Skills Lesson: Conflict, Moral Dilemma, And Character Analysis

Read the scenario below and answer the question that follows. Hope knew how desperate Hayley was to make it on the baseball team. Hope had seen Hayley's grandparents cheering at the game last year. They just looked so happy. The baseball team was the only thing that was going well in Hayley's life. Yet, Hope knew that she was a better player than Hayley. After baseball camp, there was really no competition. What was Hope to do? Here she was at tryouts, and it was too late to drop out. There was one more spot on the team. She believed strongly that she should always do her best, but she didn't want to break Hayley's heart. Which statement describes the main plot of the scenario above best? A. Hope has an external conflict due to competition with Hayley. B. Hope has an internal conflict due to a moral dilemma. C. Hope has an internal conflict due to her negative feelings toward Hayley. D. Hope has an external conflict due to her missing baseball camp.

Characterization gives us insight into the character's __________, which builds conflict. A. antagonist B. exposition C. motivation D. internal conflict

What is characterization? A. the process of conveying information about a character, which gives insight into character motivation B. the main story line of a work consisting of a chain of events related by cause and effect C. the dramatic struggle or clash between two or more forces in a story D. the dynamic protagonist and narrator in the story

Read the passage below and answer the question that follows. Sarah was torn. Should she stop being friends with Connie just because of a rumor? Sarah heard the rumor from another good friend, a person who was usually very kind. Sarah didn't think she could be friends with Connie if the rumor was true. Yet, Sarah felt certain that confronting Connie, whether the rumor was true or not, would lead to disasterous results. But she felt that she had no choice; Sarah would have to ask. Sarah suddenly realized that the teacher had called her name; the other students were staring. Ugh, I'm going to get detention again! She thought to herself. Sure enough, Ms. Peterson angrily handed her the slip of paper that Sarah's mom would surely be pleased to sign later that night. Fuming, Sarah was temporarily distracted from thoughts of Connie, but then the bell rang and ended her reprieve. Sarah walked out of the classroom and imagined seeing Connie walking toward her seconds before the real Connie walked out of third period math. Connie waved and walked towards Sarah, grininning. Which statement describes the main conflict in the passage best? A. It's an internal conflict because Sarah has to decide whether or not to confront her friend. B. It's an external conflict because Ms. Peterson has given Sarah a detention. C. It's an internal conflict because Sarah will probably argue with her mom later that night. D. It's an external conflict because the bell interrupted Sarah's angry and worried thoughts.

Why are some conflicts described as "external"? A. They are minor problems in a story. B. They pit a character against an outside force. C. They relate to events that happened in a character's past. D. They refer to political struggles taking place in a character's world.

Read the scenario below and answer the question that follows. Batman and Superman battle for ultimate supremacy. Which type of conflict describes the scenario above best? A. character vs. self B. character vs. nature C. character vs. society D. character vs. character

Direct characterization is __________. A. stated directly in the narration of the text B. implied by the author through dialogue, action, and words C. inferred by the reader based on the clues provided D. the character's motivation and the conflicts that get in the way

What is a moral dilemma? A. a situation in which the protagonist temporarily adopts the morals of the antagonist right before defeating the villain B. a situation in which a person (usually the protagonist's) morals are tested by a strong antagonist C. a situation in which a person gets the opportunity to develop a principle or rule that distinguishes right from wrong D. a situation in which a person's principles require two or more actions, only one of which can be taken

Read the excerpt below from the novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith and answer the question that follows. Francie went in trembling. She had never seen a doctor or a nurse in all of her small life. The whiteness of the uniforms, the shiny cruel instruments laid out on a napkin on a tray, the smell of antiseptics, and especially the cloudy sterilizer with its bloody red cross filled her with tongue-tied fright. What is the main conflict in this excerpt? A. character vs. self B. character vs. character C. character vs. nature D. character vs. society

If a character permanently changes as a result of the conflicts in the story, that character is __________. A. protagonistic B. static C. antagonistic D. dynamic

Indirect characterization is __________ by the author. A. not used B. implied C. directly given D. justified

Read the scenario below and answer the question that follows. Hope knew how desperate Hayley was about making it on the baseball team. Hope had seen Hayley's grandparents cheering at the game last year. They just looked so happy. The baseball team was the only thing in Hayley's life going well. Yet, Hope knew that she was a better player than Hayley. After baseball camp, there was really no competition. What was Hope to do? Here she was at try outs, and it was too late to drop out. There was one more spot on the team. She believed strongly that one should always do one's best, but she didn't want to break Hayley's heart. Which genre describes the passage best? A. science fiction B. adventure C. sports D. supernatural

What is conflict? A. the static character, usually the villain, who remains the same throughout the story B. the main story line of a work that consists of a chain of events related by cause and effect C. the process of conveying information about a character, which gives insight into character motivation D. a dramatic struggle or clash between two or more forces in a story

In the context of this lesson, what is plot? A. the process of conveying information about a character, which gives insight into character motivation B. the main story line of a work consisting of a chain of events related by cause and effect C. a dramatic struggle or clash between two or more forces in a story D. a portion of land set aside for an intended future use

Which of the following is an example of internal conflict? A. character vs. society B. character vs. character C. character vs. self D. character vs. nature

If a character has the same perspective and personality at the beginning as it does at the end of a story, then the character is __________. A. antagonistic B. dynamic C. static D. protagonistic