Search/Recent Changes
DBTropes
...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

Patience and Sarah

 Patience and Sarah
type
TVTItem
 Patience and Sarah
label
Patience and Sarah
 Patience and Sarah
page
PatienceAndSarah
 Patience and Sarah
comment
Patience and Sarah (also written as Patience & Sarah) is a 1969 novel by Alma Routsong, published under the pen name Isabel Miller. It was originally self-published under the title A Place For Us, but after finding a publisher it was renamed Patience and Sarah in 1971.Patience and Sarah tells the story of two Connecticut women in 1816 named Patience White and Sarah Dowling. They fall in love, leave their homes together to buy a farm, and live in a "Boston marriage".Patience is a well-to-do young woman who lives with her brother, his wife, and their children after her father's death. Patience is a painter who enjoys painting Biblical scenes. One day, Patience has a conversation with the infamous Sarah Dowling, a local woman who is considered scandalous for her masculine fashion and behavior. Sarah tells Patience that one day she wants to move away and have her own farm. Patience doesn't believe that's possible but decides to fancy Sarah's imagination. Sarah later admits that she's attracted to Patience, and Patience admits the same. This will eventually lead into the two running off together.Patience and Sarah is an influential novel when it comes to Queer Romance. It was written in the late 1960s and is one of the earliest lesbian-themed books to have a happy ending. In 1998, Patience and Sarah was adapted into an opera. It was also adapted into a screenplay titled Greener Pastures in 2008.
 Patience and Sarah
fetched
2024-03-22T16:46:05Z
 Patience and Sarah
parsed
2024-03-22T16:46:05Z
 Patience and Sarah
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Patience and Sarah / int_14c04cad
type
Butch Lesbian
 Patience and Sarah / int_14c04cad
comment
Butch Lesbian: Sarah wears men's clothes and does "men's work" in the strict early 1800s. She has a strong disinterest in marrying a man, but falls in Love at First Sight with Patience.
 Patience and Sarah / int_14c04cad
featureApplicability
1.0
 Patience and Sarah / int_14c04cad
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_14c04cad
 Patience and Sarah / int_1c571556
type
The Tease
 Patience and Sarah / int_1c571556
comment
The Tease: Patience is prone to teasing Sarah to get a rise out of her.
 Patience and Sarah / int_1c571556
featureApplicability
1.0
 Patience and Sarah / int_1c571556
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_1c571556
 Patience and Sarah / int_1f6983f7
type
Ambiguous Situation
 Patience and Sarah / int_1f6983f7
comment
Ambiguous Situation; Rachel tells her sister Sarah that she didn't think their dad would react so badly to hearing about her feelings for Patience. Being sheltered, she thought it was an ordinary thing and wanted her father to confirm it. Not even Sarah is certain whether Rachel is telling the truth or whether she had wanted to see Sarah beaten as retribution for wanting to leave with Patience and not her (or, alternatively. she had just wanted their dad to stop Sarah from leaving).
 Patience and Sarah / int_1f6983f7
featureApplicability
1.0
 Patience and Sarah / int_1f6983f7
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_1f6983f7
 Patience and Sarah / int_34038e86
type
Hates Wearing Dresses
 Patience and Sarah / int_34038e86
comment
Hates Wearing Dresses: Sarah's mother makes her wear one of her dresses one Sunday while visiting Patience. Sarah hates it and finds it cumbersome.
 Patience and Sarah / int_34038e86
featureApplicability
1.0
 Patience and Sarah / int_34038e86
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_34038e86
 Patience and Sarah / int_34e1ef45
type
Unnamed Parent
 Patience and Sarah / int_34e1ef45
comment
Unnamed Parent: Played straight with Sarah's father and Patience's parents. However, Sarah's mother is named Ira Dowling.
 Patience and Sarah / int_34e1ef45
featureApplicability
1.0
 Patience and Sarah / int_34e1ef45
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_34e1ef45
 Patience and Sarah / int_36eea50b
type
Drowning Unwanted Pets
 Patience and Sarah / int_36eea50b
comment
Drowning Unwanted Pets: As a part of the Deliberate Values Dissonance, Sarah offhandedly mentions that her father has drowned kittens.
 Patience and Sarah / int_36eea50b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Patience and Sarah / int_36eea50b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_36eea50b
 Patience and Sarah / int_3b581a6
type
Forced Out of the Closet
 Patience and Sarah / int_3b581a6
comment
Forced Out of the Closet: When Sarah tells her sister Rachel that Patience is her "mate", Rachel tells their parents. It was either done maliciously or accidentally depending on how you interpret it.
 Patience and Sarah / int_3b581a6
featureApplicability
1.0
 Patience and Sarah / int_3b581a6
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_3b581a6
 Patience and Sarah / int_45ed7d35
type
Homophobic Hate Crime
 Patience and Sarah / int_45ed7d35
comment
Homophobic Hate Crime: Sarah's father beats her up for several days in a row in an attempt at stopping her from seeing Patience anymore. It doesn't work. Eventually, he decides to ignore their relationship and pretend that they're just friends.
 Patience and Sarah / int_45ed7d35
featureApplicability
1.0
 Patience and Sarah / int_45ed7d35
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_45ed7d35
 Patience and Sarah / int_466ccbb4
type
Gayngst
 Patience and Sarah / int_466ccbb4
comment
Gayngst: Subverted. Despite the 1816 setting, neither Patience or Sarah are ashamed of their attraction for one another. It's others' reactions to their relationship that worries them. Later in the book it's revealed that Patience doesn't even know that the Bible has verses that are often read as homophobic. Even after learning this, she still doesn't angst about herself.
 Patience and Sarah / int_466ccbb4
featureApplicability
-0.3
 Patience and Sarah / int_466ccbb4
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_466ccbb4
 Patience and Sarah / int_48b9731f
type
Paper-Thin Disguise
 Patience and Sarah / int_48b9731f
comment
Paper-Thin Disguise: Subverted. Sarah tries to pretend to be a man. It only works to a degree. Everyone sees her soft, hairless face and high-pitched voice and assumes she's fourteen at oldest. This leads to multiple people trying to get her arrested because they think she's a runaway apprentice.
 Patience and Sarah / int_48b9731f
featureApplicability
-0.3
 Patience and Sarah / int_48b9731f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_48b9731f
 Patience and Sarah / int_5a365ed2
type
Incompatible Orientation
 Patience and Sarah / int_5a365ed2
comment
Incompatible Orientation: It's implied that Patience has been in love with her sister-in-law Martha since they met, however Martha is (probably) straight and fell for her brother instead. Parson tries coming onto Sarah but she doesn't like men and is only interested in him platonically.
 Patience and Sarah / int_5a365ed2
featureApplicability
1.0
 Patience and Sarah / int_5a365ed2
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_5a365ed2
 Patience and Sarah / int_707193f6
type
Aloof Big Brother
 Patience and Sarah / int_707193f6
comment
Aloof Big Brother: Patience's brother Edward has always been a distant and strict brother, but she does believe he loves her.
 Patience and Sarah / int_707193f6
featureApplicability
1.0
 Patience and Sarah / int_707193f6
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_707193f6
 Patience and Sarah / int_7b7182fe
type
Closet Key
 Patience and Sarah / int_7b7182fe
comment
Closet Key: Patience to Sarah. Her only romantic interaction prior to meeting Patience was when a traveling boy kissed her. She didn't like the kiss but it never clicked why she didn't until she fell for Patience.
 Patience and Sarah / int_7b7182fe
featureApplicability
1.0
 Patience and Sarah / int_7b7182fe
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_7b7182fe
 Patience and Sarah / int_822ff0d7
type
Relative Error
 Patience and Sarah / int_822ff0d7
comment
Relative Error: When Sarah mentions a "Rachel" wanting to go to York state with her, Patience gets defensive and questions her on who this is. Rachel is Sarah's younger sister.
 Patience and Sarah / int_822ff0d7
featureApplicability
1.0
 Patience and Sarah / int_822ff0d7
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_822ff0d7
 Patience and Sarah / int_83109d67
type
Sweet on Polly Oliver
 Patience and Sarah / int_83109d67
comment
Sweet on Polly Oliver: Sarah's travelling buddy Parson admits that he's attracted to "Sam". Unfortunately for him, Sarah isn't into men. This ends in Sarah revealing her sex. Subverted in that Parson really did love Sarah as a man, not because he subconsciously knew she was female.
 Patience and Sarah / int_83109d67
featureApplicability
-0.3
 Patience and Sarah / int_83109d67
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_83109d67
 Patience and Sarah / int_85df362c
type
Fire Is Red
 Patience and Sarah / int_85df362c
comment
Fire Is Red: Discussed and subverted. While painting, Patience notices that fire is not purely red. It's yellow, orange, blue, and a variety of other colors depending on its intensity. Martha refuses to acknowledge that fires aren't red.
