Preview

Conflicts Involve a Clash of Ideas, Interests and Expectations.

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
818 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Conflicts Involve a Clash of Ideas, Interests and Expectations.
The vast amount of causes for conflict and the ambiguity of each reaches an overwhelming total. The sort of a particular conflict is highly dependent on why the conflict has occurred, as individuals posses differing core values and beliefs. Conflict is born when aspects of individuals or groups clash. There are infinite aspects that make up an individual, but three remain prominent when it comes to tracing where conflict has originated from. Ideas, interests, and hopes or expectations of an individual are all integral factors that can lead to both small and large scale conflict.

Although ideas are intangible, they can create tangible and forceful conflict. Ideas can be any pattern of thought that our mind is concentrated on, whether this relates to left hemispheric analysis of information, or right hemispheric abstract thought, ideas underlie in all activity in our minds. Conflict can often be a result of a clash of political ideology. These ideological conflicts can be small scaled and result in political debates, or in contrast, they can result in colossal wars as we’ve seen in the past century. This is as true in literature as much as life. Graham Greene proves this notion in his allegoric novel The Quiet American, as he draws upon political ideologies and represents these through the characters in the novel. Greene places the characters within the context of Indochina War, and presents relationships of the characters symbolically to represent the circumstances of the war. Alden Pyle’s idealism is motivated by interventionism in a Third World country’s affairs; this is a emblematic representation of what Greene himself had seen in his lifetime. Greene uses the character Thomas Fowler to represent the ‘old colonialist’ wisdom that questions Pyle’s justification for the violence he causes. Fowler’s reluctance to become more deeply involved in the war creates inner conflict due his belief that Pyle is committing horrific wrongdoings. In addition, the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In the novel “The Quiet American”, which is written by Graham “Vintage” Green, follows a man called Thomas Fowler, who is a British journalist currently travelling in Vietnam. Thomas Fowler is aged in his fifties or so and his work has been covering the French war in Vietnam. Throughout the book Fowler becomes a greatly changed man, through meeting characters and becoming twisted in events. Fowler at the start of the book has no real feeling on anything, he is a selfish and an uncaring man. Initially Fowler’s ego gets in the way, which leads to him become someone who only thinks for himself.…

    • 722 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Our perception of the world around us is built upon the conflict of ideas which takes place in our own minds and so it is almost impossible to validate our viewpoint with others. These disagreements present us with generally inexperienced sensations which may, in fact, support our preconceptions. Captain Trouin in the novel 'The Quiet American', unlike Fowler, is certain of his drive in Vietnam. His experience of "bombing defenceless villages" has tormented him to the horrors of the world as he seeks refuge within his purpose. By fighting for his "friends" he maintains a point of concrete security in an ever uncertain world. His experiences in Vietnam have merely given "greater weight" and meaning to his convictions, unlike Fowler's which are challenged by Trouin himself - urging him to "take a side" in the conflict - and echoed by various characters, such as Mr Heng and Vigot, throughout the novel. Through experience we gain understanding; indeed it is this principle that modern education is based. The almost always unique nature of conflict grants us with a superior understanding by way of it broadening our perception of the world. Despite occasionally causing trauma, and piercing through our lives, conflict is a force, an energy which can prove beyond our former conceptions which we hold dear…

    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    People experiences conflict because of their intrapersonal states. Displaced and misplaced conflict are the types of conflict best explained by this theory.…

    • 124 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Conflict arises from differences. It occurs whenever people disagree over their values, motivations, perceptions, ideas, or desires. Sometimes these differences look trivial, but when a conflict triggers strong feelings, a deep personal and relational need is at the core of the problem a need to feel safe and secure, a need to feel respected and valued, or a need for greater closeness and intimacy.…

    • 987 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Secret River

    • 672 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Conflict is constantly occurring in our everyday lives between individuals and groups in society as it is an inevitable factor of human existence. Conflict involves social disagreement, different interests and beliefs. It is possible to even have inner conflict with oneself. Without a clash of individual beliefs and feelings, no one would be capable of the self reflection or self assessment that enables us to work out what we believe in and stand for. Conflict opens up different personalities, perceptions, values and emotions that will ultimately lead to character building.…

    • 672 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Conflict is defined as the consequence of real or perceived differences in mutually exclusive goals, values, ideas, attitudes, beliefs, feelings, or actions (a) within one individual (intrapersonal conflict), (b) between two or more individuals (interpersonal conflict), (c) within one group (intragroup conflict), or (d) between two or more groups (intergroup conflict). Conflict is dynamic. It can be positive or negative, healthy or dysfunctional (Sullivan 2013, 2009). According to Thomas (1992) conflict is “the process that begins when one party perceives that the other party has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affect, something that he or she cares about” (p. 653). Far from it, conflict is also constructive, as it can be catalytic to new ideas, progress and positive change and growth (Rahim 1986, White…

