Question

identifying conflict

there was terror in his voice, the same fear shed heard in the dominican republic before they left. they had been watched there; he was followed. they could not talk, of course, though they had whispered to each other in fear at night in the dark bed.... he went back to those awful days and long nights, and his wifes screams confirmed his secret fear: they had not gotten away after all; the sim had come for them at last.
-\daughter of invention,\
julia alvarez

what type of conflict does this passage reveal?

• conflict with self
• conflict with others
• conflict with society
• conflict with nature

Explanation:

Analyze the passage details

Using the Reading Comprehension knowledge point, we examine the text from Julia Alvarez's "Daughter of Invention." The passage describes a family's fear of being watched and followed in the Dominican Republic. It mentions "the SIM had come for them at last." The SIM (Servicio de Inteligencia Militar) was the military intelligence service/secret police during the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic, representing a powerful, oppressive governmental force.

Identify the type of conflict

Using the Literary Conflict knowledge point, we classify the struggle. The characters are in direct opposition to the SIM, which represents the oppressive political regime and societal authority of the Dominican Republic. This struggle between characters and an authoritarian government or societal institution is a classic example of character vs. society (conflict with society). It is not a struggle against oneself (internal), another individual (others), or natural forces (nature).

Evaluate the given options

We evaluate the multiple-choice options based on our analysis:

• "conflict with self" is incorrect because the primary threat is external (the secret police).
• "conflict with others" is incorrect because the struggle is not a personal dispute between individuals.
• "conflict with society" is correct because the SIM represents the oppressive societal/governmental system.
• "conflict with nature" is incorrect because there are no natural elements or disasters causing the conflict.

Answer:

• conflict with self
• conflict with others
• conflict with society (Correct answer)
• conflict with nature