The Outlander By Gil Adamson Analysis

The Outlander, a novel, was written by Gil Adamson, which originally published in Canada in 2007 by House of Anansi Press and won the Hammett Prize in the same year. Gil Adamson was a famous Canadian poet who was born in Jan. 1st and was the winner of the Books in Canada First Novel Award (2008) for her novel The Outlander (2007). Moreover, her second series of poem Ashland was published in 2003, after her debut work- a volume of poetry called Primitive (1991). On the other side, more than 3 books were produced during those years and her products were also mentioned in the anthology Surreal Estate: 13 Canadian Poets Under the Influence. She is currently living with another poet called Kevin Connolly in Toronto. (Author Profile: Kevin Connolly

After she killed her husband, she escaped for several months in western Canadian wilderness because the antagonists who are her husband’s twin brothers is seeking her for revenge. In addition, she is in agony because she lost her baby one week after giving birth to him. For instance, the novel describes her as “widowed by her own hands”(The Outlander—a novel (2007), Gil Adamson, chapter 12, p.4), which means Mary causes her husband’s death. The stories are interwove and are divided into three topics which are “Now goes to the sun”, “Fireflies in the dark”, and “World without end”. Our protagonist improves her characteristics in every single chapter. Most importantly, she wins love from readers. According to the comment from Wendy (Dec.27th, 2007), a writer, Mary is “an unlikely character to evoke sympathy at first, but one who the reader grows to love.”(Wendy (Dec.27th, 2007), The Outlander – Book Review, paragraph 2). In other words, while other narrators are trying to let audience feel pity and sympathy to protagonists, Gil Adamson is trying to make Mary as strong as she can to earn popularity with her

To be specific, she is fighting against herself, as well as the guilt and illusion in her mind. Fortunately, she still gets something that cures herself and makes her feel comfortable. It is a unique Bible, which has lots of sketches and symbols that could only be read by her. In fact, it is also the clue of the story and the trigger that started the first story that a “bird lady” shows up and helps Mary after they meet each in a church. In Bird Lady’s home, it is the first time Mary feels relaxed and safe. Mary naively thinks she could live there as forever. Unfortunately, she finally gains a foretaste of danger by receiving a warning, so she starts running before the twins come. At the same time, she gets a mare from the bird lady, and the mare also the object that triggered the third story.
The second story happens round one month after she leaves; she meets one of the most critical characters in the novel, the Ridgerunner, William Moreland. His appearance at last develops suspense. Additionally, William tells Mary that he had already escaped for almost 13 years, and it seems he suffered much more pain than Mary. During the time they spends together, William teaches Mary lots of things such as how to use a rifle, to survive in the wilderness. They spend a happy time in the story, though it is