Claire witnesses Malva being beaten in Outlander Book 6, Chapter 47
Sometimes we get the reminder that Claire is from a very different time to the one she lives in. That’s certainly the case in Outlander Book 6, Chapter 47.
Sure, we know that Claire is from the 20th century. She’s been raised in a time when women were no longer the property of their husbands, and she has brought her 20th-century opinions and knowledge to the 18th century on multiple occasions.
Yet, after all this time in the 18th century, she’s still often shocked by the things that she witnesses. That’s the case during this chapter when she sees Tom beating Malva. She talks to Jamie about it, and it’s clear that Jamie also can’t quite comprehend the idea of men not giving their wives a beating now and then. However, he wouldn’t do it the way Claire has been raised to believe is wrong.
This chapter doesn’t foreshadow too much, I don’t think. It’s more of that reminder that Claire and Jamie are from two very different times. Claire needs to keep her nose out of some business, reminding herself of the time period.
I’m not 100% sure if this chapter will be used in the TV series. I’ll get to my thoughts on that in the adaptation section.
Let’s dive into A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 47.
Just the Outlander chapter
The chapter starts with Claire looking for bees to get them back to their hive when she comes across Tom beating Malva. She’s shocked by this but doesn’t get involved. Instead, she heads to Jamie to talk about it.
Jamie reminds her of the time period. Children and wives are beaten. He even points out that some women enjoy it, including his sister Jenny. Jamie describes an event he overheard, and shares that Grannie McNab talked about how Ian felt like less of a man now and then because of his lost leg.
Claire is shocked by this. She remembers the beating Jamie once gave her and it still angered her. Men who beat their wives in their time use their fists mostly and they are deemed criminals. Jamie is shocked that men don’t give their wives beatings for good reasons, but he is disgusted at men using their fists. That’s not the way it’s done here. Even those men in his time period are considered scum.
However, he reminds Claire that women are property by telling her that he owns her. It’s not something Claire likes to hear. Claire also doesn’t like hearing that Jamie wouldn’t beat Laoghaire. As much as she annoyed him, he didn’t ever consider it. It’s not because he had more respect for Laoghaire than Claire but because of the opposite.
Claire does point out at the very end of the chapter that she would tell Jamie to do something and he’d do it. She also owns him, and he can’t argue with that.
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
I can’t see all that much foreshadowing in this chapter. It just reminds us more of the time period and the way things have changed over the centuries. Women are no longer property, and things changed in law to prevent men from beating their wives.
I guess the foreshadowing here is that there’s still much more to come from Malva’s storyline. Tom would have had a reason to beat her, and it could be linked to the pregnancy storyline that’s to come. I can’t remember if Tom knew about the pregnancy or not. Things blur for me with the sixth and seventh books.
Adapting A Breath of Snow and Ashes chapter
I’m not sure if this chapter is going to be used in Outlander Season 6. We know that men beat their wives in the past. Parents would also beat their children. Do we really need that reminder all the time? I guess for some, the reminder would be needed just to keep the show historically accurate, but that doesn’t mean we have to actually see it on the screen.
There’s a lot to cover in the series from this book. I’m just not sure this chapter is all that important in the grand scheme of things. However, it could be a quick conversation between Claire and Jamie as a reminder of the time period Claire comes from and sharing how things change in the future so Jamie understands a little more.
What did you spot while reading A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 47? Let us know in the comments below.
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