Un viejo que leía novelas de amor Literary Conflict Activity

Q: What are the main conflicts in Un viejo que leía novelas de amor?

Three are worth teaching: person vs. nature (Antonio José against the ocelot), person vs. society (the mayor who blames the Shuar and pressures him, and the gringos who don't respect the jungle), and person vs. self (the old man respects the animal but has to kill her).

Q: How much time do I need, and when should I teach it?

Plan for 45 to 50 minutes after chapter 8. The person-vs.-self conflict only resolves in the last pages, when Antonio José feels ashamed of what he did, so teaching it earlier leaves the third cell incomplete.

Q: How do I adapt the activity for Spanish learners and heritage speakers?

For learners, accept one sentence per cell with a model: «Antonio José lucha contra… porque…» . For heritage speakers, ask for a paragraph per conflict using contrast connectors such as aunque and sin embargo , which are key to explaining the protagonist's inner conflict.

Q: What discussion questions can I use about conflict?

Try: Could Antonio José have refused to hunt the ocelot? Is the novel's real enemy the animal or the mayor? Why does the old man feel ashamed at the end if he did what he was asked? None has a single answer, which makes them ideal for a pair debate.

Un viejo que leía novelas de amor - Literary Conflict Example

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Lesson Plan Overview

Template and Class Instructions

Lesson Plan Overview

Conflict drives every story, and analyzing it helps students understand the characters and their choices. In this activity, students create a storyboard with an example of each type of literary conflict: man vs. nature, man vs. society, and man vs. self.

Un viejo que leía novelas de amor is ideal for this analysis because all three conflicts meet in a single character. Antonio José hunts the ocelot (nature), but he does it under pressure from a corrupt mayor (society) and against what he feels and knows about the jungle (self). In addition to illustrating each conflict, ask students to explain how it connects to the other two.

If students work in pairs, one can illustrate the scenes while the other writes the explanations; then they switch roles to review each other's work.

Before You Begin

Suggested timing: after chapter 8.
Time needed: 45 to 50 minutes.
Assessment: check that the type of conflict is correctly identified, that the chosen scene clearly represents it, and that the explanation uses evidence from the text.

Examples of Conflict in Un viejo que leía novelas de amor

CONFLICT	EXAMPLE
Man vs. Nature	Antonio José has to face the ocelot in the jungle. The animal is cunning: she stalks him at night and forces him to fight on her own ground.
Man vs. Society	The mayor, "the Slug," blames the Shuar without evidence, looks down on Antonio José's knowledge, and pressures him to hunt the animal. The gringos, for their part, enter the jungle without respecting its rules.
Man vs. Self	Antonio José knows the ocelot is only defending her own, and he respects the animal, but he still has to kill her. In the end he is ashamed of what he did.

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Template and Class Instructions

(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 Un viejo que leía novelas de amor.

Click "Use This Template" from the assignment.
Identify the conflicts in the novel.
Illustrate an example of each conflict.
Below each cell, write a short description of the example and explain what type of conflict it is.
Save and submit your storyboard.

Un viejo que leía novelas de amor - Literary Conflict Template

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Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 9-12

Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)

Type of Assignment Individual or Partner

Type of Activity: Types of Literary Conflict

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Lesson Plan Overview

If students work in pairs, one can illustrate the scenes while the other writes the explanations; then they switch roles to review each other's work.

Before You Begin

Suggested timing: after chapter 8.
Time needed: 45 to 50 minutes.
Assessment: check that the type of conflict is correctly identified, that the chosen scene clearly represents it, and that the explanation uses evidence from the text.

Examples of Conflict in Un viejo que leía novelas de amor

CONFLICT	EXAMPLE
Man vs. Nature	Antonio José has to face the ocelot in the jungle. The animal is cunning: she stalks him at night and forces him to fight on her own ground.
Man vs. Society	The mayor, "the Slug," blames the Shuar without evidence, looks down on Antonio José's knowledge, and pressures him to hunt the animal. The gringos, for their part, enter the jungle without respecting its rules.
Man vs. Self	Antonio José knows the ocelot is only defending her own, and he respects the animal, but he still has to kill her. In the end he is ashamed of what he did.

Copy Activity

Template and Class Instructions

(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 Un viejo que leía novelas de amor.

Click "Use This Template" from the assignment.
Identify the conflicts in the novel.
Illustrate an example of each conflict.
Below each cell, write a short description of the example and explain what type of conflict it is.
Save and submit your storyboard.

More options

Copy This Storyboard

Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 9-12

Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)

Type of Assignment Individual or Partner

Type of Activity: Types of Literary Conflict

Copy Activity

How to Teach the Three Conflicts in Un viejo que leía novelas de amor

Introduce the conflict types with one scene

Before opening the template, introduce the three types of conflict with a single scene: Antonio José in the jungle, hunting the ocelot on the mayor's orders. Ask the class how many conflicts they see in that scene. They usually find all three on their own.

Set up pairs with defined roles

One student illustrates the scenes and the other writes the explanations. Halfway through, they switch roles to review each other's work. Both get practice with visual reading and with writing.

Have students connect the conflicts

Besides illustrating each conflict, each pair writes one sentence linking it to another, for example: Antonio José hunts the ocelot because the mayor pressures him, even though he knows the animal is only defending her own. That sentence shows whether they understood the novel, not just the definition.

Give language support by group

For Spanish learners, provide the headings ser humano contra la naturaleza, contra la sociedad, and contra sí mismo along with model sentences. For heritage speakers, require contrast connectors (aunque, sin embargo, a pesar de) to explain Antonio José's inner conflict.

Close with a class vote

Ask: Which of the three conflicts matters most in the novel? Each pair votes and defends its answer with a cell from the storyboard. Grade with the same criteria: correct conflict type, a clear scene, and text evidence.

Frequently Asked Questions about Conflict in Un viejo que leía novelas de amor

What are the main conflicts in Un viejo que leía novelas de amor?

Three are worth teaching: person vs. nature (Antonio José against the ocelot), person vs. society (the mayor who blames the Shuar and pressures him, and the gringos who don't respect the jungle), and person vs. self (the old man respects the animal but has to kill her).

How much time do I need, and when should I teach it?

Plan for 45 to 50 minutes after chapter 8. The person-vs.-self conflict only resolves in the last pages, when Antonio José feels ashamed of what he did, so teaching it earlier leaves the third cell incomplete.

How do I grade the literary conflict storyboard?

Check three criteria in each cell: the conflict type is correctly identified, the scene clearly represents it, and the explanation uses text evidence. Give extra credit if the pair explains how one conflict leads to another; in this novel, all three are tangled up in a single character.

How do I adapt the activity for Spanish learners and heritage speakers?

For learners, accept one sentence per cell with a model: «Antonio José lucha contra… porque…». For heritage speakers, ask for a paragraph per conflict using contrast connectors such as aunque and sin embargo, which are key to explaining the protagonist's inner conflict.

What discussion questions can I use about conflict?

Try: Could Antonio José have refused to hunt the ocelot? Is the novel's real enemy the animal or the mayor? Why does the old man feel ashamed at the end if he did what he was asked? None has a single answer, which makes them ideal for a pair debate.