Outlander Book Club: Book 1, Chapter 12 breakdown

Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter

Most of Outlander Book 1, Chapter 12 is in the moment. It’s Claire’s thoughts about where she’s come along the way and her hopes for the future. It’s focused on her need to get back to Frank. Yet, there is some foreshadowing.

One of those moments is in her thoughts about the men. She realizes that she’s uncomfortable alone. There’s been safety with the men that she doesn’t feel alone. There’s a comfort, and almost a friendship developing. While she remains an outside, there’s a part of her that feels safe with Dougal, Rupert, Murtagh, and the others.

This foreshadows some of the things to come. And I think it connects back to the way she knew she was safer with the Highlanders in the second chapter than she would have been with the English. While the Highlanders are still men and they’re still different to her, there’s this element of foreshadowing that they’re going to become family.

We don’t always like our family, especially the extended family. I feel like this chapter foreshadows a lot of that to come.

It also foreshadows Claire’s inabilities to get back home. She’s not going to get to Craigh na Dun through choice. She’s going to have to tell the truth and hope she’s not tried for a witch in the process. Her lying is only leading to more people distrusting her.

Then there’s Jamie. We get another hint of his feelings for her. While I do think that he’d do this for others, the fact that it’s Claire that he’s willing to risk his own life for says a lot. After all, it’s Dragoons downstairs. Black Jack Randall isn’t that far away. And yet, Jamie is willing to put his life on the line to protect Claire, something that he does time and time again (and Claire does for him). It foreshadows the relationship that is to come.