William experiences a battle and death in Outlander Book 7, Chapter 6
Despite William tasked with sending messages between the generals, he ends up fighting in a battle during Outlander Book 7, Chapter 6.
Something that I love about this chapter is getting to know William. Up to this point, we’ve only really gotten to know him through the opinions of others. We know he was spoiled growing up, but that comes from the way he was raised.
During this chapter, we get to know a little more about who he is as a person. That includes a likeness to Jamie when it comes to feeling a little seasick. We get to see him face battle, and he’s observant of what’s going on around him.
The chapter certainly seems to continue the foreshadowing that the secret about Jamie being his father is going to come out. I’ll get to my thoughts on that in the foreshadowing section.
I do hope to see some of this chapter play out in the series. I think we’ll need it to get a sense of who William actually is as an adult.
Let’s dive into An Echo in the Bone Chapter 6.
Just the Outlander chapter
The chapter starts with William arriving for his duty to pass messages. He ends up being given the opportunity to lead a company into battle, and that’s exactly what he jumps at the chance of doing. Throughout this, we get a sense of his ability to observe what’s going on.
William isn’t stupid. He knows that the Patriots have experience in hunting. They’ll be able to take men down quickly and quietly. He also knows that they will adapt to any situation. They should all be on the lookout for things, but it seems like not everyone is. After all, a lot of people think that the Continental Army will disband and give up in six months.
We experience the battle through William’s eyes. At one point, he needs to look at the body of a fallen soldier. It’s not clear why he decides to do this, but I think this connects him to this messenger duty he is carrying out. He is also looking for anything “intelligence,” and this could be one of those important moments.
It turns out that it is. He looks at a member of Putnam’s Army, and this is important for later. Everyone has pretty much ruled out Putnam, but William doesn’t. He uses the information he knows and what he’s seen to share his concerns with General Howe.
Of course, nobody pays attention to William. He’s young, and the more experienced generals believe they know best. William doesn’t argue back too much. He has this balance of Jamie in him (the compassion for the dead and ability to observe) and Lord John Grey (knowing when not to speak out). I love that we do get to see all that in the chapter.
The next part of the chapter sees Perkins tell William that William needs to see General Howe. William has just woken from a dream and is in a fog. Then he’s literally in a fog and can’t figure out where to go to get to Howe. I feel like all this is a connection to William who doesn’t know his true identity yet.
While looking, two thieves get him. William hears the Scottish voice of one, and the other has a Dorset tone. The men but off William’s hair, giving him a sense of being demoted to a lower status. Again, it connects to William eventually learning the truth that he is Jamie’s son.
The men leave, and William is then captured by some women. It’s only after this that the fog clears and William is able to see clearly again. I almost get a sense of Jamie’s abilities to go to the future in dreams. Is this an ability William has?
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
This chapter certainly foreshadows that everything about Jamie being William’s father is going to come out. There are just so many similarities, and not just in looks. William shares a lot of personality traits with his father without even knowing it. Of course, we know Lord John Grey also shares some of the caring and observant personality traits.
I think we also get the foreshadowing that William does have a good eye for detail. He needs to be ready for things because the world isn’t ready to listen to him just yet.
Adapting An Echo in the Bone chapter
I do hope to see this chapter adapted. We need to get to know William as he is as an adult. This means seeing just how observant and caring he is. We need to see those parts of Jamie shine through him.
I think we will at least see some of this chapter play out. If not exactly, we’ll get to see some of William’s storyline since we know Adult William has been cast now.
What did you spot while reading An Echo in the Bone Chapter 6? Let us know in the comments below.
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