Student Question

What is the conflict in Roald Dahl's "Going Solo"?

Quick answer:

The conflict in Roald Dahl's "Going Solo" centers on his transition from a young adult to an adult during wartime, highlighting the challenges and unpredictability he faces. As a naturally observant and introspective person, Dahl finds himself in a setting of war that contrasts sharply with his previous life. This internal and external conflict is heightened by his experiences in Tanzania and his involvement in the war, which test his ability to navigate unpredictable situations.

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For your project it is more than acceptable to say that, since Going Solo is a continuation of "Boy", it is understandably a more complex memoir which focuses on the complexities of becoming a young adult in times of war, and how it affects the entire route of your life. Roald Dahl was a very normal kid with outstanding observations that are evident in every single one of his stories. A person of this nature would never fit in an environment of monotony and provincial predictability, hence, the fact that he accepted a position in Tanzania and then joined the war efforts is conflict enough for a person whose main ability is to observe the behaviors of others in times of peace, and now he is doing the same in times of war.

In his stories he mentions characters, incidents, shocks, surprises, and many more instances that he (even as a gifted writer) had never expected. This is indeed a conflict in the life of a person whose talent is in analyzing what is predictable through the unpredictable.

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