Exploring Claire’s Journey in ‘Outlander’: Understanding Her Purpose in ‘What Was I Made For’
As I was piecing together my post on the episode ‘Rent’ vs the corresponding Outlander chapters I couldn’t help but draw parallels between Claire’s journey and the lyrics of “What Was I Made For” by Billie Elish. Both illustrate a compelling narrative about searching for purpose and belonging in a world where one feels out of place.
Highlighting Claire’s journey in this episode felt especially poignant for today because it is Claire’s birthday. Happy birthday to our fictional heroine!
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What was Claire Made for in ‘Rent’
Like the song’s protagonist, Claire is a spirit ‘falling’ through the unfamiliar, her purpose blurred amidst the roughness of the Highlands and the alienation accentuated by a language barrier.
I used to float, now I just fall down; I used to know but I’m not sure now
What Was I Made For by Billie Elish
These lines resonate with her struggle, wandering between the threads of time, grasping for meaning.
But it’s within the raw fibers of her experience, while ‘working the wool’ with village women or standing her ground against injustice, that she starts weaving her destiny. The ‘drive’ and ‘ideal’ in her character begin to overshadow her initial sense of artificial existence in the past.
Looked so alive, turns out I’m not real
WHAT WAS I MADE FOR BY BILLIE ELISH
She’s no longer just the idea of a woman out of time but a force brimming with life and determination.
Her epiphany comes shrouded in the harsh truth of impending doom she cannot alter, understanding what she, indeed, was made for in this era. It’s not just about surviving but preserving dignity, honor, and truth, even when the future holds a shadowed loss. She shares knowledge of the fated Jacobite downfall, a heavy truth that Ned replies with, “You talk as though the future is already decided.” Yet, it’s a future she’s intricately part of now.
As the clansmen brawl to defend her honor, a subtle shift solidifies. They’ve accepted her – their “Sassenach” – and maybe she’s begun to accept her role among them too. It’s a hint of the ‘something’ she’s made for, a purpose she’s still unraveling.
Something I’m not, but something I can be. Something I wait for. Something I’m made for.
WHAT WAS I MADE FOR BY BILLIE ELISH
In laughter and camaraderie, Claire finds the echo of her strength and belonging. She’s not floating anymore; she’s falling into a rhythm with those around her. Her journey, like the song, is about embracing the fall, bracing for impact, and finding her feet again – because “someday, I might.”
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