With the advent of mankind, came the birth of relationships. A relationship is a particular type of connection that exists between people related to, or having dealings with each other. There are many different types of relationships that are formed over the course of each and every individual's life. Whether it is between a parent and a child, siblings or other relationships, they all posses an importance of their own. In the stories "Penny in the Dust" by Ernest Buckler, and "Close-Ups" by Meg Wolitzer, a lack of communication causes each character to feel unloved. This proves to be untruthful. These relationships encounter difficulties that are established through internal and external conflicts, and through the author's use symbolism. Relationships that cannot overcome these struggles will be short lived.

Conflicts of different magnitudes arise in each and every relationship. Specifically, internal conflicts between two people occur most often when...