The Editor, and Irish Life for the Ignorant English Reader

I’m not sure that Castle Rackrent would be nearly as funny without the interjections of “the editor.” It is so interesting that Edgeworth has allowed the reader three layers of total unreliability for these “tales of other times” to be truly told. First, there is the unreliability in Thady’s voice, which we discussed in class. Furthermore, Castle Rackrent is a compilation of “histories” written by unreliable Thady. Historical writings are, historically, very easy to manipulate, and the importance of understanding the past relies then on what those writing the history are willing to divulge (Stalin, anyone??). Finally, we have the editing of these histories by prophetic Editor, whose footnotes and glossary are both a mockery of academic writing and the furthering of Edgeworth’s political agenda. The fact that a glossary that further explains the unintelligible “idiomatic phrases” is included in a book for English readers in the voice of an Irishman is quite hilarious and potent as a tool for acknowledging English racism or prejudice towards the Irish in the early 19^th century. I think Edgeworth’s modes of narrative are incredibly innovative. Through her unreliable narrator, “historical” form and the Editor’s interruptions, Castle Rackrent is able to satirize a variety of issues including how the English view the Irish--the colloquial speak of this “colony” need be translated for even the most uneducated of English readers.