Storyboarding is an excellent way to focus on types of literary conflicts.
Having students create storyboards that show the cause and effect of different types of conflicts strengthens analytical thinking about literary concepts. Have your students choose an example of each literary conflict and depict them using the Storyboard Creator. In the storyboard, an example of each conflict should be visually represented, along with an explanation of the scene, and how it fits the particular category of conflict.
Tris is in direct conflict with many other characters. Peter, in particular, strongly dislikes her, which creates a number of conflicts. Peter's fight with Tris during the initiation is just one of many times the two come into conflict with each other.
Al's suicide creates an internal conflict for Tris. Although she cannot forgive him for trying to kill her, she never wanted him dead. She blames herself for his death and struggles to find peace of mind after his funeral.
Because she is divergent, Tris does not truly fit into any faction, and she struggles to find her place in society. Although Tris enjoys many aspects of both Abnegation and Dauntless life, she also find things to critique in each. Because the Erudite see divergence as a threat to their society, Tris's difference also puts her in a dangerous position.
The simulation serum is a technology that creates the climactic conflict in the novel. The Erudite serum is used to control the Dauntless soldiers and start an all-out war between the factions. Tris is immune to the effects of the serum, but must face the chaos it causes.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that shows at least three forms of literary conflict in Divergent.
Use exit tickets at the end of your lesson to gauge student comprehension of literary conflict types. Provide each student with a small slip of paper and ask them to write an example of one conflict from ‘Divergent’ and label its type. This strategy gives you immediate feedback and helps identify areas that need review.
Demonstrate the process by making a quick storyboard example on the board or projector. Show how to choose a scene, identify the conflict type, and add a short explanation. This gives students a clear template and builds their confidence for the activity.
Pair students or form small groups to review and discuss each other's storyboards. Guide students to give specific feedback on conflict types and scene explanations. This collaborative review deepens understanding and fosters a supportive classroom environment.
Showcase student work on a bulletin board or digitally. Invite students to explain their storyboard choices and conflict types. This creates opportunities for whole-class discussion and reinforces key literary concepts for everyone.
Divergent features several types of literary conflict, including Character vs. Character (Tris vs. Peter), Character vs. Self (Tris's guilt over Al's death), Character vs. Society (Tris's struggle as a Divergent), and Character vs. Technology (the simulation serum). Each conflict helps drive the story and develop the characters.
Students can identify literary conflicts in Divergent by looking for moments where the main character faces challenges from other characters, internal struggles, societal pressures, or technology. Using a storyboard, they can visually represent these scenes and add brief explanations to show how each fits a conflict type.
Storyboarding helps students visualize and analyze different conflicts in Divergent. By creating scenes and explanations, students gain a clearer understanding of how conflict shapes characters and plot, and they practice higher-order thinking by categorizing and interpreting events.
An example of Character vs. Society in Divergent is Tris's struggle to fit into a faction as a Divergent. Her unique abilities put her at odds with the rules and expectations of her society, making her a target and forcing her to question where she belongs.
Teachers should ask students to choose examples of at least three conflict types from Divergent, illustrate each in a storyboard cell, and write a short description of the conflict. This helps students categorize and explain the conflicts while engaging creatively with the text.