    • 3530 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Role of Conflict

    • 1349 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The two stories I chose were “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin and “The Carnival Dog, the Buyer of Diamonds” by Ethan Canin. Both conflicts have similar ideas, which can be compared and contrasted as I have below. These elements include theme, setting and characters.…

    • 1349 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Lesson 3 Essay

    • 1038 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Conflict, being the main discussion of these perspectives, also shares the characteristic of a situation created by some internal or external element. With the understanding of these elements pertained specifically to each perspective is what allowed me to derive one conclusion about conflict: The understanding process of conflict is the most important part to conflict, from here, the solution is within reach.…

    • 1038 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Conflict brings out the best as well as the worst in humanity. In everyday life, Individuals may be in a stressful or demanding situation as the feeling of hope or fear attends to appear. Conflict is a concept that pervades every aspect of an individual’s life; it is inevitable and unpreventable. Conflict at times can bring out the best in some individuals enabling them to display astonishing qualities and can also bring out about the poorest of qualities in others.…

    • 388 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In our lives conflict plays a huge force in our everyday activities, social events, interaction with our friends and family. But what is the real explanation of conflict? A struggle or destructive force. This description of conflict only touches the surface of what conflict really means. People encounter conflicts almost on a daily basis, whether it is self-brought upon conflict, conflict with what religion, age, gender you are. Who your family and friends are and how they contribute to your life and how their decisions impact you and the others around you. Conflict is an unavoidable thing that we will all face and have already faced conflict in one form or another throughout our lives. How we deal with conflict determines whether it destroys us or not. Conflict, as a force can either crush or build people’s strength people depending on how they deal with it and the repercussions they have to go through post-conflict. It is known to bring trauma and devastation but has also has the ability to bring people together and settle the differences between one another.…

    • 739 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Materials • Copies of the attached Interior or Exterior Conflicts worksheet • Sticky notes • Short story Lesson 1. 2. Brainstorm with students the types of conflicts or problems they face on a daily basis, and write their responses on the board. Explain to students that there are two types of conflicts that people face every day: • Internal conflict, which takes place in a person’s mind—for example, a struggle to make a decision or overcome a feeling. Internal conflicts are character vs. self. • External conflict, which generally takes place between a person and someone or something else, such as nature, another person or persons, or an event or situation. External conflicts may be character vs. character, character vs. nature, or character vs. society. Tell students that characters in a story face the same types of conflicts, and it is important to identify them in order to understand the story completely. 3. 4. 5. Distribute copies of the “Interior or Exterior Conflicts” worksheet. Have students classify the conflicts as internal or external conflicts, writing the answers in the left column. Go over the classifications with the class, and allow students to correct their answers as needed. Give students copies of another worksheet showing a different set of interior and exterior conflicts, and have students classify them independently and hand in the completed worksheet for assessment. Have students read a short story from their literature book and as they read, put sticky notes on the text wherever conflict is present. When they have finished, ask students to identify the types of conflict they found in the story. Lead a class discussion of the ways the plot might have been different had internal conflicts been external or vice versa.…

    • 611 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Conflict Theory

    • 3415 Words
    • 14 Pages

    Until the mid 1800s, sociology was dominated by a group of scholars advocating conformity and content. No sociologist dare defy the powers that be; in fact, they embraced and encouraged it. Funtionalists presented elitist ideas that endorsed the government, no matter how flawed. Even symbolic interactionists, who acknowledged stratification, diagnosed it as the vital organ of society. Sociology, in itself, seemed to be nothing more than a set of ideas condemning equality and accepting stratification. Out of the ashes of poverty and oppression rose a new group of scholars, great minds speaking on behalf of the masses and minorities. These sociologists recognized the corruption of the system, as well as its true intent. The conflict theorists not only recognized stratification and inequality, they condemned it and the system responsible for it. Each scholar contributed his own observations and constructed his own solution to the problem that “plagues” the people, capitalism.…

    • 3415 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Quiet American

    • 274 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Graham Green's novel, The Quiet American takes place in Vietnam as the French Colonization of the country is coming closer to an end. It is a time where the American's are beginning to arrive in Vietnam with hope of ending the colonization while attempting to "protect" the south from communism and the ever-dreaded "Domino Theory". Within this one novel, Graham Greene has different stories and can capture diverse readers. One story tells a love story between two people from different cultures, another is a tale of a love triangle between two friends and the single woman who comes between them, and there is the story of war, conspiracies, betrayal and murder. I feel that each of the characters in the novels can represent something else and the characters have many different personalities.…

    • 274 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Conflict can be defined as a perceived clashing of interests, actions and aims of individuals or groups, often regarded as a negative process. However, confrontation of ideas and attitudes is essential to human existence and deeply rooted in people's nature. Hence, it is important to bear in mind that this phenomenon is not inherently evil and embedded into people's psyche.…

    • 336 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    „h The form and intensity of conflicts vary widely by place, and over time within any community.…

    • 2324 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays