Narrative Time and Language: A Structuralist Analysis of Outlander

Abstract

Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander (1991) combines elements of historical fiction with the fantasy genre in time travel, producing a rich narrative that engages issues of identity, gender, history, and power. This research paper analyzes the novel from the standpoint of structuralism, particularly the relationship between narrative time and language. The structuralist frame narrows in on the underlying system of meaning that Gabaldon employs, illuminating new aspects of how she constructs her narrative. The paper examines the novel's double temporality, as Claire Randall walks on both the 20th and the 18th -century sides through the lens of Ferdinand de Saussure's theories of language and Claude Lévi-Strauss's structuralism. This study also investigates the dichotomy between modernity and tradition, power and submission, and their roles in shaping Claire's identity and social life. Citations of historical texts and narrative elements signal to the reader that time and language are significant not as narrative devices in Gabaldon's novels but as vehicles through which the tensions of historical memory, personal agency, and social power are fashioned and explored.  By examining these components, this paper illuminates how Outlander creates meaning by manipulating narrative time and language, thus revealing the complex systems of historical fiction and time travel narratives.