A Breath of Snow and Ashes

“Naturally not; all business would wait appropriately for Jamie. Being female, I would get impeccable courtesy and small bits of social gossip in the meantime.” 

Claire is, as a woman, considered property from the very beginning of the novel. Even in polite interactions with a man who’s considered a friend, Claire is seen as subservient. This power dynamic foreshadows more violent expressions of deeply rooted sexism and the objectification of women. 

“What if he were gone, she thought suddenly. Could I bring it back, all by myself? A spasm of elemental panic gripped her, just for a moment, at the thought. Without Roger as her touchstone, with nothing but her own memories to serve as anchor to the future, that time would be lost. Would fade into hazy dreams, and be lost, leaving her no firm ground of reality to stand upon.”

After traveling back to the 18th century, Brianna has lost the independence she had in a later time period. She relies on Roger, as many women of the 18th century must rely on their men. Despite knowing who she’s been all her life, the time she lives in now has reshaped her identity. She feels that without Roger to affirm their modern experience, she will lose her ability to reconstruct it in her mind.

“My Son-in-law astutely observes that a Man’s sense of Morality tends to decrease as his Power increases, and I suspect that the Brothers Brown possess relatively little of the Former to begin with. It may be mere Hubris on my part, to assume that I have more. I have seen the corrosive Effects of Power upon a Man’s Soul—and I have felt its Burden, as you will understand, having borne it so often yourself. Still, if it is a choice between myself and Richard Brown, I suppose I must resort to the old Scottish Adage that the devil you ken is better than the devil you don’t.”

A letter from Jamie to Lord John explains why he has agreed to become an Indian Agent, against his better judgment. Jamie knows that with firm morality comes responsibility. He must take on more social responsibility than he cares to, in order to keep power out of the hands of more morally ambiguous men like the Browns.