Literary conflicts are often taught during ELA units. Building on prior knowledge to achieve mastery level with our students is important. An excellent way to focus on the various types of literary conflict is through storyboarding. Having students choose an example of each literary conflict and depict it using the storyboard creator is a great way to reinforce your lesson!
Much of the conflict in The Scarlet Letter stems from the sin that Hester and Dimmesdale commit in their Puritan society, and how they have to learn to live in that community with their guilt, and their sin.
The town leaders become concerned that Hester is an unfit parent for Pearl because of her wild behavior, and they want to take Pearl away from her.
Dimmesdale experiences such intense guilt at making Hester carry the burden of their sin alone that he begins to look sickly and unwell.
Hester’s sin of adultery flies in the face of the Puritan ideals and laws of Boston at the time, resulting in her life-long punishment of wearing a scarlet “A” on her chest.
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that shows at least three forms of literary conflict in The Scarlet Letter.
Organize a classroom debate where students defend or challenge a character’s response to conflict in The Scarlet Letter. This activity helps students analyze character motivation and deepen understanding of literary conflict through respectful discussion.
Assign each student or group a specific type of conflict (e.g., Man vs. Society, Man vs. Self) and a character involved in that conflict. This encourages focused research and helps students become 'experts' on their assigned scenario.
Instruct students to find quotes and scenes from the novel to support their arguments. Using direct evidence strengthens their positions and models critical reading skills.
Set clear rules and time limits for each round. Allow students to present opening statements, rebuttals, and closing arguments. Active participation boosts speaking confidence and engagement.
Discuss what students learned about conflict, character choices, and differing perspectives. Reflection helps cement new understanding and connects debate skills to literary analysis.
The Scarlet Letter features several types of literary conflict, including man vs. man (Hester vs. town leaders), man vs. self (Dimmesdale's internal guilt), and man vs. society (Hester against Puritan laws). These conflicts drive the plot and character development.
Use storyboarding to help students visualize and categorize different conflicts. Have them identify examples of each conflict type in the novel, illustrate them, and write brief descriptions to reinforce their understanding.
One example of man vs. self conflict is Reverend Dimmesdale's struggle with guilt and shame over his secret sin, which affects his health and conscience throughout the novel.
Understanding literary conflict helps students analyze character motivations, plot structure, and the themes of the novel. It deepens their comprehension and critical thinking skills.
Effective activities include storyboard creation, group discussions, categorizing conflicts (character vs. character, self, society, etc.), and writing short descriptions for each conflict identified in the text.