Cheapness Motif
Notwithstanding the profligacy of Sir Kit, the majority of the custodians of Castle Rackrent are really rather cheap. This cheapness has surprising downfalls. The castle is not upkept in the way that it needs to be, so consequently when things do need to be updated or mended they have gone far too far awry and addressing them is very expensive. Gradually, all of the heirlooms in the castle are sold off, so that there is really nothing worth selling left. The non-aristocratic characters are also teetering on the brink of cheapness, although it could be argued that their tight reign on finances is what is needed in most cases, pulling back sharply just shy of truly parsimonious.
Pork Symbol
There are several symbolic purposes of the pork that is served at dinner during the tenure at the castle of Sir Kit. The first and most obvious is a symbol of the differences in religious belief of himself and his wife - she is Jewish and therefore does not eat pork. However, there is also another layer to this symbolism; the two were in a constant tug of war about his wife's place in the household, and in the marriage. She demanded that all of her requirements be adhered to, including dietary requirements. When this was not done, it was a symbol of her husband's refusal to respect her and of his determination to "best" her in full view of the staff.
Moneygawl Symbol
The Moneygawl's last name is a symbol of their having plenty of money and also of Sir Condy's determination to get to know them well and use this to his advantage.
Coin Toss Symbol
Sir Condy has a rather overly-nonchalant approach to life and this is symbolized by his use of the coin toss to make all of his truly important life decisions. Not for him the hours spent mulling over a situation or deep thought about the right course of action. He approaches matters of love with the same light-hearted abandon that he would approach something far less meaningful, and flips a coin to help him decide between marrying Isabella for money or Judy for love.
Gold-digging Motif
This novel is unusual in its presentation of characters who are gold-diggers, as traditionally these characters are almost always written as women. Not at Castle Rackrent, where the most obvious examples of those who want to marry for money rather than love all seem to be male. Sir Kit marries his bride for money, and not for love; indeed, they are a poor match and he does not even seem to like her very much. This backfires when his disrespectful attitude and determination to beat her no matter what results in her pulling all access to her considerable fortune away from him.
Although Sir Condy understands love, because he feels a genuine love for Judy, he also decides to marry for money, and this also backfires on him as well. When his bride, Isabella, realizes that he is stone broke, she goes home to her father, because he had cut her off from the family fortune when she married a man he did not approve of.
