Claire shares why the barley field was burned down in Outlander Book 6, Chapter 16
Like many chapters, Outlander Book 6, Chapter 16 brings us a recap of events that happened between pages. Claire shares what happened to the barley field.
The chapter itself starts off on the sexy side, but the conversation quickly moves on to why the barley field was burned. Claire did it due to grasshoppers, and she burned the field more of an act of revenge against the bugs than anything else.
We also hear about the new tenants who showed up just as the field was being burned. What a welcome they received! It’s no wonder they’re extremely nervous about living in the backcountry.
This is a chapter that was partly used for the series. In fact, one particular part was extended for the series. I’m glad it was because it offered some excellent growth for Roger’s character. I’ll get to that in the adaptation breakdown.
As for foreshadowing, it doesn’t really offer too much. This is more just focused on what’s to come in life on the Ridge.
Let’s dive into A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 16.
Just the Outlander chapter
We start the chapter with Claire and Jamie together, with Claire trying to rank some of Jamie’s phrases in her head. However, the focus moves onto the grasshoppers.
When they arrived, Claire realized that they were a problem. They headed to a field of barley and started eating away. In an act of revenge against them, Claire, Mrs. Bug, Brianna, and Lizzie made sure the entire field was burned down, taking the grasshoppers with them.
This was Murdo Lindsey’s field, though. He was too shocked to do anything. Jamie is also shocked at Claire’s actions. After all, that’s a lot of crops gone and there isn’t time to grow more.
Plus, the new tenants arrived with Roger, Tom Christie, and Arch Bug at the same time. Arch managed to make sure the new tenants were settled with families. Now is the time to get them settled before the first frost arrives.
It’s clear that everyone is going to come together to help, though. This is a community. Everyone looks out for everyone else, and that’s something the new tenants get to experience first hand, even with Claire burning everything down.
The end of the chapter goes back to Claire and Jamie in their bed. Jamie can’t wait to have her any longer. I cringe at these moments when I read them. They are true to Jamie’s character, especially for a man of the 18th century. That doesn’t mean I find them sexy. Claire and quite a few readers do though, and I’m not one to judge. I just don’t like them.
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
The foreshadowing in this chapter I feel is simply how the people of the Ridge will always come together. They will look out for one another. Well, for the most part. There are always certain individuals who won’t look out for others at first, but may change their minds later.
I also think there’s an element of trouble will always find Claire. This was just a natural problem. Grasshoppers will always turn up, and there’s little Claire could have done other than burn the crops, really. Maybe Jamie would have found another way of dealing with things, but she didn’t have him to rely on.
We see that Claire can take care of situations when she needs to. We know that about her, and it’s foreshadowing that she will continue to do that as the times arise. That doesn’t mean she won’t turn to Jamie for help when also necessary.
Adapting A Breath of Snow and Ashes chapter
The part of the chapter with the grasshoppers was used in the series. However, it wasn’t Claire who dealt with the problem. During Outlander Season 5, we saw Claire and Jamie go to Jocasta’s wedding. Roger was left in charge when the locusts turned up.
This was important for Roger’s character development. In The Fiery Cross, Roger found inner strength and command through other ways. He had to change his way of thinking as he considered the war to come. That wasn’t used in the series for various reasons. Instead, this was a turning point for him as he proved that he could be trusted to look after the Ridge in Jamie’s absence.
We also got to see Brianna think about things. Sure, I was disappointed that it was just wafting sheets to get the smoke to travel, but I loved that we did get to see her play a part in saving the Ridge. It was just a little foreshadowing of her engineering skills.
What did you spot while reading A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 16? Let us know in the comments below.
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