Final answer:
The $10,000 fine threatened against Todd Duncan was absurd because it was punitive for his stand against racial segregation. It was seen as excessive and counter to the American values of equality and justice, and it was an attempt to silence his protest at a time when civil rights movements were growing stronger.
Step-by-step explanation:
The $10,000 fine that Todd Duncan was threatened with was seen as absurd because it was a punitive measure against him for challenging racial segregation. Todd Duncan was an African-American baritone and the original Porgy in George Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess. In 1945, when Porgy and Bess was scheduled to perform at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C., Duncan protested against the theatre's policy of racial segregation. As a result, he was threatened with a significant fine of $10,000. This amount was deemed absurd because it was excessively punitive and not in accordance with the equitable principles that Duncan was advocating for.
Moreover, the fine was absurd because it essentially penalized Duncan for taking a stand against a discriminatory practice that was becoming increasingly incompatible with American values of equal rights and justice. This high financial penalty sought to silence his protest and maintain the status quo of segregation, at a time when civil rights movements were gaining momentum and public opinion was shifting. Therefore, the excessive nature of the fine was not just financially burdensome but also socially and morally questionable.