Outlander Book Club: Lord John and a Plague of Zombies Section 2 breakdown

It’s time to learn a little more about Jamaica in A Plague of Zombies Section 2. I love how we learn at the same time as Lord John Grey.

This chapter sees him take in the home that he is staying in. While it is the governor’s home, it is rundown. There are also a lot of insects and pests around, although it’s clear that John doesn’t have too many issues with them in general. He loves snakes!

Breaking down A Plague of Zombies Section 2

John is staying at the Governor’s house. It turns out that the home of the Royal Governor is known as the King’s House. It makes sense, really. The Governor is an extension of the King of Great Britain in these parts of the world. It doesn’t belong to the man but the Crown.

John notes how run down the building is. It needs a lot of work, and it’s almost like he’s thinking of it as if it could be his place for a while in the future. We know that he ends up becoming the Governor of Jamaica for a while later on in the decade.

John also experiences some of the insects. One of them is a spider, which Rodrigo, a servant who John finds pleasing to the eye, notes is deadly to people. Then there’s a cockroach, which John helps to get outside.

When the snake in John’s pocket is found, John has to defend it from people. Tom Byrd, who is trying to get John ready for dinner, decides to give the snake some ham and the snake is able to stay under the bed. I love that we see this nurturing side of John, even to the snakes.

The dinner gong goes off. Tom needs to speed up to get John ready.

Could this chapter be used in a TV show adaptation?

While this chapter is a great way to see what Jamaica is like, it’s not a chapter that is necessary for the whole story. If A Plague of Zombies was adapted and something needed to be kipped over, it’s this section that I could see being skipped. We can have the spider and cockroach show up in other ways to highlight some of the pests of the country.

However, I would love to see the chapter play out. I want to see this side of John, who doesn’t allow creepy crawlies to freak him out. I would also like to see him interested in Rodrigo, showing how he doesn’t discriminate against color.

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