skull_bearer (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
skull_bearer) wrote2017-05-19 03:39 pm
skull_bearer) wrote2017-05-19 03:39 pm
To back up my previous post, the things with writing fiction not set in the real world is not not...
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To back up my previous post, the things with writing fiction not set in the real world is not not bring up real life issues you’re not planning to deal with.
To give of how to do it right(ish) and wrong in the same series, you just have to look at GRRM’s Song of Ice and Fire series.
See, in the series, GRRM tackles the issue of slavery in his Daenarys arc. Now, we can definitely argue he could have done it better, the whole thing reeks of white savior complex and barbaric brown people. However, he brought up the issue of slavery, and dealt with it, making it clear that the status quo was not okay (I’m aware the situation in the books isn’t so simple but bear with me) and by proxy, that slavery is bad, mmmkay?
Now, in the very same book series, we have the issue of homophobia. Originally, this isn’t so much of a big deal and seems to be brushed off (Renly/Loras), however, as the books progress, it’s made clear that homophobia is rife in Westeros and queer people are being murdered for their sexuality and that… basically is shrugged off, and even condoned by certain characters (yes, they are meant to be bad, but we’re not seeing any characters actually advocating for gay people not to be murdered). This topic is never explored and we’re supposed to see it as just- a facet of Why Westeros Is Shitty with no attempt to actually make this better.
Now, imagine if the slavery subplot was treated in the same way, where Dany was completely indifferent to the plight of the slaves and the only POVs we got on the topic were either neutral or condoning for the practise. Slavery was just allowed to- carry on under Dany’s rule. It was treated just as background flavor.
Cringing yet? Oh yeah. That’s the difference. Don’t use people’s IRL suffering as set dressing if you’re not going to make a point of tearing it down.
To back up my previous post, the things with writing fiction not set in the real world is not not bring up real life issues you’re not planning to deal with.
To give of how to do it right(ish) and wrong in the same series, you just have to look at GRRM’s Song of Ice and Fire series.
See, in the series, GRRM tackles the issue of slavery in his Daenarys arc. Now, we can definitely argue he could have done it better, the whole thing reeks of white savior complex and barbaric brown people. However, he brought up the issue of slavery, and dealt with it, making it clear that the status quo was not okay (I’m aware the situation in the books isn’t so simple but bear with me) and by proxy, that slavery is bad, mmmkay?
Now, in the very same book series, we have the issue of homophobia. Originally, this isn’t so much of a big deal and seems to be brushed off (Renly/Loras), however, as the books progress, it’s made clear that homophobia is rife in Westeros and queer people are being murdered for their sexuality and that… basically is shrugged off, and even condoned by certain characters (yes, they are meant to be bad, but we’re not seeing any characters actually advocating for gay people not to be murdered). This topic is never explored and we’re supposed to see it as just- a facet of Why Westeros Is Shitty with no attempt to actually make this better.
Now, imagine if the slavery subplot was treated in the same way, where Dany was completely indifferent to the plight of the slaves and the only POVs we got on the topic were either neutral or condoning for the practise. Slavery was just allowed to- carry on under Dany’s rule. It was treated just as background flavor.
Cringing yet? Oh yeah. That’s the difference. Don’t use people’s IRL suffering as set dressing if you’re not going to make a point of tearing it down.