What are the common themes in a'man vs himself story'?

One common theme is self - discovery. In these stories, the characters often start off not fully understanding themselves and through their internal struggles, they come to learn more about their true nature. For example, in 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', Dr. Jekyll discovers the dark and hidden parts of himself that he didn't know existed before creating Mr. Hyde.

Love can be an underlying theme as well, in an indirect way. For example, two men might compete for a woman's love, which can lead to a man - to - man conflict. Also, jealousy can fuel such a conflict. If one man is jealous of another's success, wealth or relationship, it can start a man - to - man story of rivalry.

Guilt is another common theme. Like in 'The Scarlet Letter', Hester Prynne battles with her own sense of guilt for her sin while also trying to find a way to live with herself and in society. And in 'Macbeth', Macbeth is haunted by his guilty conscience after his heinous deeds, which is a form of man vs self struggle.

Conflict over identity can be a theme. In some stories, characters are in conflict because they represent different identities or social classes. In 'A & P', Sammy's identity as a young rebel clashes with his boss's identity as a rule - following authority figure. Another theme is the struggle for survival, not just in a physical sense but also in a social or emotional sense. In 'The Interlopers', the two men are initially in a struggle for territorial survival, but then their situation changes to a more emotional survival as they face the unexpected together. And misunderstanding is also a common theme. When characters misunderstand each other's intentions, it can lead to man vs man conflict as in some stories where miscommunication causes enmity between two people.

Survival is also a theme. In some man vs man short stories, the characters are in a situation where they have to fight each other to survive. It could be in a post - apocalyptic setting or a situation like being stranded on an island. They compete for limited resources or for their own safety. And of course, pride often plays a role. A character's excessive pride might make them engage in a man vs man conflict, not wanting to back down or admit defeat.

Power struggle is a common theme. For example, in 'The Most Dangerous Game', the two men are fighting for power over life and death. Revenge is another, like in 'The Cask of Amontillado'. And pride, as in 'To Build a Fire', where the man's pride leads to his conflict with the unforgiving nature which can be seen as an opponent like another man.

Survival is a very common theme. In these novels, characters often have to fight for their lives against the power of nature, like extreme weather or wild animals. For example, in 'The Call of the Wild', Buck has to adapt to the harsh Arctic environment to survive.

Survival is a common theme. For example, in many stories, a man has to fight an animal to protect his own life or the lives of his family.

Rebellion. In these stories, the protagonist often rebels against the norms and rules of society. For example, in 'The Catcher in the Rye', Holden Caulfield rebels against the 'phony' adult world. Another theme is freedom. The characters are usually fighting for their freedom or the freedom of others, like in 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' where the slaves fight for freedom from a slave - owning society. And there's the theme of identity. The characters struggle to maintain their true identity in the face of a society that wants to mold them into something else.

One common theme is self - improvement. In man vs self stories, the character often tries to better themselves, like learning a new skill or changing a bad habit. For example, someone might be trying to learn a musical instrument but they keep getting frustrated with their slow progress and have to battle their own impatience.