It’s time to say goodbye to Ian Murray in Outlander Book 7, Chapter 84
We’ve known this was coming with the buildup. Outlander Book 7, Chapter 84 brings us a sad goodbye.
It’s all about Ian Murray. There is no more time for him, and he wants to say goodbye to one more person. He needs to speak with Jamie. It’s clear he’s already said his goodbyes to others.
Ian’s death brings a lift of a weight of Jenny. We often forget the weight of caring for the sick. There’s a reason caregivers around the world need support from friends and family. They need to take a break from caring for their loved ones, but then they end up feeling guilty for needing that time off.
This chapter doesn’t give us anything in the way of foreshadowing. It’s all about plot development. Jenny makes it clear that there is nothing to keep her in Scotland anymore. She’s ready to head to America with Jamie. I’ll get to this in the foreshadowing section.
I fully expect to see this chapter used in the TV series. There’s no way the show can skip it, and I’ll get to that in the adaptation section.
Let’s dive into An Echo in the Bone Chapter 84.
Just the Outlander chapter
This short chapter makes it clear that Ian Murray is close to death. He wants to see Jamie in private, which makes it clear that he has already said his goodbyes to Jenny. While Jamie says goodbye to Ian, he wonders how he would say goodbye to Claire. That’s a thought he doesn’t really want in his mind right now.
After Ian’s death, a weight is lifted off Jenny’s shoulders. I feel like this is a sign a lot of caregivers end up feeling. It’s that relief that the person they have cared for all this time is now at peace. It’s that relief that they can now live their own lives without feeling guilty for not being with the sick person.
Jenny realizes that there is nothing left for her in Scotland. Ian is no longer with her physically, but he will always be with her spiritually. She doesn’t need to be in Scotland to be close to him anymore, so she wants to go to America with Jamie.
Jamie uses this chance to find out how Brian Fraser died. He’d always known it was a stroke, but Brian’s death wasn’t instant. We find out that Dougal had come to see Brian and shared that Jamie would be okay. Jamie wished he was there to say he was sorry, but Jenny points out that Brian already knew that.
Jamie apologizes to Jenny. He should never have believed what Dougal had said about Jenny and Black Jack Randall.
The end sees the two wonder where Ian is now. What is there after death?
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
The chapter doesn’t foreshadow that much. It just sets up the plot for Jenny and Jamie heading to the Colonies together.
However, I think there is a little bit of foreshadowing in how Jenny feels about Claire. If she really blamed Claire for Ian’s death, why would she even want to consider being close to Claire? That wouldn’t make sense. Jenny knows, deep down, that there was nothing Claire could have done.
Adapting An Echo in the Bone chapter
I expect to see most of this chapter play out. I certainly expect to see Ian’s death. After all, it’s a major part of the story, pushing Jenny to America. However, I want to see the ending of the chapter, too. I need to see Jenny and Jamie talk about Brian. Considering how Brian does turn up again in the eighth book (and he will be in Outlander Season 7) and considering how Jamie has always thought about Brian, I want to see him get the full story of Brian’s death from Jenny.
I also think it would be such a great moment for the siblings on screen. We see too many moments of Jenny and Jamie arguing, so I’d like a beautiful sibling moment.
What did you spot while reading An Echo in the Bone Chapter 84? Let us know in the comments below.
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