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CONFLICT
Protagonist
The earth in its many aspects--earth, water, and creatures--which is under assault by the chemical poisons, but which is also capable on its own of controlling its insect populations.
Antagonist
The chemical poisons used as insecticides in the U.S. On a different level, the manufacturers of these chemical poisons whose economic interests run counter to the safe and limited use of chemical poisons.
Climax
The mid-twentieth century saw the climax of the use of insecticides in the war against insects.
Outcome
The shocking and dangerous reduction of all the earth's natural resources for balancing insect populations and, simultaneously, the recognition that chemical poisons kill insects only in the short term. In the long term, insects develop resistance to these chemicals. The chemicals therefore kill the natural predators of the insects and leave the way open for the pest insects to take over in greater and greater numbers.
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