Final answer:
A character struggling against an outside force experiences an external conflict, involving challenges like opposing characters or other forces outside the individual.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a character struggles against an outside force, this is known as an external conflict. This type of conflict involves challenges outside the individual, which could include other characters, society as a whole, nature, or even supernatural forces.
External conflicts are distinct from internal conflicts, which deal with a character's inner struggle, such as choosing between personal desires and moral obligations. One common type of external conflict is character vs. character, where individuals are in opposition, like a protagonist against an antagonist. It could also involve elements such as character vs. society or character vs. nature.