Outlander: Brianna’s reaction to Claire’s story was perfectly reasonable
In defense of Brianna in the Outlander Season 2 finale
Brianna is regularly called a brat by many in the Outlander fandom. That’s not the way I see her character, especially when it comes to hearing the story of Claire’s time in the past. In fact, I think her actions are completely reasonable and human.
During the Outlander Season 2 finale and the final chapters of Dragonfly in Amber, Brianna learns that Frank isn’t her biological father. Jamie Fraser is, and it’s a story she’s not willing to accept. In fact, at first, she doesn’t even believe it—who would believe in time travel right away?
Brianna is a 20-year-old grieving woman
Let’s remember that Brianna is a young adult. She’s still finding her way in life, and it’s not been all that long since she lost her father, Frank. He was the one who raised her, without her ever suspecting anything different. She believed he was her dad, and in her heart, she is his daughter.
She lost him at a young age. Rarely do 20-year-olds expect to say goodbye to their fathers, especially fathers in their 50s as Frank would have been. She was in shock and angry at the world.
Then her mother comes to her and tells her that Frank wasn’t her biological father after all. Her biological father is some Highlander in the 18th century, who is also dead.
It was a lot to take in, regardless of the news about her biological father. Just the idea of time travel would have blown Bree’s mind. The icing on the cake was learning that everything she’d believed for the last 20 years was a lie, and she wasn’t willing to destroy everything she knew and believed.
With that in mind, it’s no wonder she hated her mother for a while. It’s no wonder she walked out. Her world had come crashing down around her.
She was still learning to control her emotions
Can you tell me honestly at 20 that you had full control of your emotions? Our brains don’t mature until we’re around 25. Hormones are still surging around us at 20, and really, at this point in the story, Brianna would have been 19-turning-20.
She was still learning how to control her emotions. That Fraser stubbornness isn’t exactly easy to control, either. Jamie and Jenny both proved that throughout the first book/season. Why are we surprised that Brianna couldn’t control her emotions?
It’s unkind to call someone a brat just because they don’t accept the truth. It’s unfair to call someone a brat when they’re justified in their anger. It’s also unjust to put our own feelings for the overall story on one character who is learning the truth.
Brianna had no idea who Jamie was. She’d heard a story about him, that’s all. She hadn’t lived through the experience like Claire had taken us through.
In fact, I’ll be honest and say up to this point in the books (the show is different), I’m not as infatuated by Jamie as Claire is. I don’t feel I’ve got to know him, only hearing what Claire thinks or what he’s told Claire. He’s a good man, yes, but I still don’t feel like I’ve got to know him that well. That’s how Brianna would feel.
Nobody told her it was okay to still love Frank
I’ll admit that I can’t remember the Outlander Season 2 finale all that clearly, but the book never sees Claire tell Brianna that she can still love Frank. Neither does Roger. The two seem to want her to accept Jamie and brush Frank aside.
If I feel that, I wouldn’t be surprised if Brianna did. It’s like now that Frank is dead, Claire is expecting Brianna to learn and accept the truth and move on with that.
It leads to some confusion and pain for Bree. Frank has been her dad for 20 years. Why does she have to give that up?
Of course Brianna was angry. She was going to be in denial of the truth. She was going to want to hold onto the fact that Frank loved her. Her reaction was completely human.
Next. 15 best Brianna moments from Outlander Season 5. dark
What did you think of Brianna’s reaction when learning the truth? Did you understand her frustration and anger? Share your thoughts in the comments below.