A Breath of Snow and Ashes

Sexual violence recurs many times in the novel as a way for men to exert their power over strong female characters and, in one case, a strong male character. The strongest female characters with the most modern sensibilities are most frequently the victims, complicating the “modern,” independent characters by subjecting them to the role of the damsel in distress and making them reliant on their husbands. First, Claire, who is headstrong, intelligent, and has a career of sorts (very unusual for a woman in the 18th century), is victimized by bandits. The first bandit to approach her isn’t successful in raping her, but the second is. This bandit, who is never named, cries for his dead wife. Gabaldon chooses to write the bandit this way to complicate Claire’s feelings for the character and to generate an uncomfortable empathy: while the readers may wish to outright villainize the bandit, we feel that the rape is coming from a place of personal pain. Claire, too, doesn’t seem to fight for herself during the capture, but rather leaves strands of her hair knowing that Jamie will pursue her. The character succumbs to the part of damsel in distress.

Brianna, having been raped previously by Bonnet, and nearly victimized by Bonnet again in this novel, parallels Claire’s encounter.