First, we address the framework of the post. It is written in the style of a monologue by the puppet known as ‘Jigsaw’, the main antagonist from the Saw movies.
This is important, as this format of post is often used to parallel the way the person puppeting Jigsaw has a grudge against he person caught inside the titular “Saw Trap”. The trap is designed in such a way that a flaw the trapped person has, the same one that sparked the puppeteer’s grudge, will make the trapped person unable to escape the trap.
Keeping this in mind, the trapped person here is “science fiction writers”. Due to the format of the post, it is safe to assume that original poster (OP) has a specific grudge against science fiction writers.
The challenge is to “write a 10,000 word story with a racism allegory”. Given that a science fiction writer would likely be able to write relatively easily, we are left to assume that the crux of this challenge is the implementation of a “racism allegory”.
Additionally, we can assume that the successful implementation of a racism allegory is the fatal flaw that the original poster is ascribing to science fiction writers.
The failure condition of this challenge is writing “a justification into the story where the marginalized group was historically dangerous”.
We can then assume that this failure condition, due to the context of how Saw Traps classically operate, is one that is almost guaranteed to occur.
The consequence the OP states at the end, for failing the challenge, cannot be literal, as the OP has, to our knowledge, no ability to kidnap every science fiction writer on the planet and put them inside a trap that allows their hair to be lit on fire should they fail the challenge.
Thus, synthesizing what we know from the post and the context of the format it is in, we can assume that the drastic nature of the stated consequence serves as an expression of the frustration the OP feels at science fiction writers’ inability to write a racism allegory without also including a justification to the discrimination the marginalized group experiences.
Any deviation from the point the OP is attempting to make (racism allegories in science fiction stories often include justifications for the treatment the marginalized group experiences) serves to distract from the subject at hand.
Where One Can Go Wrong And Why
Discussing whether or not the time constraint is realistic focuses on the wrong point. It treats the arbitrary time constraint as the subject of the post rather than the issue of poorly written science fiction racism allegories.
Adding additional conditions to the challenge’s success dilutes the point being made in the post. It makes the post about BOTH poorly written racism allegories AND the additional condition. This diverts attention away from the specific point being made, and makes problem being addressed wider in scope than it initially was.
Treating the post as a genuine challenge fails to recognize the frustration expressed by the OP. The point made was that the OP does not want to see another poorly written racism allegory in science fiction writing. When the post is treated like a challenge rather than an expression of frustration, a well written racism allegory becomes a novelty to achieve only within the challenge and not consistently outside it.
PERSONAL HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Choose a work of science fiction that contains a racism allegory that depicts the marginalized group as dangerous, and answer the following questions.
1. How is the fictional marginalized group depicted as dangerous?
2. When and where was the work written/published? What were some of the major global conflicts during that time? What were some of the national concerns at the time?
3. What parallels can you draw between the fictional marginalized group and real life marginalized groups associated with the conflicts or concerns of the time period?
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