Outlander Book Club: Book 1, Chapter 32 breakdown
Just the Outlander chapter
We start off with the knowledge that Claire and Jamie can’t remain at Lallybroch for much longer. Jamie notes that there are English dragoons not too far away. They’re about two days’ ride away, which means that’s the time they have to remain in Jamie’s home.
It’s a bittersweet thought. Claire has been fully accepted into the Fraser-Murray clan. She is part of the family now, and Jenny trusts her completely. This is clear when Jenny goes into labor and Claire remains by her sister-in-law’s side.
Childbirth can be traumatic. It’s also a deeply personal thing, something that can be overlooked now when we’re surrounded by doctors, nurses, and midwives. We tend not to want too many people to see us in this vulnerable state. Yet Jenny doesn’t argue about Claire remaining there, even with the midwife around.
Claire is out of her depth. She’s only seen childbirth in sterile environments, so now she gets a chance to see it completely natural with a midwife by Jenny’s side. She also notices that the labor isn’t progressing the way it should and suggests that the baby may not be lying the right way.
I love the midwife in this chapter. She doesn’t brush Claire off and, instead, considers the possibility and realizes that it’s the case. This isn’t a woman fearful about her position or Claire stepping on her toes. Instead, she feels supported and accepts Claire’s help the way it was intended.
Fortunately, the midwife is able to turn the baby and labor progresses. Jenny, who fears that she is going to die, gives birth to baby Maggie. Both mother and baby are healthy, and Claire is able to deliver the good news.
However, Ian fears the worst. He fears that all that screaming he heard and now the silence means that Jenny has died. It was likely a common fear for men in the time, especially for men who married for love and not business.
The end of the chapter gives us Claire and Jamie alone once more. Jamie tells Claire that he knows she’s possibly barren. That’s something Geillis told him, suggesting that she was looking to stir up some trouble. While he was disappointed, he now realizes that it probably is for the best. After all, they are living a life on the run and it’s not a life to bring a baby into.
Jamie also admits that he’d never be able to allow Claire to be in such pain. He would bare it all if he could.