Conflicts and struggles of characters in the story help create the structure. Conflicts usually mean the disagreement or dispute between characters, and the struggles are the troubles and hardships characters experience. Conflicts help draw tension and help make the story more interesting. Without any conflicts or struggles, it would be very boring. The stories “The Good Deed”, “The School Play”, and “Bud, Not Buddy” all show examples of characters being in conflicts and struggles to make a story appealing. The Good Deed is about the story of a girl named Heather who does a good deed by reading to a visually impaired woman while also learning the true quality of what it means to perform a “good deed”. The School Play is about a boy named Robert who prepares for a school play with a bully, Belinda as to how he reacts. Bud, Not Buddy is about an African American boy who eats breakfast with another family and how he copes with it.
Maturity and perseverance assist one to stay strong and be able to react and respond to change in difficult situations. Although conflicts and struggles are necessary in stories, it is all about the change in characters and how they are able to overcome the challenges and defects. In ‘The Good Deed’, Heather understood the true meaning of a “good deed” in the process of helping Ms. Benson. She realized that you had to be truthful and its something that you actually want to do, not something to do just for a badge. In ‘The School Play’, Robert was very nervous at the beginning, and also wanted to be the president’s guard. But, in the end, he learned that nervousness is normal and its just how one prepares and overcomes nervousness. In ‘Bud, Not Buddy’, Bud became more mature by understanding gratefulness. Maturity describes the change in someone, but as all changes are different, the levels of understanding for the characters are different. Plus, when maturity works together with perseverance, it creates a stronger character that evolves through changes to become more flexible and is able to persevere no matter the situation. Maturity and perseverance can cause multiple changes, and although they are already strong by themselves, putting them together can create a powerful character.
Interactions are the unique events that shape the relationships and individual thoughts between various characters throughout a story. Different interactions can have multiple effects on the characters, in both positive and negative ways, through independent relations. In ‘The Good Deed’, the interaction between Heather and Ms. Benson helped make her more comfortable around visually impaired people. Her interaction with Risa made her despise her, but also helped shape a deeper understanding of a “good deed”. In ‘The School Play’, the interactions between Robert and Belinda showed that thy are both very nervous for the play. The only difference is how they react to the nervousness. Robert tries to practice so he won’t mess up, while Belinda instead bullies Robert to feel better. In ‘Bud, Not Buddy’, Bud’s interactions with the family helped shape his thoughts about them. Interactions and relationships between character shape a path for their thoughts and actions. Although they don’t necessarily have to be major interactions that directly give information, they are the threads that weave the story together to create its overall meaning and purpose. Interactions and relationships are very beneficial when it comes to showing a character’s thoughts or actions in the story.
Suspense in stories help raise the interest of the reader reading it, as they want them to keep reading to see what will happen next. Suspense, also a literary device, shows the interesting side of the story, and just like a cliffhanger, it gives the reader the sense to keep reading. In ‘The Good Deed’, Heather’s realization of the book being hidden by Risa caused the tone to feel mysterious and anticipating. The run-in with Risa also did a lot by giving Heather a sudden suspicion. In ‘The School Play’, after Robert messed up his line, the feeling of suspense occurs again, as the reader doesn’t know what is going to happen next, if he will get in trouble. In ‘Bud, Not Buddy’, the opening scene where Bud got on the bad side of the man, the reader has no idea of what will happen. He could be rescued, or he can be beaten up. Suspense can be hard to use, but the effects it has is tremendous. Authors wouldn’t want readers to just read the story up to a single point and stop because it is so boring. Instead, they want to have them to keep reading, just as in common sense where they want to earn money. Suspense is an important literary device in stories that propels the reader to keep reading from an interesting part.
Maturity, perseverance, interactions, and suspense are all essential aspects that contribute to the development of the conflicts and struggles in the characters. Maturity and perseverance are the traits of being able to be more understanding, and overcoming obstacles no matter what happens. In ‘The Good Deed’, Heather realized the true value of a “good deed”, became more comfortable around people like Ms. Benson through the interactions with her and Risa, and developed the tone of suspense when trying to find the book. In ‘The School Play’, Robert realized the commonality and real attitude of nervousness, the reason for it, and the suspense of what will happen after he messed up. In ‘Bud, Not Buddy’, Bud realized the importance of gratefulness and what it takes to have it, the thoughts on his pretend family through the communications, and the anticipation of the possibilities is what might happen to him after angering the man.
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