The conflict between man versus society

The conflict between man versus society

Conflict refers to any fight between opposing forces; mostly, it involves the main character struggling against a particular type of force. Conflict connects readers to the characters in a narrative and often encompasses issues or obstacles that can either be internal (in mind) or external (caused by outside forces). Since readers can relate to conflicts from personal experience and their lives, it helps to increase engagement with the narrative or a character and contributes towards improving meaning presented in the story. The common conflicts found in the literature include man vs. man, man vs. society, man vs. self, man vs. nature, man vs. fate, and man vs. technology (De Fina and Georgakopoulou 12). The term “man” is used to insinuate “human,” and it is not limited to the males. The essay provides a comparison and contrast on conflicts presented in the selected stories.

The conflict between man versus society is evident in “Why the Post Office Makes America Great” by Zeynep Tufekci. For example, the author feels that the postal services in the United States are an essential part of the national infrastructure; hence, people should pay attention and appreciate them. On the other hand, the community thinks that the purpose of the post office has declined due to the development of technology. Hence they no longer consider it as essential infrastructure, thus causing a conflict between them and the author of the stories.

Similarly, in “Thirty-Eight Who Saw Murder Dint Call the Police,” conflict between man versus society is depicted where thirty-eight people saw Catherine Genovese being stabbed to death in public and no one took any action to help her. This was wrong, yet, society thinks that they were justified to keep to themselves. However, neighbors who witnessed her killing had reasons for not alerting the police. For example, some of the witnesses claimed that they did not report the murder because they thought it was a quarrel between lovers.

Another similarity of the conflict between man versus society is portrayed in the story “I Want a Wife.” This is evident where the writer feels that the responsibilities of wives provided by Brady are exaggerated and out of proportion. For example, Brady argues that she needs a wife who can take care of her physical being as well as clean the house. Additionally, she wants a wife who can care for the children and perform other social duties. The author uses exaggeration and mockery to show the egocentric and cruel anticipations that men have on the roles of women.

There is also a similarity in the conflict between man versus man in the stories “The Money” and “I Want a Wife.” For instance, in “The Money,” the savings which the author had kept aside are stolen by unknown individuals while they are on vacation. Equally in the story “I Want a Wife,” the author reveals the conflict that exists between a man and a woman when she tells a list of responsibilities that a wife ought to do, yet she does not show the role of husbands in marriage.

There are notable differences in the stories covered. For instance, in the “Surrendering” and “Once More to the Lake,” conflict exists between man versus man. For example, in “Surrendering,” Vuong explains how his professor claimed that he plagiarized a poem, yet he did not. This presents a conflict between the professor and Vuong and provides an example of the conflict between man versus man. In “Once More to the Lake,” there is a conflict between man versus technologies. For instance, the author feels like new technology is disruptive and has brought about several negative effects. For example, when White visited the lake, he claimed that the boats with new engines make a lot of noise compared to the old engines that were there during his childhood. In reality, technology brings about good things in society in the sense that it makes work easier.

In “Once More to the Lake” and “The Money” by Junot Diaz, the conflict between man and himself is evident in the story. For example, the author of “Once More to the Lake” does not want to accept that he is no longer a child because he failed to adapt to changes that had been made in the lake. He keeps visiting his childhood, thus showing some form of internal conflict. Additionally, in “The Money,” conflict between man versus nature is revealed through the author’s mother, who does not have a regular job, yet she is supposed to take care of her five children with little support from her husband. Through her struggles, she reveals the conflicts that exist between man and nature as she struggles to make ends meet.

Conclusion

From the selected narratives, it is evident that there are similarities and differences in conflicts presented in the literature. Nonetheless, conflict connects readers to the characters in a narrative and often involves issues or obstacles that can either be internal or external. Since readers can relate to conflicts from personal experience and their lives, it helps to increase engagement with the narrative or a character and contributes towards improving meaning presented in the story. The common types of conflicts found in the literature include man vs. man, man vs. society, man vs. self, man vs. nature, man vs. fate, and man vs. technology (De Fina and Georgakopoulou 20). The essay discussed the similarities and differences in conflicts presented in the stories covered. For example, the narrative on “Why the Post Office Makes America Great” and “Thirty-Eight Who Saw Murder Dint Call the Police” presents a conflict between man versus society where there is a fight between what the author views as right and the feelings of the society. Moreover, there are many differences in conflicts presented in the stories. For instance, the fight that exists in the story “Surrendering” is a conflict involving man versus man, while the conflict that exists in “Once More to the Lake” there is a conflict between man verse technologies. Therefore, conflicts in literature are essential in the sense that it enhances the understanding of the narrative.

De Fina, Anna, and Alexandra Georgakopoulou. The handbook of narrative analysis. Wiley-Blackwell, 2019.