Women love Outlander because of its portrayal of traditional masculinity
Nicole Russell
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The first episode of Outlander Season Seven will air Thursday night on the Starz channel, with subsequent episodes released every Thursday until the season is complete. This will be the second to last season for the book series-turned-streaming phenomenon. (This article contains spoilers from previous seasons.)
The adventurous, at times dark, tale of two people who love each other through joy and pain in the 1700s, and its enormous popularity with middle-aged women now, could just as well be a commentary on feminism and masculinity today.
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The Outlander series is based on Diana Gabaldon’s books released in the 1990s and centers on Claire, a British Army nurse in World War II. While on her honeymoon in Scotland with her husband Frank Randall, a historian, she’s transported back to 1743. To stave off threats from the British, who rule Scotland, Claire marries Jamie Fraser (while still married to Frank in another timeline). Jamie is a clever, handsome Scottish warrior with a reputation for defying the tyrannical Brits. Claire is caught between two worlds and two men. The series explores this dichotomy and touches on everything from feminism and racism to the effects of trauma and tyranny.
The main character of the books is supposed to be Claire. She’s complex: fiery yet calm under pressure, educated yet humble. During 20 years away from Jamie in modern times, she becomes a reputable surgeon, a rarity in the 1950s and ’60s. Add her marriage to Frank and a daughter (who is actually Jamie’s), and she’s everything a modern woman would want to be. Yet during the time that she’s apart from Jamie, she cannot forget him. Eventually, after Frank dies, her love for Jamie is so compelling that she gives up life in the modern world and a promising career to try and find Jamie again in the late 1700s.
It’s easy to see why: Jamie Fraser is really why millennial and Generation X women adore this show. Jamie embodies traditional masculinity: He’s playful yet purposeful about his life. He’s a provider, protector, and defender of both Scotland and, after their wedding, Claire.
“You have my name and my family, my clan, and if necessary, the protection of my body as well,” Jamie famously told Claire on their wedding night. It’s as if this vow stripped the feminism out of Claire’s body right at that moment. This, combined with his tenderness for Claire, is, of course, appealing. (It’s almost as if the character of Jamie were written by a woman.) Many women long for a man comfortable with his masculinity, even if they identify as feminists.
Jamie recognizes Claire is modern and educated and does have a strong mind of her own. After a brief lesson in which Claire teaches him about the problems with a patriarchal mindset in marriage, he begins to respect her, admire her, and let her apply her medical skills to help people in the 18th century.
The plot of the last several seasons shows Claire and Jamie as they encounter every conceivable obstacle and trial a couple can. Still, their love perseveres. Although the moments of white-hot passion may lessen a bit, their love has grown, matured, and aged well. At the same time, America is growing, too. Season Seven promises to land in the middle of the American Revolution, with one of Scotland’s formidable warriors choosing to fight on the side of independence. We’ll soon find out if liberty is worth dying for and just how much Jamie and Claire can endure.
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Nicole Russell is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. She is a journalist in Washington, D.C., who previously worked in Republican politics in Minnesota. She is an opinion columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.