What Is The Internal Conflict In The Maiden Wiser Than The Tsar

“A Secret Lost in the Water” by Roch Carrier and “The Maiden Wiser Than the Tsar” retold by Idris Shah are both short stories rich in their plot and conflicts. The narrator and the Maiden both faced different conflicts, each associated with its own life lesson. While the differences between the internal conflicts of the narrator and the Maiden are striking, there is an important similarity.

The narrator faces an internal Man vs. Himself conflict in “A Secret Lost in the Water” when he realizes that he no longer remembers his father’s gift. “Somewhere along the roads I’d taken since the village of my childhood I had forgotten my father’s knowledge. ‘Don’t feel sorry… nowadays fathers can’t pass on anything to the next generation’” (Carrier, 96). This impacts the narrator because it gives him a sense of regret. Consequently, the statement made him feel like he, who is a father now himself, may not be able to pass down any of his knowledge to his kids. Although, this teaches him that it is important to hold onto certain knowledge passed down because it is the only way that it can be remembered and preserved.

Similarly, the Maiden from “The Maiden Wiser Than the Tsar” faces an internal conflict; however, the situation is a Man vs.

Circumstances challenge because she has many impossible tasks that require wisdom to solve. In addition, not only are the challenges a test, but they are major stressors for the Maiden and her father. “The next day the Tsar sent a courtier to the poor man with a bundle of flax, saying ‘This flax must be made into sails for my ship by tomorrow; otherwise, you will be executed’” (62). However, the poor Maiden overcame her conflict by using her wisdom to her advantage. “The Tsar, seeing that she was wiser than himself, asked that she be brought to court forthwith” (62). The Maiden and readers learn from this conflict that one’s financial status does not determine how wise one is or can

become.
Without a doubt, the narrator and the Maiden both face different conflicts; however, their conflicts are also similar. That is to say, they are internal conflicts and represent a challenge that both characters have to overcome. Despite the fact that the lessons were different, they were similar in terms of the type of conflict, and the fact that they are both internal teaches us that any conflict within us can be resolved.
On the other hand, the conflicts are majorly different in terms of the lessons learnt from each one. The narrator learns that it is important to hold onto to knowledge passed down in order for it to be preserved. “’Much later; I discovered that my father was famous in the region because of what people called his ‘gift’…’ But it seems that some gifts are impossible to preserve” (Carrier, 94). In contrast, the Maiden learnt that just because she is poor does not mean that she cannot be wise. “So, laughing, the Tsar went on his way, knowing that the girl had outwitted him” (62). Both these lessons are important life lessons that can be applied to every reader’s life.
In the end, while the narrator’s conflict in “A Secret Lost in the Water” and the Maiden from “The Maiden Wiser Than the Tsar” had clear differences, they both faced internal conflicts, offering them something in common. Despite the differences and similarities between the two characters’ conflicts, they both taught critical life lessons through their challenges.