Storyboarding is an excellent way to focus on types of literary conflicts.
Having students create storyboards that identify different types of conflict strengthens analytical thinking about literary concepts. Have your students find examples of various types of literary conflicts and bring them to life in a storyboard. In each storyboard, students should provide a depiction of the conflict, such as a scene demonstrating man vs. society. Below the scene, have students explain the conflict and why it falls into its category.
The mine owner, Arthur Devlin, creates a conflict for many of the townspeople of Manifest, including Ned Gillen. Devlin works the men too hard, pays them poorly, and feeds ethnic prejudices. He leaves the miners disheartened and desperate.
Gideon is in conflict with himself when he blames himself for the deaths of those he loves. He believes that his is a “jinx” and doubts his value to his friends and daughter.
The Spanish Influenza that hits Manifest in 1918 is a conflict caused by nature. The humans do their best to fight the disease, but Manifest loses many of his residents to this deadly disease.
Many of the immigrants in Manifest feel restricted by society’s prejudices. Miss Sadie, in particular, feels the weight of prejudice. Because she does not want to bring shame and rejection on her son as a poor Hungarian immigrant, she allows him to be raised by a stranger as she watches sadly from a distance. The locals spread rumors about her and leave her to live in isolation.
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that shows at least three forms of literary conflict in Moon Over Manifest.