Essay Questions

This novel is considered to be the first Anglo-Irish novel ever published. What was going on in Britain at the time that prompted the author to write it?

The novel was written against a backdrop of controversy with the passing of the Act of Union in 1800. This was not a very popular Act among many Irish people. It brought Ireland under the mantle of Great Britain, rather than allowing it to continue as an independent country outside the realm of the British monarch. The British, in general, were in favor of it, considering the advantages in the areas of agriculture a small price to pay for any difficulties experienced in more feudal areas.

The Irish, on the other hand, wanted to be left to their own devices. They enjoyed the financial subsidies that being connected to Britain provided but they did not want to be subsumed by other laws, specifically those that related to their religious beliefs. Ireland was a largely Catholic nation whilst England was predominantly Church of England. There were irreconcilable differences between the two countries, and the author was aware at the time that her obvious agreement with the Act within the pages of the novel might make it a trifle unpopular.

The author is known for her pro-women views and for her belief that boys and girls should be educated together and in the same way. How is this apparent in the novel?

The novel's female characters seem to get the better of the male characters in most of the situations in the novel. For example, Sir Kit thinks that he has really beaten his wife in their little feud, but the joke is on him because she is the one with the means and the money, which she promptly withholds after his little victory.

Isabella, too, largely follows her own path despite her father's obvious attempts to control her. Although he does ultimately get his own way, and she leaves her marriage to return to the family home, she makes a stand for her own independence and marries Sir Cundy because she wants to, not because he is that man who has been selected for her.