Internal Conflicts:
* F. Marion's Struggle with Identity: Marion, the protagonist, grapples with a sense of alienation and disconnect from his past. He feels like he doesn't belong in his hometown, and he struggles to reconcile his current life with the life he led before the war. He feels like a "ghost," unable to fully embrace his memories or find peace.
* Marion's Unresolved Grief: The war has taken its toll on Marion, leaving him haunted by his past experiences and the loss of his brother. He feels unable to move on from the trauma and struggles to express his grief.
* Marion's Struggle with Guilt: Marion believes he is responsible for his brother's death and feels immense guilt. This guilt further isolates him and prevents him from forging meaningful connections.
External Conflicts:
* Marion's Conflict with the Townspeople: The townspeople, particularly the women, see Marion as a stranger and treat him with suspicion and disdain. This further reinforces his feelings of isolation and alienation.
* Marion's Conflict with the "Tall Men": The mysterious tall men who arrive in town represent a threat to the status quo and a challenge to Marion's sense of reality. Their arrival stirs up fear and anxiety within the community.
* Marion's Conflict with the Past: The story explores the lingering effects of the Civil War and its impact on the characters. Marion struggles to reconcile his memories of the past with the present, and the story suggests that the past is never truly forgotten.
Other Conflicts:
* Conflict Between Tradition and Change: The town is resistant to change and clings to its traditional values. The arrival of the tall men represents a disruption to this order and creates tension within the community.
* Conflict Between Individuality and Conformity: Marion's desire to be different and his struggle to find his place in the community highlights the conflict between individualism and the pressure to conform to societal expectations.
Ultimately, "The Tall Men" is a story about the struggle to come to terms with the past, the consequences of war, and the difficulty of finding your place in the world. The conflicts within the story are not easily resolved, reflecting the complex and challenging nature of human experience.