Storyboarding is an excellent way to focus on types of literary conflict. 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.
When Cliff Quackenbush mocks Gene and then calls him “maimed”, it hits too close to home and Gene loses it. He punches Quackenbush in the face and they fall into the river. Gene says this is the first of many battles he fights for Finny, as Finny has now become what is seen as “maimed.”
Gene struggles with internal conflict. Gene’s guilt about what he’s done to Finny leads him to try to make it up to him. When Finny returns to Devon, he declares that Gene will train for the 1944 Olympics in his place. Gene is happy to do something tangible to try to make up for hurting Finny physically, and hurting him in his confession to him in Boston.
Leper goes against the constructs of society by losing his mind and going AWOL from the Army. He is unable to deal with the demands of training, which is something that is expected of all men during this time of war in the 1940s. He is also not expected to desert his post and flee to his parents’ house, which is considered both illegal, and dishonorable.
(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 A Separate Peace.
Engage students in collaborative conversations by assigning small groups to analyze specific conflicts from A Separate Peace. This approach encourages active participation and deepens understanding as students build on each other's insights.
Foster focused exploration by giving each group a unique conflict type (e.g., Man vs. Self, Man vs. Society). This ensures coverage of all major conflict categories and helps students become 'experts' on their assigned type.
Strengthen analytical skills by asking groups to find direct quotes or passages from the novel that illustrate their assigned conflict. This practice grounds their discussion in the text and prepares them to support their ideas.
Encourage public speaking and peer learning by inviting each group to share their conflict analysis and textual evidence. Classmates benefit from diverse perspectives while the presenting group builds confidence in their understanding.
Bring the class together to discuss how each conflict type shapes characters and themes in A Separate Peace. This final reflection helps students synthesize ideas and see the bigger picture of literary conflict.
A Separate Peace features several types of literary conflict, including Man vs. Man (Gene vs. Quackenbush), Man vs. Self (Gene's internal guilt), and Man vs. Society (Leper's struggle with societal expectations during war).
Use storyboarding to help students identify and visualize different conflicts in the novel. Have students select scenes, categorize the conflict type, illustrate it, and write brief explanations for each conflict represented.
An example is Gene's struggle with guilt over his actions toward Finny. Gene tries to make amends by training for the Olympics in Finny's place, highlighting his internal conflict and desire for redemption.
Storyboarding allows students to visually break down scenes, deepening their understanding of how different conflicts drive the story and character development.
Direct students to identify at least three conflicts in A Separate Peace, categorize each (e.g., Character vs. Self), illustrate the scene, and write a short description explaining the conflict and its significance.