Identify one internal, one external, and one interpersonal conflict in the novel.

• A. Internal: Gene's guilt and self-doubt; External: the war's intrusion; Interpersonal: Gene vs Finny (and later Brinker) conflicts.
• B. Internal: Finny's ambition; External: school policy; Interpersonal: Gene vs Finny only.
• C. Internal: Finny's happiness; External: weather; Interpersonal: Finny vs a friend.
• D. Internal: memory; External: money; Interpersonal: conflict between friends.

Answer: (A)

The question tests the different kinds of conflicts that drive the novel: what a character feels inside (internal), what happens in the world around them (external), and what happens between characters (interpersonal).

Internal conflict is Gene’s guilt and self-doubt. He wrestles with his own feelings—jealousy, fear, and a moral struggle over his role in Finny’s fall. This inner tension shapes his decisions and how he sees himself throughout the story.

External conflict is the war’s intrusion. The backdrop of World War II looms over Devon, pressing on the boys, shaping expectations, and creating pressure outside of their personal lives—affecting choices, responsibilities, and the sense of impending adulthood.

Interpersonal conflict is Gene vs Finny (and later Brinker). The friendship itself becomes a battleground: rivalry, manipulation, truth, and loyalty clash between Gene and Finny, with Brinker introducing another layer as he probes and challenges what happened.

Other options don’t fit as well because they don’t capture the real sources of struggle in the novel—Finny’s happiness isn’t the central conflict, weather or school policy isn’t the driving external force, and memory or money isn’t the core interpersonal struggle.