Outlander Book Club: Book 1, Chapter 19 breakdown

Just the Outlander chapter

Let’s just break down the chapter first, which does see Claire at Loch Ness. She contemplates how things are different but the same. The differences are more due to the season of the year—the last time she was at Loch Ness was late spring but now she’s there at midsummer. This means deeper greens in the trees, blossomed flowers, and a deeper blue in the sky.

For the most part, Loch Ness has remained untouched throughout 200 years. It’s something Claire contemplates, while also mentioning that she’s no longer being watched by the men. Her marriage to Jamie has certainly made her one of the group.

Of course, a lot of the chapter is focused on the “monster” that she sees. She has to call it a monster to the drover, Peter, who also sees it. He wouldn’t understand the Latin for it. It’s no wonder this “monster” becomes known as the Loch Ness Monster.

But what does it mean? That’s for the foreshadowing chapter. What to take from this chapter is that Claire doesn’t feel scared. She feels somewhat comforted by the sight of the creature. I also note the amber eyes that the creature has, similarly to her own amber eyes.

I also think that this monster offers a mirror to Claire. There is the possibility of another time portal at the bottom of the loch. This explains why the monster is able to be seen by so many different people throughout the centuries but is never located. Claire is a woman out of her time meeting a creature possibly not of its time. They’re sort of kin to each other.

In the end, Claire decides not to mention the creature to anyone. The men are mostly illiterate Highlanders, and it’s not worth scaring them.