 Patience and Sarah / int_85df362c
featureApplicability
-0.3
 Patience and Sarah / int_85df362c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_85df362c
 Patience and Sarah / int_944a85ea
type
Raised as the Opposite Gender
 Patience and Sarah / int_944a85ea
comment
Raised as the Opposite Gender: Since age nine, Sarah's been raised as if she was a boy. Her dad only had daughters and wanted a surrogate son, so he decided to raise his tallest daughter like a son. Sarah even often refers to herself as a boy.
 Patience and Sarah / int_944a85ea
featureApplicability
1.0
 Patience and Sarah / int_944a85ea
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_944a85ea
 Patience and Sarah / int_9ce377f1
type
Cure Your Gays
 Patience and Sarah / int_9ce377f1
comment
Cure Your Gays: Subverted. Patience's brother Edward asks if she's tried to pray for her feelings to go away, but Patience notes she doesn't want to be "freed" of her feelings for Sarah. She's instead prayed to be "fulfilled in it".
 Patience and Sarah / int_9ce377f1
featureApplicability
-0.3
 Patience and Sarah / int_9ce377f1
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_9ce377f1
 Patience and Sarah / int_a09f3a65
type
Sibling Triangle
 Patience and Sarah / int_a09f3a65
comment
Sibling Triangle: It's suggested that Patience was in love with her sister-in-law Martha from the start. The two became friends prior to Martha meeting Patience's brother Edward and falling for him. Patience is bitter that Martha "chose" Edward over her, but she's since moved onto a more requited relationship with Sarah.
 Patience and Sarah / int_a09f3a65
featureApplicability
1.0
 Patience and Sarah / int_a09f3a65
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_a09f3a65
 Patience and Sarah / int_a2b5f77d
type
Awkwardly Gay Dream
 Patience and Sarah / int_a2b5f77d
comment
Awkwardly Gay Dream: After meeting Sarah, Patience has a dream where her sister-in-law Martha is topless. In the dream, Patience places her mouth on Martha's bosom, which Martha encourages. It's implied that Patience has unknowingly been harboring feelings for Martha for several years.
 Patience and Sarah / int_a2b5f77d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Patience and Sarah / int_a2b5f77d
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_a2b5f77d
 Patience and Sarah / int_a8217606
type
Sweet Polly Oliver
 Patience and Sarah / int_a8217606
comment
Sweet Polly Oliver: Sarah had always planned on going to York state disguised as a man. After being beaten up by her dad, Sarah runs away. She cuts off her hair and begins passing as "Sam".
 Patience and Sarah / int_a8217606
featureApplicability
1.0
 Patience and Sarah / int_a8217606
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_a8217606
 Patience and Sarah / int_aabe2fb
type
Deliberate Values Dissonance
 Patience and Sarah / int_aabe2fb
comment
Deliberate Values Dissonance: The story is set in 1810s Connecticut and it shows. The characters don't agree with it but slavery is depicted (though the main black character is explicitly a worker and not a slave), women are expected to be either timid home-makers or teachers if they "selfishly" refuse to marry, and Domestic Abuse is ignored.
 Patience and Sarah / int_aabe2fb
featureApplicability
1.0
 Patience and Sarah / int_aabe2fb
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_aabe2fb
 Patience and Sarah / int_b11ac9f5
type
Abusive Parents
 Patience and Sarah / int_b11ac9f5
comment
Abusive Parents: Sarah's parents are usually loving and laidback, however upon finding out that Sarah is in love with Patience, Sarah's father beats her up and then drags her to Patience's home to find out the nature of their relationship. For several day in a row, whenever Sarah tries visit Patience afterwards, her father would try to beat her into submitting to his will (though he doesn't consider them serious beatings because they "only" result in bruising). It doesn't work. Sarah doesn't look down upon her father for his behavior but it does tarnish their formerly pleasant bond.
 Patience and Sarah / int_b11ac9f5
featureApplicability
1.0
 Patience and Sarah / int_b11ac9f5
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_b11ac9f5
 Patience and Sarah / int_bd0230fb
type
Ambiguously Bi
 Patience and Sarah / int_bd0230fb
comment
It's implied that Patience has been in love with her sister-in-law Martha since they met, however Martha is (probably) straight and fell for her brother instead.
 Patience and Sarah / int_bd0230fb
featureApplicability
1.0
 Patience and Sarah / int_bd0230fb
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_bd0230fb
 Patience and Sarah / int_bdc453a0
type
Incest Subtext
 Patience and Sarah / int_bdc453a0
comment
Incest Subtext: Sarah's sister, who she shares a bed with and sometimes kisses, is very jealous of Sarah's lover Patience, and it's implied that her feelings for Sarah are similar to Sarah's feelings for Patience. Patience's sister-in-law Martha is less horrified to find Patience in bed with another woman and more horrified that the woman — who Patience was sleeping with — isn't a member of Patience's family.
