"Cassie, you know 'bout Mitchell?" I asked her.

"Course I know about Mitchell," she answered. "Why're you letting him beat up on you?"

"I'm not letting him!" I exclaimed in outrage. "You thinking I'm liking him beating up on me?"

"Well, if you're not, you'd better make him stop."

"Well, I'm trying."

"Well, you'd better try harder."

"I've tried fighting back, but he's too strong. Thing is, I don't know how to stop him."

"You'd better figure a way," she said matter-of-factly, then looked me in the eyes. "You want me to talk to him?"

I didn't even need to think on that. "Naw, course not! You did, then they'd all be saying I had my sister fighting my battles!"

Cassie shrugged. "Then you'd better figure something out quick."

—The Land,
Mildred D. Taylor

What kind of conflict is Paul, the narrator, having in this excerpt?

physical – character vs. society
physical – character vs. character
social – character vs. self
social – character vs. nature