External Conflicts:
* The children vs. the parents: The main conflict revolves around the children, Wendy and Peter, and their parents, George and Lydia. The children are increasingly alienated from their parents and use the Happylife Home's "nursery" as a means to rebel and exert control. The nursery, which creates a seemingly perfect African veldt environment, becomes a space of dominance and manipulation for the children.
* The parents vs. the technology: The parents struggle to understand and control the advanced technology of the Happylife Home, particularly the nursery. They fear its potential for negative influence on their children, yet they lack the knowledge and power to fully understand or regulate it.
* The technology vs. nature: The story highlights a conflict between the human desire for artificial environments and the fundamental need for natural connection. The children, fully absorbed in the simulated veldt, begin to lose touch with reality and the importance of natural experiences.
Internal Conflicts:
* George's struggle with guilt and helplessness: George feels responsible for the family's breakdown and struggles with the feeling of being unable to control his children and the technology that shapes their lives.
* Lydia's desire for escape and denial: Lydia longs to escape the responsibility of parenting and the suffocating reality of her marriage. She becomes increasingly detached from her children and finds solace in the nursery's simulated world.
* The children's struggle for control and power: Peter and Wendy crave power and control. They use the nursery to create a world that reflects their desires and to exert dominance over their parents.
* The children's descent into savagery: As the children become more immersed in the simulated veldt, they lose their sense of empathy and morality. They become increasingly callous and exhibit cruel tendencies, mirroring the wild nature of the environment they've created.
These conflicts are interwoven throughout the story and create a complex and disturbing portrait of a family struggling with the consequences of unchecked technology and the potential dangers of losing touch with reality.