Outlander Book Club: Book 2, Chapter 21 breakdown

Foreshadowing within the Outlander chapter

Is there any foreshadowing in this chapter? When it comes to Mary’s insistence to defy the custom of society, I do believe so. It’s clear that she will do what she can to be with Alex. She’s been “ruined” for marriage, but there’s a slim chance that Alex will still have her.

We know that, eventually, the two are together. This is setting up that storyline. However, it’s easy to see why Mary and Black Jack Randall could possibly get together if Mary remains around the Duke’s house. There’s just a hint that they could meet, leading us to still believe that BJR is Frank’s direct ancestor.

There’s also a hint that the duel will happen anyway. Claire keeps mentioning how Jamie will know the places to duel. She doesn’t even think that Jamie will lose. However, she’s promised a year. What could make him break that promise?

I think there’s also this element of foreshadowing that Frank will always come between them. I don’t blame Claire for asking for a year. Time travel is messy. One thing she’s not even considered is whether she’d even be in the past if Frank wasn’t alive. All she thinks about is the life of an innocent man, a man that she still loves.

This is going to keep coming up. The ring is going to keep coming up. Just because she’s separated from Frank doesn’t mean she’s stopped loving him. These are not normal circumstances in where Claire has chosen Jamie and she knows Frank is just elsewhere in the 18th century living his life. Something that happens to Frank’s ancestors could change everything, and she worries about that.

Adapting the Dragonfly in Amber chapter

Let’s talk about how this chapter was adapted. First of all, Claire and Jamie don’t head to see the Duke. Nor is Dougal part of the chapter. Both of these would have cost a lot of time to put in and weren’t all that necessary. Things could be moved around to get the important elements of the chapter in, instead.

In fact, Dougal’s addition wasn’t all that important at all. Sure, he shared a little about the gang, but that didn’t necessarily need to be brought up. Instead, he was there to run though a few details from the first book. In the show, it made more sense to keep him in Scotland and only bring him up when necessary.

Claire learned that Black Jack Randall was still alive early on. It’s something Alex tells her at the ball, which leads to Claire wondering whether she should tell Jamie the truth or not. She fears what it would do to Jamie’s mental state.

When Jamie does find out, they see Black Jack Randall at the luncheon instead. This is when the discussion of the duel comes up. The argument plays out very much the same as the books. Claire wants a year. That’s all she’s asking for to ensure Frank can still be born. She isn’t fully stopping Jamie from the duel completely, but to delay it.

Of course, there’s also the bit with Mary and Alex. This is done very differently to the books because of the change to other timing. In the book, Claire believes BJR is dead, so she is supportive of Mary and Alex being together. She wants them to be together. Maybe if it’s Alex, there’s a way for Frank to be born.

However, in the show, she already knows that BJR is alive. Alex is sick and Claire needs Frank to be born. So, she decides to convince Alex away from Mary for Mary’s sake. It’s devious, but it’s also understandable considering the information Claire is working with. It comes back to hurt her.

What did you think while reading Outlander Book 2, Chapter 21? Let me know in the comments.

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