ࡱ> ;=:%` bjbjNN .(,, """""""6~ ~ ~ 8  6 % (       $$$$$$$$%h>($"  $""  $sss" " $s$ss""s *~ Rs$$0 %s))s)"s, ^s LH    $$!R   %666 d666 666"""""" The Book of Irish Writers Chapter 20, Maria Edgeworth, 1768-1849 Today bookshops are full of historical family sagas. All can trace their origins back to one short novel, published in 1801, by the Anglo-Irish writer Maria Edgeworth - Castle Rackrent. Maria is yet another writer who can be thought of as a starting point for Irish literature. She was born in England, in 1768, into an Irish land owning family. Her early life was affected by the death of her mother when she was five, and her fathers re-marriage: Maria would in fact have three stepmothers, the last of whom was a year younger than her! Though initially neglectful, her father, Richard Lovell Edgeworth, was a powerful influence. He was associated with the Lunar Society, a group interested in the practical application of scientific developments it included inventors and industrialists like James Watt and Josiah Wedgewood. Richards other major interest was education. In 1782, when the family returned to Edgeworthstown (their estate in Co. Longford) Maria now 14 - began to benefit from her fathers companionship and intellectual interests. Richard Edgeworth started to educate his daughter almost as an experiment! Richard was a liberal, reforming landlord he reclaimed bogs and improved roads and campaigned for Catholic Emancipation. Maria helped him with the management of the estate - as well as becoming involved in his work on education. From this point on father and daughter were a partnership in which, while Richard was often dominant, Maria was the more accomplished. Marias early writing developed from the educational interests she shared with her father; it included improving moral stories for children (at first for her many bothers and sisters). Her Letters for Literary Ladies argued for the education of women. Marias writing would remain entwined with her domineering father for much of her life; but, in her early thirties, she seems to have had a moment of rebellion when it came to her first novel and her most significant work  HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Rackrent" \o "Castle Rackrent" Castle Rackrent which she wrote largely without his knowledge! Castle Rackrent is one of the most important novels in Irish literature. Its an historical novel, set before 1782, and was written at the height of the United Irishmens activities. During this time the Anglo-Irish Edgeworths had had to leave their estate and take safe refuge in Longford town, despite having tried to steer a middle course through the sectarianism of 1790s politics. The novel was published in 1800 as a response to the Act of Union - which Richard Edgeworth supported, but which he voted against in protest at the governments use of corruption and bribery. Castle Rackrent is the first Big House novel - an important form in Ireland up to the present day. It was also an influence on the development of the novel more widely. It charts the story of the Rackrent family over several generations and, as in many subsequent Big House novels, its a tale of the decline and ever-approaching fall of the house and family. From some points of view, the book provides a reason why Ireland is brought into the United Kingdom - for the Rackrents, a landed family with supposed responsibilities as leaders of their society, are wastrels and drunkards. The narrator is Thady Quirke, the seemingly loyal family servant, who was based on the Edgeworths own steward - John Langan. Having, out of friendship for the family - upon whose estate, (praised be Heaven!) I and mine have lived rent-free time out of mind - voluntarily undertaken to publish the MEMOIRS OF THE RACKRENT FAMILY, I think it my duty to say a few words, in the first place, concerning myself. Honest Thady, as he names himself, claims to be loyal to the family, but the Rackrent narrative is all about double-dealing. An almost incidental element of the story at least as Thady tells it is that as the Rackrents decline so Thadys son Jasons fortunes rise. By the end, Jason, always solicitous of the Rackrents and eager to help them - according to Thady - has helped himself to most of their property! The novel leaves open this central question: has Thady collaborated with a corrupt ruling class - as represented by the Rackrents or, has he subtly rebelled and colluded with his son Jason to bring about their downfall? By leaving her tale open-ended, Edgeworth poses a recurrent question in Irish literature: how does one tell the story of Ireland? She eventually decided it was impossible and largely abandoned writing. Maria was 50 when her father died - ever the good daughter, she edited his memoirs. She worked strenuously for the relief of the peasants during the  HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Potato_Famine_(1845-1849)" \o "Irish Potato Famine (1845-1849)" Famine of the 1840s and, exhausted by her efforts, died at home, in Edgeworthstown, in 1849 at the age of 82.     C  [ _  % / !RSbcd2Cͼ߼߼ͼmmSm߼3h"h"0J>*B*OJQJ]^JmH phsH ,jh"h"OJQJU]^JmH sH &h"h"6OJQJ]^JmH sH #h"h"OJQJ]^JmH sH #h"h"6OJQJ^JmH sH  h"h"OJQJ^JmH sH #h"h"6OJQJ^JmH sH h"h"OJQJ^JmH sH h"h"5>*OJQJ^JCxb "!NO01no^gd"gd"gd"45{NOTX01S]*<ٰǛيuu)jh"h"OJQJU^JmH sH h"h"OJQJ^JmH sH )h"h"B*OJQJ^JmH phsH ,h"h">*B*OJQJ^JmH phsH #h"h"6OJQJ^JmH sH  h"h"OJQJ^JmH sH )h"h"B*OJQJ^JmH phsH ,'(hrjhrU h"h"h"h"OJQJ^J#h"h">*OJQJ^JmH sH h"h"OJQJ^JmH sH )jh"h"OJQJU^JmH sH 0h"h"0J>*B*OJQJ^JmH phsH gd"gd" ,1h. 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