External conflict is defined as a struggle that lies between an individual and another person or force.

• A. The conflict lies between an individual and another person or force
• B. A struggle within a character
• C. A conflict with self
• D. A struggle with the setting

Answer: (A)

External conflict centers on a struggle that involves forces outside the character. When a character faces an opponent, a hostile situation, or a powerful outside force—such as another person, nature, or society—the tension and actions come from that outside source. The description that the conflict lies between an individual and another person or force perfectly matches this idea: the antagonist or challenge is outside the character, driving the plot through that clash.

Describing a struggle as something inside the character points to internal conflict, which is about the character’s own thoughts, feelings, or decisions. A conflict with self is another way to name that internals. A struggle with the setting suggests challenges from the environment, which can be external, but it doesn’t emphasize an outside agent in the same direct way as the standard external-conflict idea.