Fergus voices his concerns about Henri-Christian in Outlander Book 6, Chapter 37
Claire heads into the barn to find Fergus in Outlander Book 6, Chapter 37. This is a chance to understand Fergus’s mind a little more.
I find this an extremely important chapter. Up to this point, we haven’t heard much about Fergus from Fergus’s point of view. He pops in now and then to take care of people around him, and that’s about it. Other characters are concerned about him, but we’re not really seen what he’s been doing and why.
The only reason we find out in this chapter is because Claire walks in on him. He’s been hiding from his family, but not so that he can get out of work. It’s because there is something playing on his mind, and it’s all about Henri-Christian.
The chapter certainly foreshadows a few things. I’ll get to my thoughts on that when it comes to that section.
As for the use in the TV series, it hasn’t happened yet. I’m not sure the chapter exactly as written will be included, but I do expect to see this storyline at some point in Outlander Season 6.
Let’s dive into A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 37.
Just the Outlander chapter
The chapter starts with Claire going into the barn. It’s been unlocked, and Claire wonders if someone forgot to lock it. That isn’t the case at all. Fergus is sleeping in there.
Claire isn’t impressed that Fergus has been hiding from his family. She decides to tell him that Henri-Christian is healthy other than being a dwarf. And his form of dwarfism shouldn’t affect his ability to work.
That’s what worries Fergus. He’s seen dwarves before. He knows what can happen. When he lived in the brothel in Paris, he saw that dwarves would be brought in for select clientele for certain fantasies. That’s the last thing Fergus wants for his son now that he’s managed to escape the world of the brothels.
It also doesn’t help that Fergus is one-handed. This constantly plays on his mind because he can’t do the farm work that many others can do. He feels inferior, and he knows what his son will feel in the future.
It’s a heartbreaking chapter when you look at it from Fergus’s point of view. He does know what it’s like to be crippled in the 18th century. It wasn’t a kind time for those with disabilities. Henri-Christian is going to have a difficult life.
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
We’re getting more and more of Fergus’s mindset. He’s not abusive, but he is struggling with his mental health. However, he’s in a time period where men definitely do not talk about their feelings. Fergus is lucky that he has Claire who will listen to him, but it takes a lot for him to share.
There is still more to come. Fergus’s downward spiral is going to get worse before it gets better.
We also get the foreshadowing for Henri-Christian. He is going to struggle with life, and the short one that it is. However, Claire notes that he can work as he gets older, and we know he tries to do everything that his siblings can do.
Adapting A Breath of Snow and Ashes chapter
I do hope to see this chapter used in some fashion in Outlander Season 6. We’ll need it.
We know that Fergus and Marsali are going to have a darker storyline in the season. Looking at clips from the trailer, it does look like Fergus will go down this spiral, struggling to cope with his own mental state.
Fergus is going to need to explain his fears for Henri-Christian to someone. Will it be Claire? Will he choose to open up to someone else? Will it all just be collected into one episode as the TV series has done with a lot of these types of storylines in the past?
Either way, for me, this is an important storyline to keep. I guess we’ll wait and see if it happens.
What did you spot while reading A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 37? Let us know in the comments below.
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