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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/39901
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

I'm writing what might be described as a gas-lamp fantasy novel set in a realm similar to the [Durrani Empire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durrani_Empire). Part of the main character's backstory is his experience growing up the son of a prostitute in a not!British military encampment, and living through what is essentially the in-universe equivalent of the [1842 Retreat from Kabul](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1842_retreat_from_Kabul).

My question is: how far should I go to portray Victorian-era warfare as a horrific, traumatizing experience? Should I touch on the aftermath of the battle, and the mass murder, rape, and enslavement of the army's 12,000 camp followers?

I want to avoid using the women in the protagonist's life as mere motivation, and I likewise want to avoid using the rape of women to discuss the protagonist's feelings. I also don't want the victorious tribesmen to come across as roving barbarian bands who do nothing but rape and slaughter, considering that the protagonist will be adopted by those tribesmen in the aftermath. Nonetheless, I want to realistically depict the extent and impact of wartime sexual violence and the cruelties inflicted upon prisoners of war in this era.

Original score: 4