When you have a point to make, an idea to put across, it is all the more important to be a good storyteller, to examine every character and wring from him all possible truth. If you want to write a story that makes the dangers of industrial pollution really come home to people, you don’t make the “bad guys” into villainous conspirators. Instead, you focus on a “bad guy” who thinks of himself as a good guy. His factory makes a product that people need, and he’s following all the regulations. He’s also trying to keep costs down so the product will be affordable and competitive. When people start
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