Outlander Book Club: Book 1, Chapter 11 breakdown

Just looking at the Outlander chapter

Let’s start by just considering the chapter alone. There is a lot of focus on the things Claire learns from Ned Gowan, the solicitor that she describes as very much the stereotype for the time. However, it turns out that he got bored with Edinburgh life and decides to go on an adventure in the Highlands.

We get a sense of his age from his discussions with Claire. He first started working for Jacob MacKenzie and knew Colum as a teen. We know that Jacob died about 30 years ago or so, which suggests Claire’s description of “old” would fit the bill.

This chapter is important to understand a little more of the Highlands and the MacKenzies as a whole. Colum wasn’t physically able to lead the clan. He can’t go into battle because of his disability—and Ned blames the disability on the falls that Colum experienced as a teen while Claire knows the falls were because of his condition.

Because Colum was better suited mentally, the brothers found a way to make the whole clan happy. Colum is the Laird but Dougal is the War Chieftain. It’s important to distinguish between the two, but also sets up some sort of resentment for Dougal. You just know that he didn’t want to make this compromise.

Another important conversation is between Claire and Jamie when she learns that he’s left-handed. Jamie talks about how he had to learn to use his right hand to fight because left-handed warriors leave their hearts open. That meant finding a left-handed warrior to help him, which had to be Dougal. Jamie has a lot of respect for his uncle as a warrior, and we get a chance to see that in this chapter. It brings Dougal out in a vastly different light to the one we’ve had up to this point.

Of course, there are the moments on the rent party that we can’t ignore. Claire learns that Dougal and his men are Jacobites. They’re raising money for Bonnie Prince Charlie, and she shares what she remembers from her history lessons—and likely the little bits that she’s heard from Frank.

She needs to know this. After all, it sets up everything moving forward.