Outlander: Rereading Voyager – Are Vocations Predestined or Inherent?

******SPOILER ALERT*****

Happy New Year! During the Christmas break, I was able to read many chapters of Voyager. This week, I would mostly concentrate on one major theme of the series: Predestination. Are characters predestined to be who they are?

First, I recommend reading the following post:

http://www.porcelainthunderbird.com/?p=2519

The topic of predestination is brought up in Chapter 7 when Roger realizes that Fionna does the same job that her grandmother, Mrs. Graham, used to do. It is revealed in a subsequent book that Fionna even learned the rituals associated with the stone circles from her grandmother too. Roger MacKenzie has the characteristics of a scholar, traits that Reverend Wakefield had. Are people predestined to do the same types of jobs? Or is it an accident or a coincidence?

. . . In the old days, when a man’s son usually followed his father’s profession, was that only a matter of convenience – wanting to keep the business in the family – or was there some sort of family predisposition for some kinds of work? Were some people actually born to be smiths, or merchants, or cooks – born to an inclination and an aptitude, as well as to the opportunity?

When talking to Claire about these affinities that seem to persevere through many generations, Roger realizes that he became a historian because he grew up with one and that he has been doing research his whole life. In regards to Claire, she realized at a certain point in her life that she has always been a doctor, even before earning her degree. It seems that Frank played a role on that. Of note is the fact that Master Raymond, Claire’s ancestor, is also a “doctor.” Most of his descendants are healers, with a few exceptions. One wonders whether there are some inheritance factors involved as opposed to predestination. Claire also remembers that it was not easy for her since Frank did not agree with her choice of going to medical school. He found Claire’s vocation inconvenient to him and Brianna (ch. 7). Frank realized that there was no way to stop his wife from becoming a doctor. After the incident in which Brianna is hit by a car, Frank relates to Claire the reasons why she should not resign to her career:

. . .”You’ve known forever who you are. Do you realize at all how unusual it is to know that?

This passage is significant because it demonstrates how different Claire is from others (white color symbolism). Franks acknowledges that Claire has always been a doctor. Of course, he is not happy about it, but he does not restrict his wife from pursuing a career. He also acknowledges that even though he is a great historian, he could be good doing other stuff too. However, he has never found out what he is supposed to be in life as Claire.

As a historian, Frank also acknowledges that there is a dilemma regarding the innate abilities or predestined roles of people:

. . . “Are some people destined for a great fate, or to do great things? Or is it only that they’re born somehow with that great passion – and if they find themselves in the right circumstances, then things happen? It’s the sort of thing you wonder, studying history . . . but there’s no way of telling, really. All we know is what they accomplished

Based on the author’s revelations that Raymond recognizes his descendants based on the blue light about them, I tend to think that Claire was born with an innate vocation to heal others. Of course, not all of his descendants are healers. Some exceptions are Geillis and St. Germain. Her selfless passion for helping and healing others and her twentieth-century medical knowledge were handy when she first went into the past. It might not have been the “right circumstance” for her, but it was for Jamie when they first met. He needed her since he was injured.

Of course, Frank does not have an innate ability like Claire, but Jamie does, a topic that will be discussed in my next post. Thanks for reading!

Note: All passages are from chapter 7.

Sources:

Gabaldon, Diana. Voyager. 1994. New York: Bantam Dell. 2002. Print.

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