Mysterious Conflicts

Within the text of Angels & Demons, Robert and Vittoria have a giant problem. They are up against the most ellaborate and mysterious cult from the last 500 years, the illuminati.

Robert & Vittoria

The illuminati is an organization which was not originally evil. They were made during the Roman Catholic rule over all of religion. The group was organized to bring light to science and thoughts which were basically banned by the Catholics. According to the book, many great scientists and philosophers were apart of the illuminati, like Galileo, Ben Franklin, and other great thinkers.
Later, because of all the discrimination against the group, the Illuminati seeked revenge against the Church. According to the book, the illuminati is portrayed as an evil group that only wants to destroy the Catholic Church.
"'Before today's chain of events. I believe the Illuminati have resurfaced to make good on the ancient pact.'
'Forgive me. My history is rusty. What acient pact is this?'
Langdon took a deep breath. 'The destruction of the Vatican City.'"
There is a lot of tension within the book. They need to find who this Illuminati member is and where he is located. If not, all of Vatican city could be destroyed. This includes all the sacred documents, buildings, 2,000 years of history, and all the Cardnals in the world.
In the book, there is a lot of conflict. Most of the conflict is demonstrated through external events. These events bring the plot forward because now the characters have to save the world against the external conflict of the Illuminati.
There are also subtle internal conflicts within each character's mind. For example, Vittoria was heartbroken because the Illuminati had killed her father. According to the text:
"Langdon watched her, suddenly concerned. Is she okay?"
If this problem were brought more to the forefront of the conflict the story would be changed entirely. In the book, Vittoria is very strong and does not cry over her father's death. If the conflict was more relative and showed that Vittoria was sensitive, the story would change for the characters would have to solve Vittoria's sadness. This could distract them away from the Illuminati's external conflict and lead to the destruction of Rome.
Along with the conflict, there is lots of mystery. The mystery is very prevalent, for they have no idea who the Illuminati are and where the ticking bomb was. Also, this mystery brings tension to the story.
In the book, tension arises. The characters become very frustrated with each other and the limited time they had to save the city. They become stressed and irritated with one other leading to uneven relationships.
There are a couple external and internal conflicts through out the book such as the bomb and their feelings. This conflict leads to more mystery and tension with in the book.

Question: What is one problem in your life that has triggered external and internal conflicts? Did those conflicts bring tension and mystery in your life?



Illuminati Link- http://gawker.com/5886988/a-comprehensive-guide-to-the-illuminati-the-conspiracy-theory-that-connects-jay+z-and-queen-elizabeth