Manfred McGillvary can’t marry Lizzie and explains why in Outlander Book 6, Chapter 45
Up to this point, everyone has been getting ready for Lizzie to marry Manfred McGillvary. It turns out that he can’t marry her, and he has to explain to Claire why not in Outlander Book 6, Chapter 45.
This is a great chapter to remember the problems and situations of the time period. We often look back and think of a time when sex outside of marriage was considered immoral. However, many did it. Young men especially would decide that expectations of marriage didn’t always apply to them.
Manfred is one of those, although it seems like he did actually fall in love with a girl in Hillsborough. More specifically, he fell in love with a prostitute, and he ended up catching syphilis (known as the French disease) from her. That leads to him seeking help from Claire, as he can’t marry Lizzie and pass the disease on.
There is some foreshadowing in this chapter. Well, it’s more like plot development. There’s trouble for Manfred as this marriage prospect is over.
I’m not too sure if this is going to be used in Outlander Season 6. I’ll get to my thoughts on the chapter and the adaptation in the last section of the post.
Let’s dive into A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 45.
Just the Outlander chapter
It all starts with Claire trying to figure out what to do first in her garden—and I love the comment about handling the manure being “man’s work”—only to come across someone watching her. Manfred McGillvary needs her help.
Before Lizzie, there was another woman. This was a woman he loved, but he was heading to Hillsborough to tell her that he couldn’t be with her anymore. He would need to choose Lizzie. However, this woman had died of syphilis, and now Manfred has the disease.
Claire and Jamie discuss what to do, but Jamie isn’t impressed. Well, neither is Claire, but at least Manfred spoke up about it and did the right thing instead of putting Lizzie’s life at risk. It is better for everyone in the long run.
Can’t Claire use her penicillin to treat the patient? Young Ian is shocked to hear that it might not work. Does that mean he’s not cured after the incident with Geillis Duncan?
Claire explains that Young Ian’s penicillin came from the 20th century. It was better, and she knows that Young Ian is cured, even if he had it in the first place. Young Ian would have shown signs of it by now. Manfred is different. He’s already showing signs.
The penicillin Claire has made is a cruder version. It’s not always worked on others, with some of them dying of the disease or some of them just taking time to work. She isn’t sure that the penicillin is going to work on Manfred.
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
This chapter offers some plot development for the coming chapters. The Frasers will have to deal with the situation that Manfred has caused, keeping an eye out for him but also breaking the news to Lizzie and her father. It’s going to have a knock-on effect for a few relationships at Fraser’s Ridge.
It’s also setting up the storyline for Lizzie to be with the men (yes, men!) she wants to be. She’s in love with the Beardsley twins.
I think it also foreshadows Claire’s attempts to treat Manfred. From what I can remember, he is cured in the end. However, it takes time, and there is a risk of some others catching it first. Manfred is not as sweet as he initially makes himself out to be.
Adapting A Breath of Snow and Ashes chapter
The chapter hasn’t been used in the series yet, and I’m not sure it will be. Looking at some of the promotional material for Outlander Season 6, we see that Lizzie is still sweet on Josiah Beardsley. This is still to come in the books, but the show has picked up this storyline and run with it.
With the series only having eight episodes this season, I’m wondering if the McGillvary storyline will be skipped over. It’s not the most important storyline from the book, and we could see the story of Lizzie and the twins come up sooner. I wouldn’t complain too much if this happened purely to keep things as focused as possible to allow the more important moments to happen throughout the season.
What did you spot while reading A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 45? Let us know in the comments below.
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