Jamie needs to source guns in Outlander Book 6, Chapter 53
Jamie writes to Lord John Grey in an attempt to source the 30 rifles he needs in Outlander Book 6, Chapter 53. He doesn’t share why he needs them, though.
This chapter brings us back to the guns, something that came up in an earlier chapter. Jamie was originally going to get them from Robin McGillivary, but things have changed thanks to Manfred’s actions. Now he’s going to have to source them from someone else, and that means a smuggler.
However, the chapter isn’t all about the guns. There’s a barbecue coming up with someone important from the time after Culloden. Flora MacDonald is in the area, a woman known for helping Bonnie Prince Charlie escape Britain after Culloden.
There’s also a mention of the Committees of Correspondence, which is linked to the Revolutionary War. Jamie will soon need to officially change sides, but he can’t do it too soon. Right now, he’s on the line between Crown and Patriots.
We certainly have some foreshadowing in this chapter. It’s only small, and I’ll get to my thoughts on it in that chapter.
I’m not quite sure just how much of this chapter is going to be used in the TV series, though. I’ll get to my thoughts on it, especially with the McGillvarys, in the adaptation section.
Let’s dive into A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 53.
Just the Outlander chapter
The chapter starts with Jamie writing to Lord John Grey. He hopes John has some contacts to be able to get the rifles that he needs.
Claire notes that Jamie hasn’t shared why he needs them. If Jamie is honest, he isn’t sure. Right now, he’s just annoyed that Manfred’s actions led to the strained relations between the Frasers and the McGillivarys, which means Jamie can’t get the promised guns from Robin. Instead, Jamie has to go through smugglers.
Jamie makes it clear that he’s not really sure whether he’s going to give the rifles to Bird, although he doesn’t state that outright. He’s received an invitation to a Committee of Correspondence with the Continental Congress.
This is where the seeds of political rebellion are starting. Jamie is an Indian Agent for the Crown and someone has suggested him for the Committee of Correspondence. He would end up walking between two fires.
He doesn’t think it too much of a problem just yet. Doesn’t he have until July 4, 1776? Claire points out that is when the Declaration of Independence is signed. The fighting has already started in some parts of the country, and it’s going to get worse very soon. Claire thinks back to the time of World War II when neighbors were turning on each other.
Jamie points out that the McGillivarys could have “recommended” him. Even Richard Brown or any of Hodgepile’s friends still around may have done it. People want Jamie out of the way, and making him look like a potential traitor would be the way to do it. There are a lot of people around who didn’t support the Jacobites and won’t like Jamie being in charge.
Jamie notes that he’s never fought out of necessity and not principle. Claire points out that this is a war about principle and quotes Thomas Jefferson. The quote mentions “all men,” and Jamie wants to know if that includes the Indians. He is concerned about what happens to them after the War, and I love that about him. Claire can’t say, but we all know what happens in real history.
Finally, Jamie decides that he will give Bird the rifles. He may come to regret it and find the guns pointed at him in the future, but he’ll go through with it for now.
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
There is certainly some foreshadowing in this chapter. We get a sense of where lines will be drawn. There’s a sense of the people who will judge Jamie for changing sides and those who will join him.
During the chapter, there’s also the mention of Gerald Forbes. And we get mentions of smugglers and later Donner. All these players are going to come back. I immediately think of Stephen Bonnet when it comes to the smuggler, and we know he comes back and Forbes is going to cause a problem. Then there’s Donner and his search for gems.
However, this chapter is really setting the stones for the Revolutionary War, and where the Frasers will stand.
Adapting A Breath of Snow and Ashes chapter
I’m not all that sure whether this chapter is going to be included in Outlander Season 6. I know Jamie does become an Indian Agent, but will the entire storyline play out in the same way? I have a feeling this will be connected in some way to Jamie’s worries about how the Indians will be treated after the war. Then there’s Young Ian who will get more screen time. He could take on a lot of the chapters that involve concern over the Indians.
The part that should be included is the Committee of Correspondence. We need to see Jamie walking between these two fires, knowing what is going to happen and the best time to change sides. He needs to connect with the Patriots in some sort of way before he does make the switch. We know what he has to do, but there needs to be some sign that it plays with his conscience a little.
Spoilers for the Outlander Season 6 premiere
There was a mention of guns in the premiere. Bird wants them, and he wants to ask Jamie for them. I get a sense that this is how the storyline will change.
We’ve also seen Young Ian want to stand up for the Indians. After years living with the Mohawk, he can’t stand what is going to happen to them, and he wants them to be ready just in case they do switch sides against the Crown.
I get the sense that the McGillivary storyline is going to be switched out. There’s no need for Jamie to source the guns when he’s to ask the Crown for them.
What did you spot while reading A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 53? Let us know in the comments below.
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