Roger and Bree know the Revolutionary War has started in Outlander Book 6, Chapter 77
We all knew the Revolutionary War was coming. It’s started in Outlander Book 6, Chapter 77.
We spend time with Brianna and Roger in this chapter. Roger wakes up to find Bree already awake in the middle of the night. What caused it? Roger doesn’t know why he woke, but it’s clear why Brianna is. She knows that the day before marked the beginning of the Revolutionary War.
It’s all about the midnight ride of Paul Revere. It’s something Brianna grew up learning about. She and all the other kids in Boston grew up learning the poem. It is a huge thing for the Boston area, which is where the midnight ride took place. It’s not surprising that this sort of thing would keep her up.
The chapter really just foreshadows the fact that the Revolutionary War has started. It will eventually reach the colonies to the south. This is going to lead to people fleeing from their homes, and others picking the side of those who would have been traitors had they lost.
We haven’t had this chapter used in the series. I doubt we will, to be honest. The Boston Tea Party was written about, and that was used as the marker of the start of the war. I’ll get to my thoughts on that in the adaptation section.
Let’s dive into A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 77.
Just the Outlander chapter
The chapter starts with Roger waking up. Bree is awake, and she notes that “yesterday” was April 18. It’s the anniversary of the ride of Paul Revere. However, it’s not the anniversary for them. It’s the date the ride actually happened.
This is a huge moment in the Revolutionary War. Brianna says the poem that she grew up learning about the ride. Roger just listens, although he has some thoughts about some of the wording in the poem. The poem was written after the fact when a lot of the people around at the time had died. However, everyone is currently alive in the time period they’re in.
Bree doesn’t tell the whole poem. She stops toward the end, telling Roger that he knows the rest. He realizes that he would love to be in Boston right now. It is the historian in him. He would love to see this part of history at work, and that’s not surprising. Sure, he’s found his place in the past, but that doesn’t stop him being a lover of historical facts and events.
The moment is cut off at the end. As dawn approaches, Bree and Roger are sent for. Lizzie is having her baby, and the two need to be there. Well, Bree needs to be there for Lizzie. Roger will need to be there for the Beardsley twins.
Lizzie has already had her baby by the time Bree and Claire are there. It turns out that it was a very easy delivery, with Lizzie not even realizing she was in labor for the most part. She did get the boys to head out for Claire, though.
The baby is a boy. The twins get to meet their son. And everyone just seems to agree that this is the son of all three people, even if it was just created by two people. It’s not like anyone really knows whether Kezzie or Josiah is the father.
The Beardsley twins head out to see Mr. Wemyss. However, Lizzie makes one thing clear. If he won’t come to her house with the twins to see the baby, then he’s not going to see his grandchild. Sure, the man is ashamed of his daughter, but it’s time for him to put his shame to one side and be there for his daughter and grandson.
I do love that we get to see this side of Lizzie. She’s not completely asking him to accept the full situation, and there’s no mention that he needs to see the twins. She’s just making it clear that he needs to accept Lizzie’s choices and allow her to be happy if he wants any part of their lives. She has a strong boundary set, showing her the type of woman she is growing into being. I do think being around Bree would have helped her form this personality.
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
The chapter doesn’t foreshadow all that much. It’s making a note of the time period—the events that are happening. We just know that the Revolutionary War is here. This is it. There’s no turning back now.
I guess the foreshadowing is in the fact that eventually everyone just accepts Lizzie and the twins. At least, everyone in the Fraser/MacKenzie households does, and those connected to them. The three are happy with their family. They can keep to themselves. What’s wrong with that?
Adapting A Breath of Snow and Ashes chapter
The chapter hasn’t been used in Outlander just yet. That’s not surprising in the latter part of the chapter. We’ve only just had the scandal of the marriage and handfasting. Lizzie is pregnant, but she’s not had the baby. However, we’re not going to get the part with her dad. Her dad hasn’t been brought back into the series, and I’m not too bothered by that considering the way TV shows have to film and handle guest stars.
The bit I’m not sure will come up or not is the poem. There’s not any real need to have the poem. We know things are starting up. We know the Boston Tea Party has happened.
It think the use of the Boston Tea Party was well thought out for the writers. Pretty much everyone has heard of the Boston Tea Party (and I’m not talking about the political party!). We all tend to know that the people of Boston threw tea into the harbor over taxes. The ride of Paul Revere might not be as well known to those outside of the United States.
Outlander is a global audience. The show needs to do quick focuses on events to mark the time period. Just a quick mention of the Boston Tea Party did that for everyone around the world.
What did you spot while reading A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 77? Let us know in the comments below.
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