An Echo in the Bone

How does Gabaldon participate in offensive and stereotypical portrayals of Indigenous Americans? How does her participation in these racist tropes influence your understanding of her characters? Does Gabaldon ever resist stereotypes through her Indigenous characters?

An Echo in the Bone includes many letters written between characters, both across centuries and within their own time periods. What effect do the letters have, in contrast to the traditional narration of story events? What might be lost if Gabaldon did not include them?

As couples, both Bree and Roger and Ian and Rachel struggle to reconcile their different religious faiths. How does Gabaldon portray religious forces, both from the characters’ perspectives and objectively?

Gabaldon makes frequent use of dramatic irony. Identify at least three instances and analyze how dramatic irony supports the novel’s themes.

Gabaldon is committed to historical accuracy. What is an instance in the novel, which draws upon elements of historical fiction, that is enhanced by historical accuracy? Are there any instances where Gabaldon might have changed history in service to the story?

Examine the ways in which William and Ian are foils to one another. How does their age difference complicate this relationship?

How does Gabaldon both participate in and subvert traditional gender roles? How does she portray masculinity and femininity as changing over time?

How does the novel portray violence? Is violence ever justified? How do attitudes toward violence differ between the 18th-century and 20th-century characters?