Here are some elements that conflict often includes:
1. Character Goals and Obstacles:
* Goals: Characters have desires, ambitions, and goals they want to achieve.
* Obstacles: These goals are often blocked by obstacles that prevent them from being reached easily. These obstacles can be internal (like fears or insecurities) or external (like antagonists, societal pressures, or natural disasters).
2. Relationships:
* Conflict can arise between characters: This could be romantic, familial, or between rivals.
* Conflict can also be internal: Characters may struggle with their own thoughts, feelings, or beliefs.
3. Themes:
* Conflict often explores broader themes: These themes can include good vs. evil, love vs. hate, freedom vs. oppression, or individual vs. society.
4. Moral Dilemmas:
* Characters often face choices that have difficult consequences: This forces them to grapple with their values and beliefs, and to make difficult decisions.
5. Stakes:
* Conflict creates a sense of urgency: What is at stake for the characters if they fail to overcome the conflict? The higher the stakes, the more compelling the story becomes.
To summarize, conflict is essential to fiction because it:
* Drives the plot forward.
* Creates tension and suspense.
* Provides opportunities for character development.
* Explores themes and moral dilemmas.
* Engages the reader on an emotional level.
Without conflict, stories would be flat, predictable, and uninteresting. It's the engine that propels the narrative forward and makes fiction so compelling.