 Patience and Sarah / int_bdc453a0
featureApplicability
1.0
 Patience and Sarah / int_bdc453a0
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_bdc453a0
 Patience and Sarah / int_c3286b8e
type
Uptown Girl
 Patience and Sarah / int_c3286b8e
comment
Uptown Girl: Sarah's dad disapproves of her friendship with the wealthier Patience. He likes it even less upon learning that it's not platonic.
 Patience and Sarah / int_c3286b8e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Patience and Sarah / int_c3286b8e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_c3286b8e
 Patience and Sarah / int_d7b34c31
type
Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep"
 Patience and Sarah / int_d7b34c31
comment
Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Daniel Peel is better known as "Parson Piel" or, as Sarah calls him, just "Parson".
 Patience and Sarah / int_d7b34c31
featureApplicability
1.0
 Patience and Sarah / int_d7b34c31
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_d7b34c31
 Patience and Sarah / int_e0140e6c
type
From the Mouths of Babes
 Patience and Sarah / int_e0140e6c
comment
From the Mouths of Babes: Patience mentions that at age four she tried to teach her brother about how moving a certain way felt pleasurable. His shocked reaction taught her that some things shouldn't be discussed.
 Patience and Sarah / int_e0140e6c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Patience and Sarah / int_e0140e6c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_e0140e6c
 Patience and Sarah / int_e4b69188
type
Very Loosely Based on a True Story
 Patience and Sarah / int_e4b69188
comment
Very Loosely Based on a True Story: The novel is based on a painter named Mary Ann Willson who lived with her companion Brundage in the early 19th century.
 Patience and Sarah / int_e4b69188
featureApplicability
1.0
 Patience and Sarah / int_e4b69188
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_e4b69188
 Patience and Sarah / int_e90f8e37
type
Lady Looks Like a Dude
 Patience and Sarah / int_e90f8e37
comment
Lady Looks Like a Dude: Sarah looks like a boy at first glance and can pass for male when she cuts her hair short (albeit as a barely pubescent boy).
 Patience and Sarah / int_e90f8e37
featureApplicability
1.0
 Patience and Sarah / int_e90f8e37
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_e90f8e37
 Patience and Sarah / int_f64a9cf7
type
Earn Your Happy Ending
 Patience and Sarah / int_f64a9cf7
comment
Earn Your Happy Ending: Patience and Sarah go through a lot but they eventually settle down on a farm together.
 Patience and Sarah / int_f64a9cf7
featureApplicability
1.0
 Patience and Sarah / int_f64a9cf7
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_f64a9cf7
 Patience and Sarah / int_fb56b948
type
My Sister Is Off-Limits
 Patience and Sarah / int_fb56b948
comment
My Sister Is Off-Limits: Sarah's teenage sister Rachel has a relationship bordering on Big Sister Attraction. She hates Patience's close relationship with Sarah and hates sharing Sarah with Patience.
 Patience and Sarah / int_fb56b948
featureApplicability
1.0
 Patience and Sarah / int_fb56b948
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_fb56b948
 Patience and Sarah / int_name
type
ItemName
 Patience and Sarah / int_name
comment
 Patience and Sarah / int_name
featureApplicability
1.0
 Patience and Sarah / int_name
featureConfidence
1.0
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Patience and Sarah / int_name
 Patience and Sarah / int_name
itemName
Patience and Sarah

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
A Family Affair / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Adopt-a-Servant / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Aloof Big Brother / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Awkwardly Gay Dream / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Butch Lesbian / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Cure Your Gays / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Defiled Forever / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Determined Homesteader / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Determined Homesteader's Wife / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Eternal Sexual Freedom / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Hates Wearing Dresses / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Homoerotic Dream / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Homophobic Hate Crime / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Incest Subtext / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Masculine–Feminine Gay Couple / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Metaphorical Marriage / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Mistaken Age / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
My Sister Is Off-Limits / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Name and Name / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Not a Morning Person / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Old Maid / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Queer Romance / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Schoolmarm / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Sexual Euphemism / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Sibling Triangle / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Sobriquet Sex Switch / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Sweet on Polly Oliver / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Sweet Polly Oliver / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
The Immodest Orgasm / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Threesome Subtext / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Wanted a Son Instead / int_6bf8f692
 Patience and Sarah
hasFeature
Wouldn't Hurt a Child / int_6bf8f692