Claire meets a certain turncoat in Outlander Book 7, Chapter 64.
Claire is shocked to meet another real figure from history in Outlander Book 7, Chapter 64. It’s more about the circumstances of the meeting.
Up to this point, we’ve heard Benedict Arnold’s name mentioned. In this chapter, Claire gets to meet him, and she likes the man. That does surprise her considering what she knows of him in history. After all, we know Benedict Arnold was a traitor.
While fighting with the Continental Army, it shouldn’t be too surprising that Claire is going to run into some important historical figures. She just doesn’t expect it to happen in the way that it does, or the fact that she didn’t recognize Arnold right away. It’s clear she didn’t pay any close attention to Bree’s history textbooks, although I guess portraits don’t do everyone justice.
We’re sure to see the chapter used in the TV series. We know that Benedict Arnold has been cast, and this does make for an interesting moment for Claire meeting someone from history. There’s also an important conversation with Jamie that follows.
I’m not sure it foreshadows much, though. All it does is lead me to wonder why Benedict needs malaria treatment if not for himself.
Let’s dive into An Echo in the Bone Chapter 64.
Just the Outlander chapter
The chapter starts with a man coming to Claire’s tent. He would like to trade something for cinchona bark, also known as Jesuit bark. Claire wonders if he has malaria, but he shares that it is for someone else. He has a box of all sorts to trade, with much of it being silks, laces, etc. Claire isn’t interested in anything but the laudanum, and she quickly explains that she uses it for pain management.
This does lead to an interesting conversation about doctors who know their limits. Jamie joins in with the conversation, as the man wonders whether by admitting limits that people wouldn’t strive to be greater. I get the sense this is indicating to why he ends up turning his coat.
It’s at the end of the chapter that Claire finds out she was talking to Benedict Arnold. She is shocked to realize that she likes the man, and she shares as much as she can with Jamie. However, she didn’t pay a lot of attention to Bree’s history books, so doesn’t know everything about the man.
Jamie says that he will keep an eye on Arnold. Maybe he can stop the man from turning to the British, but Claire doesn’t want them to stop this. They’re not trying to change history, and they saw some of the damage of trying to change history at Culloden. There are to many things at threat here, so they need to let Benedict Arnold become the turncoat that we know him as.
I love this moment. As much as we’ve seen that these big events can’t be changed, we also see Claire not wanting to even put anything to the test. They need America to become America. Otherwise, what would have happened to the country?
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
I don’t think this foreshadows all that much. It really just sets the tone and the time for the story. We know that Arnold isn’t a traitor yet, but he will become one. And Claire isn’t going to stop him.
Adapting An Echo in the Bone chapter
I get the feeling that we will see this chapter play out in the series. We know that the show has found its Benedict Arnold, which means we’ll see the character. He could just be in the background or in a battle, but I would like to see this chapter.
You see, this chapter leads to Claire’s conversation about not changing history right now. She and Jamie need things to play out to make sure America becomes America. It is worth having some of these conversations as the two battle with the knowledge that some things can be changed but not everything.
What did you spot while reading An Echo in the Bone Chapter 64? Let us know in the comments below.
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