Soft Rains: Can Progress Be Made Without Conflict?
Can Progress Be Made Without Conflict? The great Buddha once said, “Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with it.” Many people believe the same concept applies to progress. Plug the word progress into that sentence and much like a math problem, it still makes sense. That is unless you suck at math. Although even then, it's still easy to understand that the answer to the titled question is no. No progress cannot be made without conflict.In Ray Bradbury's “There Will Come Soft Rains” the conflict of the story is that of the house. The house is personified with woeful words. It's lonely, doing it's robotic jobs for a family that no longer lives there. Actually no families live anywhere, not anymore. The Progression
made is the house eventually setting fire to itself. It's destroyed, no longer lonely. Therefor the progress made, is made after the conflict arises. Without that conflict, there would have been no progress o be made.Secondly. The short story “A Visit To Grandmother” William Melvin (the author) proposes a much more person conflict between his characters. Charles, has a heart full of resentment and hurt for his mother. However progress is made in the story when he and his Mother have a therapeutic confrontation with each other through emotional dialogue. There again, is progress being made. That progress couldn't have been made without the conflict between Charles and his mother.In “How Much Land Does A Man Need” by Leo Tolstoy, the conflict within the story is that the main character is never satisfied with how much land he owns. When he dies, it is realized that he didn't need acres, only six feet to be buried in. Unfortunatelythat knowledge is the progress that is made. So lastly, this story is another example of how with out a conflict, there is nothing to triumph over, and no progress to be made.The definition of progress in the dictionary is “a movement tword a goal, or to a further or higher goal.” With that definition in mind, visualize a staircase. The goal being the top of that staircase. Each and every step you place your foot on to get there, is an obstacle. In other words, a conflict. Without those conflicts, there would be no steps. No progress to be made. Progress cannot truly be made without conflict.
made is the house eventually setting fire to itself. It's destroyed, no longer lonely. Therefor the progress made, is made after the conflict arises. Without that conflict, there would have been no progress o be made.Secondly. The short story “A Visit To Grandmother” William Melvin (the author) proposes a much more person conflict between his characters. Charles, has a heart full of resentment and hurt for his mother. However progress is made in the story when he and his Mother have a therapeutic confrontation with each other through emotional dialogue. There again, is progress being made. That progress couldn't have been made without the conflict between Charles and his mother.In “How Much Land Does A Man Need” by Leo Tolstoy, the conflict within the story is that the main character is never satisfied with how much land he owns. When he dies, it is realized that he didn't need acres, only six feet to be buried in. Unfortunatelythat knowledge is the progress that is made. So lastly, this story is another example of how with out a conflict, there is nothing to triumph over, and no progress to be made.The definition of progress in the dictionary is “a movement tword a goal, or to a further or higher goal.” With that definition in mind, visualize a staircase. The goal being the top of that staircase. Each and every step you place your foot on to get there, is an obstacle. In other words, a conflict. Without those conflicts, there would be no steps. No progress to be made. Progress cannot truly be made without conflict.