Margot from "All Summer in a Day"
External Conflict
Margot vs. Her classmates
Margot was born on Earth, and can still recall her experience with sunlight, while her classmates were born and lived in the gloomy and rainy environment of Venus their entire lives.
This makes Margots peers jealous, they begin disliking her
When Margot was sharing her poem of the sun; "“Aw, you didn’t write that!” protested one of the boys."
“What’re you looking at?” said William. Margot said nothing. “Speak when you’re spoken to.” He gave her a shove.
“Get away!” The boy gave her another push. “What’re you waiting for?”
"They surged about her, caught her up and bore her--- where they slammed and locked the door--- Then, smiling, they turned and went out and back down the tunnel, just as the teacher arrived.
"The children hated her for all these reasons of big and little consequence. They hated her pale snow face, her waiting silence, her thinness, and her possible future.
The students find out Margot has a possibility of moving back to Earth, which makes them even more envious of her
Internal Conflict
Margot vs. Weather on Venus
Margot struggles to find happiness on planet Venus, and cannot seem to adjust herself in the new environment.
"She was a very frail girl who looked as if she had been lost in the rain for years"
"Only when they sang about the sun and the summer did her lips move as she watched the drenched windows."
"She sensed it, she was different, and they knew her difference and kept away."
"There was talk that her father and mother were taking her back to Earth next year; it seemed vital to her that they do so, though it would mean the loss of thousands of dollars to her family."
This indicates that Margot and her family are so desperate to move out of Venus that they are willing to give up the family's savings.
This emphasizes that Margot yearns the sunlight that was once present in her life, and her only source of contentment comes from things related to the sun.
This shows the impact the absence of sunlight has had on Margot, although it had only been 5 years since she had moved to Venus, the effect Venus' weather conditions had on her was devastating.
"She would play no games with them--- If they tagged her and ran, she stood blinking after them and did not follow.
The inference to be drawn from this is that Margot feels incompatible with the people of Venus as they came from completely different backgrounds. Margot is most likely insecure and considers herself an outsider.
This illustrates that Margot herself avoids socializing with her classmates as she considers herself different from everyone else.
This shows the result jealousy has on Margot's classmates. They deny Margot's claims on her memory of the sun as they are envious and annoyed that Margot has experienced something they haven't.
This demonstrates that Margot's classmates treat her with no respect, and have no consideration for her.
This evidence also implies the fact that Margot's classmates are inconsiderate of her, and treat her poorly.
This is yet another example of Margot's classmates bullying her and excluding her from the group.