Claire attempts to save a life in Outlander Book 6, Chapter 84
As Claire comes across a body, she attempts to save a life. It’s all for nothing in Outlander Book 6, Chapter 84.
Things start of quiet in this chapter. It looks like it’s going to be a regular day out for Claire, except that she’s dealing with some of the wildlife in the area. Sadly, that’s not how the chapter ends.
This is the chapter that sees the death of one of the problem characters in A Breath of Snow and Ashes. Claire comes across Malva’s body. While there’s nothing that can be done for Malva, Claire realizes that there is a life that could potentially be saved. Is she too late?
The chapter doesn’t really foreshadow anything. This is more about plot development. However, I guess there is a little bit of foreshadowing when it comes to a certain wild animal.
This chapter was used in the TV show. There was no way around it. However, there were some changes that I want to comment on in the adaptation section.
Let’s dive into A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 84.
Just the Outlander chapter
The short chapter starts with Claire out in her garden. She realizes the gate is open, and she worries about deers that could have gotten in and eaten up her garden.
She ends up attacked by some bees, and there is a mention of a bear as she wonders how the beehive was knocked over. So, Claire runs to get out of dodge. She realizes that maybe there wasn’t a bear. Bears don’t need to try to be silent.
That’s when Claire comes across a body. It’s Malva’s body, and it’s clear right away that it’s too late to save her, but I love that we see Claire jump straight into her doctor self. Claire notes that Malva’s eyes are glassy and open but the body is warm.
At first, Claire thinks there’s nothing she can do. When she sees movement. Malva is pregnant, and the baby is still alive in there. Claire performs an emergency c-section to get the baby out. At first, the baby looks like it could live, but in the end, Claire realizes that there’s nothing she can do. Both mother and baby have been killed.
Claire hasn’t even thought about the murderer at this point. We know it means that there is a murderer out there somewhere. And that’s something the next chapters will cover.
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
The chapter sets up the plot for the next few chapters. It’s clear that whoever did this was in a rush, which is why there are some things that draw Claire’s attention to a problem in the first place.
When I do think of bears, though, I now think of Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone. Claire immediately questions if a bear got in and that bears don’t need to be silent. We’ll see just how bears do act when they are caught by people.
Adapting A Breath of Snow and Ashes chapter
The chapter was adapted, but it wasn’t done exactly. We don’t have the open garden gate or the knocked-over beehive. I’m not sure why the writers chose to keep that out. Instead, Claire just senses that something is off and finds Malva’s body.
I guess the way Claire finds the body doesn’t really matter. We get the important parts, including finding Malva, realizing she can’t save Malva, and then going on to try to save the baby. We need this moment, and we need to see Claire’s distress as she tries to save the baby. I often find Claire cold and ingenuine when it comes to the book. I’ve always preferred the show’s version of the character.
What did you spot while reading A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 84? Let us know in the comments below.
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