Outlander Book Club: Book 1, Chapter 14 breakdown

Just a look at the Outlander chapter

This chapter starts with Claire waking up after her night of drinking. She slowly remembers everything that is set to happen. It’s not like she’s going to be allowed to forget, with the innkeeper’s wife making sure her hair is ready.

At first, Claire doesn’t really want to put on the dress that has been sourced for her. However, she’s spilled port on her own dress and she at least wants to look good for her own wedding. Vanity? Maybe, but there’s also a sense of pride that all brides have on their wedding day.

One of the biggest moments is Claire finding out Jamie’s full name. She learns he’s a Fraser by birth, and it’s clear from Dougal’s words that his tartan is that of his clan. Dougal worries that someone is going to recognize Jamie. His hair is one thing, but his hair with the Fraser tartan is like asking for attention.

One thing I’ve always questioned, though, is why Jamie’s full name wouldn’t have been on the wedding contract Claire signed. Surely she should have known his name there. After all, Jamie points out that not marrying under his legal name would make the contract null and void.

Then there’s the moments with the pearls. I’d mentioned in the second chapter that there was a foreshadowing of this part. Mrs. Graham wore fake pearls, while Jamie is giving Claire a beautiful set of real ones. And it’s more than that; these were Ellen Fraser’s pearls.

They mean the world to Jamie, but they also mean a lot to Dougal. While Ellen married someone the MacKenzies weren’t happy about, Dougal still clearly loved his sister. I get this sense that he misses her in this chapter, and that passing on the pearls in a marriage that isn’t for love but to protect Claire is a waste in Dougal’s eyes.

Next up comes Claire realizing that they’re going to marry in the church she and Frank married in. This isn’t one of my favorite connections back to Frank, if I’m honest. I’ve always thought Claire should have had some sort of sense of where the church she married Frank was. She would have possibly recognized a few town names because some do date back so far. It surprises me that she only realizes it’s the church from sight and not from thinking about where she is.

I also think it’s a huge coincidence, along with questioning why Claire and Frank would have married in Scotland. But, it’s a part of the story I gloss over most of the time in a reread.

Even though Claire is partially marrying under duress, she knows that this is important to Jamie. He’s being forced into this, too, but it’s clear he’s making the most of it. He wants it to be as special as possible. While Claire still looks for ways to get out of it, in the end, she follows through and is respectful for Jamie’s sake.

Finally, I have to giggle at everyone forgetting about a ring. Claire mentions Frank’s ring still on her left hand. One thing the book doesn’t go into is that rings on the right hand were common for the Scots at this point, so having a ring on her left hand doesn’t seem all that obtrusive or problematic.

To quickly solve the problem, Jamie takes a ring he’s wearing to symbolize the union. This is the first time there’s ever been a mention of him wearing a ring, suggesting that it’s an important one. That’s something we’ll cover with the foreshadowing up next.

After the wedding, Claire faints. She realizes that she hasn’t eaten anything since breakfast the day before and she’s drank a lot. Fainting does give Jamie and Claire some time to connect alone, allowing Jamie to explain the blood oath. It’s the start of their connection growing.