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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/41337
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/41337
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

## It's all about context and the full portrayal of the characters and culture.

My daughter's ballet teacher is a 90 year old woman. Short to begin with, she's shrunk to under 5 feet. Thin and frail, you could knock her over with a mis-aimed breath. One of her favorite statements, when she doesn't like something you've said (for example, that you will be missing class), is "I kill you" (complete with a non-English accent).

No one has ever considered this a serious threat. Not even when accompanied by one of her trademark (light) slaps on the back of the hand. Why? Because the cultural context is obvious.

Your readers don't know the cultural context of posturing for your characters. So you need to show them. Don't explain it outright and don't create an outsider character whose sole purpose is to be the recipient of info dumps.

- A young person makes a threat and the adults laugh and critique it.
- 2 people threaten each other and their spouses sigh and go prepare the ritual food/clothing/weapon/hula hoop/whatever.
- Someone makes a threat and the other person says "you're too drunk, you won't even remember to bring the \_\_\_ tomorrow."
- At least once, the threats and rituals play out in their entirety.

After the first couple of times, the reader will completely get it that these "threats" are common in the culture and that they don't mean what they do in human cultures. Portray these events as completely normal for this culture and your reader will understand.

Original score: 14