Valerie Estelle Frankel - Scots, Sassenachs, and Spankings: Feminism and Gender Roles in Outlander

Scots, Sassenachs, andSpankings

Feminism and Gender Roles inOutlander

Scots, Sassenachs, and Spankings is anunauthorized guide and commentary on Outlander and itsrelated universe. None of the individuals or companies associatedwith the books or television series or any merchandise based onthis series have in any way sponsored, approved, endorsed, orauthorized this book.

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Copyright 2015

Valerie Estelle Frankel

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The Symbolism and Sources of Outlander

Contents

From the extensive book series through thenew Starz show, Outlander explores the myriad of genderroles we encounter through our lives, binding them together in anuanced love story thats nonetheless overflowing withadventure.

Anne Helen Petersen explains the seriespopularity in Outlander Is The Feminist Answer To Game Of Thrones And Men Should Be Watching It:

The first book, alongwith its seven sequels, have sold more than 25 million copiesworldwide. Today, you can mention Outlander in agroup of women, no matter the age, and chances are at least aquarter will have read it. From the beginning, they were known asword of mouth books, meaning that people read them not because ofsome marketing campaign, but because friends told them to. And itsbeen in this mode that these books have spread through generationsand continents, weaving a web of shared narrative experience thatcan anchor families, friendships, and relationships. When you findsomeone whos read Outlander, in other words, youllalways have something to talk about.

The shows core is about the emotional andcultural differences between men and women, and how theirrelationships have and have not changed over the centuries(Seitz). Combined with this is an exploration of gender, from NewMen to ancient warriors, modern women and those who take on classicroles of housekeeper or wife but are far from weak. While some likeGeillis perform femininity, they use their gender as a mask to playat politics and rewrite history. The show bridges the gap betweenthe novels and the conventions of cable shows, demonstrating what afeminized version of the onscreen nudity and point of view lookslike.

There are also the Othered characters thosewho are homosexual, disabled, or cast as minorities, who, like thewomen, struggle to find their place in eighteenth century culture.By exploring these many roles, readers can discover much abouthistory and also about themselves.

Strange, the things youremember. Single images and feelings that stay with youdown through the years. Like the moment I realized Idnever owned a vase. That Id never lived any place longenough to justify having such a simple thing. And how atthat moment, I wanted nothing so much in all the world asto have a vase of my very own. Somehow in my mind, V.E.day, the end of the bloodiest and most terrible war inhuman history, grows fainter with each passing day. But Ican still recall every detail of the day when I saw thelife I wanted sitting in a window.

The show starts with the blue vase, an imageof potential domesticity in Claires voiceover. Of course sheabandons the life she wanted for an adventure in the past, givinga lie to her words. Her entire story is framed as a flashback Claire in the future, remembering her romance with Jamie, tells thestory. It also reflects the actresss own journey.

Thelast of the main characters to be cast, Balfe found herself parachuted into a production already operatingat full tilt to create Outlanders crammed 18th-century world. Shehad to scramble to keep up, an experience she likens to hercharacters predicament: When Claire gets thrown back, shescompletely clueless and its all brand new for her, so luckily Iwas just able to discover things as I went along.(Virtue)

The narrator or point of view has a strongeffect on the text, in this show far more than most. Narration hasalways been tricky onscreen, as the gendered narrator encouragesthe audience to identify with a male or female point of view.Simone de Beauvoir notes in The Second Sex that men considerthemselves the subject of the world, its standard form, and thushave demoted women to the role of Other. She is defined anddifferentiates with reference to man and not he with reference toher; she is the incidental; the inessential as opposed to theessential (xxxix-xl). Thus a female point of view inOutlander emphasizes that historical drama, even war drama,need not be the province of only men. Of course, theres no reasonmen shouldnt watch it.

When asked whether menwill watch the show, Moore was adamant: Look, I read the book, Iloved the book. When my wife and producing partner gave me thebook, they werent like, Oh, heres a romance novel. See what youcan do with it. They said, Heres a really good book. I dontsee any reason why men wont watch this show.(Petersen)

Whether the preexisting female audience orthe new male audience are watching, certainly Claire and herfirst-person story feature front and center.

Women are often silenced in fiction, so amouthy, opinionated woman like Claire must be celebrated.Nonetheless, keeping close to her face confines the power of hervoice. Most often onscreen, a disembodied male narrator, perhapssetting the prologue, is male. Female narration heavily follows acharacter, dictating her thoughts as her face appears. ShohiniChaudhuri, author of