Outlander Book Club: Book 2, Chapter 37 breakdown

Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter

The foreshadowing comes from Colum’s death. Claire notes that it’s now really up to Dougal what to do. And we all know that Dougal would like to join Charles’s army. It’s highly likely that the men will come to fight.

During the earlier chapters of Dragonfly in Amber, we don’t get to hear if the MacKenzies fought. The names Claire is looking for are all those attached to Lallybroch. So, it’s not clear if Dougal’s men do come to fight, but we know that headstone. The MacKenzie men fight and fall. We have the foreshadowing of how it all happens.

I also think we get the foreshadowing of how Culloden is a loss. It’s more to do with the Jacobites themselves. The clans can’t agree, so they leave Charles’s army. Without the clans working together, despite having one singular cause, they cause problems within the ranks and lead to not enough men to fight at the biggest battle to come.

Adapting the Dragonfly in Amber chapter

The Outlander chapter is used in the TV series, but it’s completely different. Dougal and his small group of men have already joined Charles’s army at this point. Colum has already decided not to fight for the Jacobites—and he didn’t ask for Jamie and Claire’s opinion on the matter. In fact, in the show, Jamie and Claire wanted to get Colum to say yes because they wanted Lord Lovat to say yes.

I do think all this was changed to allow one particular ending. We got to see Dougal say goodbye to an already-deceased Colum. Dougal has no idea that his brother has passed when he pours out his heart, sharing his guilt and regrets. It’s a chance for us to say goodbye to this character, something that is essential when it comes to a TV show where we see more character growth compared to a book in the first person POV.

The show also opted for Colum taking his own life. It would be a sin, but Colum doesn’t believe in God. Therefore, he doesn’t believe there is a hell. He wants control over his own death. I do think this changed partially because we didn’t get the chance to see Colum’s pain in the way it was described in the book. Colum wanting to take his own life shows just how much pain he’s in, and he knows it’s time to move on from the world.

What did you notice when reading Outlander Book 2, Chapter 37? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Like Claire and Jamie on Facebook for the latest updates from the Outlander Book Club.