One of Eilis’s fellow residents in Mrs. Kehoe’s house, Patty is from upstate New York and, like Eilis, works in a department store in Brooklyn. Along with Diana, she is what Eilis thinks of as “man-mad,” which greatly irritates Miss McAdam, Sheila Heffernan, and Mrs. Kehoe. When Eilis first moves in, Patty and Diana make an effort to befriend her, but Eilis chooses not to go out with them and their friends. However, she later regrets this decision when she finds herself stuck with Miss McAdam and Sheila Heffernan instead, though Patty continues to make an effort to introduce her to her friends.
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Patty Character Timeline in Brooklyn
The timeline below shows where the character Patty appears in Brooklyn. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part Two
...older, works as a secretary, is uninterested in fashion, and is from Belfast. Another girl, Patty, lives on the floor above Eilis. She was born in upstate New York and, like...
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On her first two weekends in Brooklyn, Patty and Diana invite Eilis to go out with them, but she refuses because she hasn’t...
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...to avoid the other women in the kitchen, since she’s already tired of Diana and Patty giving her advice about living in America. As she walks to work, she thinks about...
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Part Three
...at the church, saying that it will be open to everyone. This excites Diana and Patty, but Mrs. Kehoe worries that too many Italian men will start attending the dances. On...
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At first, the church is empty, but Patty and Diana soon arrive with their friends and the music begins to pick up. When...
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...that Miss McAdam and Sheila Heffernan aren’t speaking to her. She wishes she could ask Patty and Diana if she could go to the dance with them, but they don’t invite...
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...she’d like to meet an American man. At one point, Eilis makes eye contact with Patty, who waves her over. Responding to this, she walks over to Patty and Diana’s group,...
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As Eilis learns new dance steps with Patty’s group of friends, she realizes that another young man is watching her. When she looks...
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...and Eilis tells the rest of the women that Tony is Italian, trying to sooth Patty and Diana’s discomfort with the fact that none of their friends have heard of him....
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...having sex, since she doesn’t speak when Eilis enters the kitchen. After Mrs. Kehoe leaves, Patty wonders why she’s in a bad mood, and Diana mischievously says that she thinks she...
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