Written in My Own Heart's Blood

The section title Search and Rescue references the two subplots: Jamie and William’s search and attempted rescue of Jane, and the Grey brother’s search and rescue of Amaranthus. Gabaldon opens this section with an epistolary chapter, during which the Fraser family, Hal, John, and indirectly William, receive letters that direct them towards Savannah. Letters on the whole play an important part in the novel; Claire, Jamie, and Roger send letters to the future, and Frank Randall leaves a posthumous letter for his daughter. Marsali and Fergus are threatened in anonymous letters in Philadelphia, and Hal learns of the existence of Ben’s wife and son through a letter. The most striking example of letter writing occurs when Jamie scrawls his resignation on the back of a messenger in Claire’s blood. In the 18th century, letters were a common form of communication, but the epistolary mode here transcends not only distance but time, paving a way for characters to communicate across centuries and thus drive the plot forward. Additionally, the mystery of who is writing the letters creates tension in the narrative in the cases of Marsali and Hal.

Marsali and Jane face Cornelian dilemmas in this section and must make sacrifices to protect those they love. At ten years old, Jane was forced to submit sexually to men to protect Fanny. She kills Captain Harkness to protect Fanny as well. Facing a public hanging, Jane knows that seeing her die will irretrievably harm Fanny. Her choice to face damnation by taking her own life is an act that Fanny is sure to view as a betrayal, but Jane decides to protect Fanny from viewing her death. Marsali must also make a decision that will harm Germain either way—if she keeps her son with her in Charleston, the Rebels will conscript him. However, Germain blames himself for Henri’s death, and sending him to the Ridge will appear to him as if Marsali blames him as well. Marsali sends Germain away knowing that he will misinterpret it because doing so might save his life. It is noteworthy that both Jane and Marsali are forced into these choices by the ill behavior of men in charge; it is grimly ironic that men who kill for a living feel justified in executing Jane for protecting her sister and that Marsali must protect her son from the very men who fight for freedom from oppression.

Gabaldon explores the moral ambiguity that can accompany practicing medicine when Claire faces an ethical dilemma. Sophornia’s medical predicament is disturbing in many ways: the master of the house raped her when she was only twelve years old. She is too young to bear a child, and the delivery ripped fistulas in both her urethra and rectum. Claire defines fistulas as “a passage between two things that ought never to be joined,” a poignant metaphor for the rape (987). However, Sophornia grieves for her stillborn baby and for the father, whom she says, “was sad [...] when the baby died” (988); her feelings for the father appear to be a psychological crutch to protect her from the reality of her rape. Claire debates whether to perform a medical procedure that would make it impossible for Sophornia to conceive because if she is raped again, another delivery could kill her. However, Claire’s idea also denies Sophornia’s autonomy. When Mrs. Bradshaw hesitates to grant permission, Claire is brutal, reminding her that her husband didn’t hesitate to rape a twelve-year-old. This emotional blackmail is thwarted by Rachel, whose remonstrances result in Mrs. Bradshaw’s refusal. In Claire’s dilemma, Gabaldon revisits the image of the surgeon as a killer; Claire’s belief that a surgeon’s intent is benign but their actions must be ruthless to be effective is demonstrated when she offers to sterilize an unconscious patient without consent. Through Claire, Gabaldon explores how good intentions carry with them the danger of hubris. Like Roger’s feeling that he should lie to protect the feelings of his flock, Claire believes herself justified in taking away a girl’s choice to bear children because of the future complications those children will engender.

Rachel Hunter continues to be a moral compass for the characters; in addition to stopping Claire before she can sterilize Sophronia, she counsels Ian and helps him to defer committing violence, points out the malignancy of Fergus and Mr. Sorrells quarrel during Henri-Christian’s wake, and soothes William’s doubts about his self-worth. Rachel is stalwart in her faith; her brother Denzell may worry about maintaining his non-violent stance if Dottie becomes threatened, but Rachel, who practices rigorous tolerance towards others, never compromises her own principles. Gabaldon uses Rachel’s character to illuminate the fallacies that other characters embrace to justify their behavior; under Rachel’s guidance, characters recognize their own failings, which creates the opportunity for them to evolve.

Through the dynamic between Jamie and William, Gabaldon examines the limitations of forgiveness. Both men feel guilty about their roles in the deaths of Geneva and Jane: Jamie because Geneva dies in childbirth, and William because after promising protection to Jane, he left her in the care of a safe house that she was ill-suited for. Both men are unable to exonerate themselves because the object of their guilt has died; instead, Jamie does daily penance for his role in Geneva’s death. William, however, has not yet reached a point of maturity where he can untangle his emotions towards Jane; his answer is to continue to punish himself by leaving both the Greys and the Frasers and continue to seek vengeance against Richardson alone.