YOUR FAVORITE CLAIRE MOMENT

[Terry Dresbach]

When/why did you fall in love with Claire as a character?

Topic

[Katie (@bunnums)]

It’s hard to remember exactly. But I think part of it was actually “seeing” her reaction to Jamie’s strapping of her. They way she fought against it beforehand (physically and verbally) highlights her strength and conviction of character and willingness to stand up for herself in any circumstance. And then the way she listened, almost against her will, to Jamie in the days after showed her willingness to learn *and* to teach.

Katie

[Katie (@bunnums)]

Though, just like any loved one, there are definitely times I want to shake her and say “What the hell are you thinking, Claire!?!?!?” What a great character that we’re so emotionally invested in her.

[Purl99]

Hmmm…first I came to the Outlander party late about 15 years late. I found the books at a local re-sale shop while I was searching for Sci-Fi books. It was recommended by the owner I try them, so I bought the first 4 and let them sit on my TBR shelf for 2 years. Ha!

Of course once I started reading I was hooked and I found Claire to be someone I admired but also someone I wanted to say at times “WTF are you thinking”. She was just like me!

[martha]

Because she is a fighter, a survivor.She is a woman, way beyond her period( in fact, beyond 2 time periods)She is smart, funny and as Katie said I admire her” willingness to stand up for herself in any circumstance”.

[michellibell]

I think the moment she stepped forward in that small crofter’s cottage, insisting she help set Jamie’s shoulder correctly, was the moment I sat up and really paid attention to her. Before that, she was just the narrative POV. But in that cottage, she recognized her perilous position and still couldn’t help but be herself. She knew what to do, and damn the circumstances! she was going to it.

[Shanaynay]

When she looked in the window and mused over the vase.

I also loved when she Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ-ed herself in the mirror while brushing her hair in Inverness when the “ghost” was looking up at her in the rain.

[AnCatDubh1980]

Strangely enough, it was one of Claire’s rather unflattering moments – when they returned to Leoch and she sat around their room stewing about whether Jamie married her to get at his money and if he’s off seeing Laoghaire. For the previous few hundred pages she had been portrayed as a strong, smart, accomplished, mature, resourceful, and resilient person. For me, that Claire was inspirational, but not particularly relate-able. And finally here was a moment of weakness and vulnerability that rounded her out into a truly complex character, not the perfect heroine with admirable quality after admirable quality. I really related to it in that it showed how even a normally reasonable person can have moments when ego and pride and insecurity can get the better of you, mind running wild jumping to conclusions and going straight to the worst case scenario.

[sonyakhanum]

I fell in love with Claire when she was scolding Jamie for how he was taking care of his arm (after she meets him and patches him up and before they arrive at Castle Leoch) and shocks the Highlanders with her strong language. I thought that was hilarious!

[Shanaynay]

AnCatDubh1980…love the U2 referenced username by the way!…
This was indeed a wonderful Claire moment. She was so completely in a twist with herself because her feelings of love for Jamie, and the jealousy that so often takes a hold of even the strongest of us female characters, was finding a break in her surface. “The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing of.” Or something like that…

[beth miller]

I like every interaction Claire and Jamie have have in the first show. Ive watched it 99 toimes times now and probably will keep watching for another 100 x’s. I work in healthcare and find that other women in healthcare whom I ve told told about the books and they read them, its the same. We are first hooked when Claire despite her fear steps up to the plate and puts Jamie’s shoulder back into joint.

[nolakate]

when she set Jamie’s shoulder. she tried so hard to stand by and keep herself out of trouble but finally couldn’t stand it. like Roseanne’s domestic goddess, she finally just said “oh for God’s sake get out of the way and let it be handled correctly”. throughout the books, she shows that same resolve and appreciation for her own talents and the times they are needed.

[filmfixation]

My Steps to Falling in Love with Claire Fraser: From Book 1 and On (SPOILERS for Non-Book Readers)

1. First turned my head: When she traveled through time and got right down to surviving, scolding scots and generally not crumbling into a sad, teary mess.

2. First time I wanted to be able to speak to her: Right after she made the run for the stones post-wedding to Jaime. I wanted to ask her so many questions. She surprised me.

3. When I realized my feelings were more than a crush: She fought and killed a wolf. Enough said.

4. Totally in love: She employs a strange mix of medicine, magic and sexuality to bring Jaime back to life post-Wentworth.

5. Claire is my hero stage: Looses child in Paris, then goes back to her time, leaves Jamie, and then becomes a surgeon and survives.

6. By now I’m campaigning for Claire Fraser for President: Takes risk of going back in time to find Jamie again after not seeing him for 20 years. Continues to save his life again and again, because she kicks ass. Also she takes care of Gellis Duncan, because someone needed to do it.

7. She’s got Goddess status by now: Enjoys all kinds of sex in middle age-sex outside, sex inside, sex in a barn, sex in snow, sex in the heat-sex everywhere, all the time.

8. Claire is my spirit animal status: Almost dies from sickness, fights, comes back and rocks a shaved head because she’s Claire.

9. Claire is Queen Among Women: Says goodbye to child AGAIN this time even says goodbye to Grandchildren…SURVIVES, because she’s Claire. Also, handles Revolutionary War like a CHAMP.

10. ….I havent finished the books yet currently on Echo in the Bone so #10 is forthcoming I’m sure.

