Final answer:
The letters present scenarios with internal conflicts: a decision affecting family life, a moral dilemma over reporting bullying, and fear of expressing feelings. These conflicts drive the narrative's development and highlight the characters' struggles with choices that will define their actions, tying into the stories' larger themes and purposes.
Step-by-step explanation:
When analyzing personal letters and conflicts within them, it's important to understand that conflict is essential in shaping the purpose and theme of the narrative. There are mainly two types of conflict: internal conflict, which occurs within a character, and external conflict, involving outside forces. For example, when Mark Twain describes the difficulty of running a crossing in his narrative, this creates internal conflict as he begins to second-guess himself due to external pressures. The writer must understand and articulate the conflict to maintain the narrative's focus and to develop its themes, which resonate with readers, teaching them lessons or revealing deeper insights into the human condition.
The excerpts from the personal letters describe different types of conflicts:
- Conflicts affecting one’s family life: 'Dear Uncle Ted, Dad says we need to move to Michigan to take care of Grandpa. But he gave me the choice to go with him or stay in New York with Aunt Ruth. I’m not sure what I want.' This excerpt is an example of an internal conflict where the character must choose between moving with family or staying put.
- Conflicts over doing the right thing: 'Dear Uncle Ted, There’s a boy in my class who is bullied by the other kids. Our teacher told us that we must report bullying if we see it. The bullies are my friends. I’m not sure if I should report them.' This scenario depicts an internal moral dilemma, forcing the character to choose between loyalty to friends and the moral imperative to report bullying.
- Conflicts over expressing feelings: 'Dear Uncle Ted, There’s a girl in my class who I really like. She is smart and cool. I’d like to be her friend, but I don’t know how to tell her.' This is another internal conflict focusing on the fear of expressing feelings and the desire for friendship.