces.
There are two main kinds of conflict in stories: external and internal.

External Conflict.
A struggle between a character and an outside force is an external conflict. Characters may face several types of outside forces. The outside force may be another character. It may be the character and the community. The outside force may also be forces of nature. For example, a story might be the main character struggling against the arctic cold.
Man against man.
Man against nature.

Internal Conflict.A struggle that takes place in a character's mind is called internal conflict. For example, a character may have to decide between right and wrong or between two solutions to a problem. Sometimes, a character must deal with his or her own mixed feelings or emotions.
Man against himself.

The Importance of Conflict.Conflict is necessary to every story. In short stories, there is usually one major conflict. In longer stories, there could be several conflicts.
Conflict adds excitement and suspense to a story. The conflict usually becomes clear to the beginning of a story. As the plot unfolds, the reader starts to wonder what will happen next and how the characters will handle the situation. Many readers enjoy trying to predict the final outcome.

The excitement usually builds to a high point, or climax. The climax is the turning point of the story. Something has happened to resolve the conflict.

Reading for Conflict.As you read a story:
identify the main characters
decide what conflict they face
look for steps they take to settle that conflict
see if the steps cause other conflict
watch for clues and try to predict what the characters will do
enjoy the buildup of suspense
put yourself in the story
decide if you would have solved the conflict in the same way

And that's our homework. Write about conflict in the story Holes by Louis Sachar. Our English and Literature teacher set that. The above was conveniently copied from Mrs. D's website, possibly some kinder teacher on the other side of the world.

The City of the Future sketches are due today as well but I'm not to worried about that.

Just the essay, which is due tomorrow. And our teacher, who has threatened to walk out of class during English period later. Right now its my free period and the computer is conveniently located at the back of the classroom. I could start on the essay but I just feel like getting my thoughts straight.

I know the class has been strongly opposing her but I find her one of my favourite English teachers. I've only had two. One of them is Teacher Martin, who was my enrichment teacher a number of years ago. The rest are just random folks.

She asks for our opinion but doesn't give hers. That's for lesson time.

She gives her opinion but doesn't hear ours. That's when she complains about our class' response. Which is equivalent to 5% capacity usage. Of which me and and less than two others respond to mostly. Or not. Depending. It makes you look bad when you respond and no one else does.

That's no excuse.

She's done a lot for the class, trying to dress it up with bright coloured cloth and all. But we're not that receptive.

It's hard when the class presents a solid mental block.

God Bless her and let her come back for English later.

Hopefully we'll get an extension for the essay. I've got art till 6 today. I'll be home and done with dinner earliest 7:20, only if I bolt it down like I haven't seen food in a decade. By the time I gear up after rereading most parts of Holes it'll be 8. An essay takes about an hour to write. For me to write in larger font it'll take 20 odd minutes more. Which leaves me at 9:20. I'll need to put on my lenses (i wear hard lens, corrective at night). Leaving me say 9:35. I'll then need to cram Science revision and read the poem and read the other 3 stories to be tested at the Assessment. That will leave me close to eleven. Bible Study: Read the Resurrection of Christ. Set Alarm, brush my teeth. It'll be 11:20p.m by then. Which means I'll sleep for 6 hours odd. But that's only if I stick to the "schedule". I need my sleep. My parents force me to.