[michellibell]

You crack me up!

Claire also really cemented herself in Paris when she volunteers at Le Hospital. She again, could have kept quiet and to herself, but she just couldn’t help but help others. And then when she loses Faith… she had her breakdown (like any realistic woman would), but doesn’t let it define her. She picks up and moves on.

I also loved the Joe Abernathy friendship. Both were excluded and marginalized in med school, but they stuck together and succeeded.

[filmfixation]

I also loved the Joe Abernathy friendship. Both were excluded and marginalized in med school, but they stuck together and succeeded.

Great point. Claire was many things (feminist, anti-racist advocate) BEFORE there were names for them. I also love how she almost never asks for credit despite performing like, a ga-zillion miracles.

[sonyakhanum]

Claire is timeless isn’t she? I loved her response to Jamie at the beginning of Drums of Autumn when he was expressing his preconception about the indigenous people in America.

[filmfixation]

Yes. yes and yes. The books go on to paint a varied representation of native people, through both Claire’s eyes and Jaime’s slow re-education about native americans. Love the Ian storyline for that too…

[sonyakhanum]

Your summary above is perfect. With #4, I was like “whoa, she’s a force to be reckoned with” (I probably was a bit late on that realization). It took some major courage and strength. She’s healed many before, but to do so to an almost spiritual extent with someone you love – that’s hero material. And yet, with all these amazing qualities, she’s still relateable and she still has her weaknesses and flaws. Makes her quite a strong character.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 7 months ago by sonyakhanum.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 7 months ago by sonyakhanum.

[filmfixation]

thank you! “force” is certainly the right word for that episode…

[Susan53]

I hit the ground (I had been in free fall from the beginning :-))for show Claire at the end of The Garrison Commander, when she returns to camp after her conversation with Jamie and grabs the whiskey bottle out of Dougal’s hands and just keeps going. So many messages conveyed in that gesture, on her face, etc. One of my favorite 30 seconds on television EVER. Well Done CB!

I fell hard for book Claire from the very beginning, when she couldn’t help but step in and help fix Jamie’s shoulder, despite the fear, uncertainty, and confusion she was experiencing at the time.

[CelticGlamazon]

[quote quote=3727]
My Steps to Falling in Love with Claire Fraser: From Book 1 and On (SPOILERS for Non-Book Readers)

1. First turned my head: When she traveled through time and got right down to surviving, scolding scots and generally not crumbling into a sad, teary mess.
[/quote]

My response to this was similar, I fully expected her to fall apart, and found myself waiting for that to happen. Then it…didn’t. I remember being in awe of her strength of will.

[quote quote=3727]
3. When I realized my feelings were more than a crush: She fought and killed a wolf. Enough said.
[/quote]

The amount of adrenaline I was running on during this part of the book, had me sitting on the edge of my seat while reading. My roommate kept walking through the room, and giving me very strange looks, because I would jump every time I thought it was the end of Claire.

[quote quote=3727]
4. Totally in love: She employs a strange mix of medicine, magic and sexuality to bring Jaime back to life post-Wentworth.
[/quote]

Thank you for validating that I’m not a huge weirdo because of my appreciation for this scene. This is a part of the story that has stuck with me in a visceral and clear way.

The thing that I love about Claire, more than any other aspect, is her ability to stay rational. She is aware of the cultural implications behind behaviors that most modern women would flip over. She is able to take a hit and keep on rolling. Even later in “A Breath of Snow and Ashes,” when she becomes markedly irrational in response to fight or flight triggers, she still works hard to analyze the response and approaches it directly. I’ll end my fangirling to say, I just love her to pieces.

[barbc624]

I fell in love with Claire because of her imperfections. I love that she cannot keep her mouth shut even when she really should, she just puts it all out there. I love her passion for caring for others that causes her to jump in and do some stupid things (confronting the unknown and probably dangerous clansmen to fix Jamie’s arm; going to see Geillis Duncan when she knew she shouldn’t and when she had promised Jamie she wouldn’t). Her stubbornness which is equal to any Fraser. Her jealousy over Laoghire. In short, everything that makes her a living, breathing all too human woman rather than a “Mary Sue” perfect female heroine.

Barb, your post is spot on…..I think I fell for her when she was teasing Jamie for kissing Laoghire, and kicked him under the table. And his recovery was so precious!! I find the books to be full of humor.

[kladislaus]

I love Claire’s sarcasm. Her creator has given her so very many fantastic lines.

[elizlk]

I knew Claire was a kindred spirit when she told the Highlanders just what she thought of St Paul. She was a fighter and not going to let some idiot get in her way. No question she’d be s member of the #PBU.

[cainsworth]

So far on the show, I love her unfettered interactions with the Highlanders… such as when she told them “you can mind your own bloody business and so can St. Paul!” and the joke that she made about Rupert’s hand that prompted them all to laugh.

When it comes to the books, however, I have to say that my favorite Claire moments are whenever she moves into “physician” mode, and inevitably impresses everyone around her with her knowledge and skill. The number of times she does that are too numerous to count, but for some reason the one that jumps to mind right now is when she’s criticizing the male apothecary in “The Fiery Cross” and accurately diagnoses what’s going on with his patient. I can only imagine the stir that would have caused in the 18th century. 🙂

[Author]

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