: Re: Showing mass murder in a kid's book Galastel did a spin off question based on one of mine. Mortal danger in mid-grade literature. And hers has spurred a new one for me. This is an issue I've

@Kaufman555

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This kind of killing is never done with a light heart. While you can easily jump over the act itself, you can show the turmoil and torment that goes through the mind of those that have to execute it. While it may seem that everything happened in the spite of the moment, it is far from being believable that Moses would immediately commit to such an action without a single doubt. As discussed in another question, Judaism is about challenging the Word, questioning, engaging a direct confrontation with religion. This moment must be the apex of it.

The kids will see a troubled Moses, one who would do anything else but resolve to kill his brethren. You can build all the tension in these moments, show your kids becoming afraid of the hardening of Moses heart. You could also show how the kids find it increasingly difficult to interact with him: after all if they come from a world where killing is never justified (unless there is death penalty in their home States), then a man who can commit murder out of choice is as far as it can be from their understanding.

Also, would they feel safe? The man is visibly on the verge to commit something out of the ordinary, perhaps something violent. One can give all the assurances but 5000+ years of history should be a big gap in terms of mind-sets, values, and moral standards.

You can actually use this to your advantage, and show how they mend their communication afterwards; show how Moses will endeavor to convince them that what has been done was necessary, and that it was just. Do not make it easy for him to come across this, or you may rob him of the depth of such a fundamental character, and you may rob your kids of their character development.

As for the killing itself, if you are afraid of showing it, then skip it. I exaggerate, but you could easily go for a dramatic cut: "Moses left the house with a dagger under his cloak and a stern look across his eyes. No one spoke a word of goodbye. The next morning, the sleepless faces of the kids were still frozen in terror."

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