3Rethinking the Role of Conflict
Conflict and Character
Conflict, or the friction between opposing forces, serves two primary structural functions for the screenwriter: it defines the protagonist’s singular essence, and it organizes and powers the narrative. Though there are arguments to be made regarding how using conflict as a narrative mechanism fosters a hostile and “predatory worldview”1—some of which I will elaborate on here—I want to shift the focus to the structural goals of conflict and their implications. By examining the structural function of conflict, we’re better positioned to imagine other practices, or other engines, that might achieve similar ends in terms of establishing—and perhaps even complicating—character ...
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