Help me pick a book

Allrightie - I've a sort of book analysis to write, and need help picking a book. I already have one in mind, but I'm open to suggestions.

One of my assignments in 'Group Dynamics' requires me to analyse a story where there's a conflict within a group, or between leaders and members of a group. I'll have to anaylse it wrt to expectations of the main characters, their goal, motivation, bias and personality traits. Then I'll analyse the variations in perception and expectations, self-serving needs and group serving needs, and how they result in conflict. This is already more than I'm expected to do, but I'm sure I'll find more things to analyse. Problably on how to handle each character.

I began writing 'The Dark Room' with this in mind - creation of a situation of conflict between children playing, but that's not really working out. Now I'm thinking 'Guns of Navarone', 'The Lord of the Rings' or 'Road to Perdition'.

Any recommendations? And no - not Mahabharata. Something I don't know about... :D
6 Comments:
Blogger Har said...

Hm, not sure if this is what you're looking for, but the Great Gatsby?

July 18, 2005 1:08 am  
Blogger sudeep said...

Don't mean to be frivolous, but why not try a Jamesh Hadley Chase novel? Great conflict situations accompanied by a total lack of depth can be an interesting challenge.

July 18, 2005 1:11 am  
Blogger Straight Curves said...

a li'l late in the day, but group dynamics (albeit of a little offbeat sort) brings 'Tokyo Cancelled by Rana Dasgupta to mind.

help?

July 18, 2005 5:39 am  
Blogger Nikhil Pahwa said...

Hmm...I'm not sure about the Great Gatsby. My problem is that I don't feel like reading anything serious. I've heard that it's a love story.

A James Hadlee Chase novel might be just right, actually. Issues would be very easy to identify, since things are bluntly put.

Smits- I've read a lot about Tokyo Cancelled. Might pick it up. Not too late, actually. I need to submit it next week.

July 18, 2005 7:47 am  
Blogger Aditya Bidikar said...

I'm with 'Lord of the Flies'. Perhaps you could also try a Stephen King novel - lots of conflict there. If films are okay, you might try George Romero's 'Dead' trilogy.

July 18, 2005 11:30 am  
Blogger Har said...

I third lord of the flies.

Gatsby does has some love story schtick in it.

Coetzee's Waiting for the Barbarians?

July 18, 2005 9:31 pm  

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