“The Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket” Conflicts & Surprise

In "The Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket," Tom had decided to stay home and work instead of going out to a show with his wife. The External Conflict is that he had written an idea on a yellow piece of paper and it flew out the window of his apartment in New York. As the story progressed, Tom finally made it back into the house and realized he should have gone out with his wife. The internal conflict is that he had to choose between his wife and his work. Tom had grabbed his coat and went out to find his wife once he got back inside.