Claire and Denny Hunter agree on a medical procedure in Outlander Book 7, Chapter 44
We get a lot of echoes of the past in Outlander Book 7, Chapter 44. I feel like there are a lot of reminders of Mr. Willoughby throughout this chapter.
It’s all about Mr. Guinea Dick. This is a man with poor English, who is more of a caricature of a person more than a real fleshed-out character. It’s the way I felt about Mr. Willoughby in the books, which is something I’m glad the TV series changed. I love Diana Gabaldon’s writing, but she’s human and that means she’s not perfect! That’s okay!
This chapter also gives us a chance to see Claire and Denny Hunter interact. I love that we do get to see these interactions, and I hope we see them in the TV series. Speaking of the TV series, I fully expect to see this chapter developed for Outlander Season 7. It’s going to give us a lot as a base for Claire and Denny’s bond.
There is certainly some foreshadowing in the chapter. I see it in Rachel’s involvement in the chapter. I’ll get to my thoughts on that in the foreshadowing section.
Let’s dive into An Echo in the Bone Chapter 44.
Just the Outlander chapter
The chapter starts with Claire checking in on Stebbings. Mr. Dick is there, too. The two characters do appear to be caricatures of real people, and I do find this a flaw every now and then in the books. It really does remind me of the caricature Mr. Willoughby seemed to be.
Claire is pulled away from Stebbings to deal with another person in need of medical attention. In fact, Stebbings has been complaining about this man’s stinky foot. It turns out that Mr. Ormiston’s foot is gangrenous and needs amputation.
Lieutenant Stactoe and Dr. Denzell Hunter are busy debating where the amputation needs to happen. Stactoe says below the knee, but Hunter believes it should be above. Claire agrees with Hunter, and she makes it very clear that she wants the tools to be boiled. After all, she knows what could go wrong if unsanitary tools are used.
Of course, an argument breaks out. Stactoe does not want his tools ruined with boiling water, and in the argument, the bed is overturned and Mr. Ormiston ends up on the floor. Poor guy!
Rachel comes into the room to see what the commotion is. She sees that Denny’s glasses have fallen onto the floor so grabs them and puts them back on her brother’s face. I love that she brings a sense of order to the problem.
Hunter is also called out of the room. Mrs. Brown has gone into (likely false) labor, and she wants Hunter to be there. He is the nephew of a famous doctor. Of course, she wants him there. This is the thing about Hunter. He is able to get places because of his name, and he is going to use it right now.
In the end, Claire is the one he chooses to do the amputation. Stactoe takes all of his own tools so Claire can’t use them, so Claire needs to use her knife that Jamie had given to her and sharpened to do the amputation. She uses the rum that Dick brings to disinfect the leg and she makes sure the knife is sanitary before cutting.
I love that we see this chapter. At first, it looks like it doesn’t seem to offer much except another show of what Claire faces in her time as a doctor. However, for me, it gives Hunter a chance to see the doctor that she is, and it helps to create a bond between the two of them.
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
The foreshadowing in this chapter is definitely in Rachel’s actions. She comes in to place glasses on her brother’s face. It’s such a small thing, and it seems unnecessary. What it tells me is that she tries to bring order where she can. Putting her brother’s glasses back on his face is a way to do that.
Rachel brings order to Ian’s mind and heart. She is the one who can help to settle the storm inside of him, and I feel like this chapter offers foreshadowing of that.
Adapting An Echo in the Bone chapter
I would love to see this chapter developed in Outlander Season 7. I know there are other ways to show Denny and Claire bond, but I think this is an important part. Denny gets to see the type of surgeon Claire is, even if he doesn’t understand the need to sanitize the tools and the leg before amputation.
I would like to see the characters of Stebbings and Guinea Dick developed a little better in the series. As I’ve said, they seem too much of caricatures in the book, but I’ve seen how the show was able to develop Mr. Willoughby. If the show does include these two characters, I want to see them developed like Mr. Willoughby in the show.
What did you spot while reading An Echo in the Bone Chapter 44? Let us know in the comments below.
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