History Literature / Fingersmith

* NewQueerCinema: The miniseries adaptation qualifies-- neither protagonist seems to experience {{gayngst}}, for one.

* IncompatibleOrientation: "Mr and Mrs Rivers", i.e. Gentleman and Maud. [[spoiler:As both are homosexual, their "wedding night" consisted of Gentleman cutting his hand to put blood on the sheets, then sleeping in a chair because he didn't trust Maud not to strangle him in his sleep.]]

* BritainIsOnlyLondon: Averted--Sue has never been outside London, and must travel to Briar House to work for Maud, which is located in the countryside. However, she never stops longing to return to London.

* LgbtqFanbase: Not surprising--Sarah Waters writes almost exclusively WLW period fiction, so her fans know what she's about.

* NewQueerCinema: The miniseries adaptation qualifies-- neither protagonist seems to experience{{gayngst}}, for one.

* Forgiveness: [[spoiler: Maud and Sue, after realizing they both intended to have the other one committed to an asylum on false pretenses.]]

* EvilPlan: It all starts with conmen trying to swindle an heiress....

* SmugSnake: Gentleman.

* [[spoiler: EarnYourHappyEnding]]

* [[spoiler: FakeMark: Maud]]

* GirlsLove: Sue and Maud. Yes, they go all the way [[spoiler: and survive]].

* HoldingHands: Maud and Sue, who often hold hands when out for walks on the grounds.

%%* DoubleEntendre: The title.
%%* TheDungAges: London.
%%* [[spoiler: EarnYourHappyEnding]]
%%* EvilPlan: It all starts with conmen trying to swindle an heiress....
%%* [[spoiler: FakeMark: Maud]]

%%* GirlsLove: Sue and Maud. Yes, they go all the way [[spoiler:...and survive]].

* WhamLine: [[spoiler:That bitch knew everything. She was in it from the start.]]
** [[spoiler:My own dear girl.]]

* AmbiguousDisorder: Maud, in the book. She enjoys hurting her servants, physically and emotionally, she has moments of what seems to be depersonalization, and also displays ''some'' symptoms of OCD. She's originally afraid it's [[InTheBlood her mother's madness]], but it's actually likely this is how [[ConditionedToAcceptHorror her circumstances shaped her]]. Also the drops, of course.
* AntiVillain: [[spoiler: Mrs. Sucksby]] is remarkably sympathetic for someone who [[spoiler: condemned her adoptive daughter to a FateWorseThanDeath in order to get her biological daughter back, as well as a whole lot of money]]. It helps that she seems to feel regretful almost immediately, and that [[spoiler: she takes the blame for the murder of Gentleman]].

* BreakTheHaughty: Mr Lilly and his staff do this to Maud, when she first comes to Briar.
* BrokenBird: Maud... oh so much. Sue as well.
* BrokenPedestal: Both Sue and Maud have this done to them numerous times.
* DefectingForLove: Sue and Maud both consider it while The Plan is moving along[[spoiler:, but decide against it]].

* KickTheDog: Despite being a story chalk-full of morally-grey people, most of them only do what they do for a reason, which generally involves profit. Gentleman, however, takes pleasure in small acts of pointless cruelty. [[spoiler:[[HoistByHisOwnPetard It even gets him killed]], as he died in a scuffle that began when Maud tried to get him to stop telling Sue the truth.]]

* ManipulativeBastard: [[spoiler:Mrs. Sucksby]]. Also, Gentleman, who understands other people very well and uses the insights against them.

* UnwittingPawn: Subverted with Maud and Sue.

For character-specific tropes, see ''Characters/Fingersmith''.

For character-specific tropes, see Characters/Fingersmith .

For character-specific tropes, see Characters/Fingersmith.

* HomeSweetHome: [[spoiler: Maud and Sue, ]] after everything.

* BedlamHouse: [[spoiler:Sue]] ends up here and [[spoiler:Maud was raised here.]] The former is a particularly cruel place, where the sadistic nurses abuse the patients, and the head doctor tries to cure them by making them drink creosote or putting leeches on them.

* GoAmongMadPeople: [[spoiler:Sue is committed to an insane asylum, where the doctors believe that she's Maud Lilly, who went insane and ''thinks'' she's Sue. The more she tries to convince them that she really is Sue, the stronger they think her delusion is. After being abused by the nurses, Sue nearly becomes catatonic, and starts to believe that she is actually Maud; Charles's visit snaps her out of it.]]