Outlander Book Club: The Fiery Cross Chapter 17 breakdown

Just the Outlander chapter

The chapter is mostly in Jamie’s head. He thinks about how people aren’t sleeping that well this night. Some people are considering leaving in the dead of night, just in case there is someone who will turn them in for the Hillsborough riots.

Jamie is trying not to let Claire worry, but she does ask him if what happened at Hillsborough was wrong. Would he have done everything that happened there. And this is where Jamie isn’t sure. He knows he wouldn’t drag people out of their homes just for being in a certain position and he wouldn’t destroy others’ houses. However, he can’t say that he wouldn’t gather with others, and who knows what that sort of mob mentality would lead to.

We see Jamie consider how when men gather all sorts can happen. He thinks about Culloden, knowing that there was that encouragement to continue because of all the people gathering together. There’s something about gathering in numbers.

However, Jamie doesn’t really want to consider any of that this night. He wants to be surrounded by his family and think about them. He wants to be with Claire, and only Claire. He thinks about being with her physically that night, but she’s in the middle of her courses. While he’s done it partway through her courses before, it was messy and he doesn’t want to do that while they’re surrounded by so many people.

Instead, he drifts off with his thoughts as he tries to keep the summons out of his mind.