whiz_bang

Does a character's adversary necessarily have to be something external? Does it have to be a person, or can it be the obstacles or main obstacle that the main character has to overcome in the story?

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Talia_Brie

There should be conflict in a novel, but no, the source of the conflict needn't be external, and needn't be a person. The source of the conflict, if I remember your story idea correctly, will in fact be external social forces as well as internal emotional forces.

That should work nicely. The plot itself will most often deliver you an 'adversary'.

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Nazareth

A Clock Work Orange, the adversary was society- Alex fought against 'the machine' so to speak. He rebelled, and we see his story as his struggle to force society to conform to his way of thinking through the horrendous actions he takes. He feels justified in his actions to 'make corrupt society pay', the society feels he's the scourge of society and must be dealt with.

Even though alex's actions are horrendous, we almost feel for him & almost get a sense of comraderieship because we do live in a kind of repressive society.

Ralizah

No, it doesn't.
An adversary is merely a personification of some sort of conflict, and conflict can occur in any stage of reality.
A person can fight another man just as well as he can fight his own mind.
A good 'man vs society' book I can think of is The Fountainhead. Though some of the antagonists are mroe of a threat than others, Roark is fighting his battle not only against society but against the ideas it covets.

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Jonny T

The adversary can be whatever you want. It can be fate (Donnie Darko), one's self (The Catcher in the Rye), the world in general (A Clockwork Orange), or anything else.

That said, it can be easier to write a very specific adversary as an individual, particularly if you're that way inclined. YMMV.

Jonathan.

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Cat1745

And the adversary does not have to be "evil" for example Melanie Wilkes is Scarlet's adversary and she is sweet and loves Scarlet yet she is the protagonist.

Cat