The Author's View of the Irish
Although she claimed to believe that the Irish and English were equal and should therefore be treated as such, Edgeworth was a supporter of the rather unpopular Act of Union and her writing showed a certain cynicism when it came to the potential of the Irish people to govern themselves with proper fiscal propriety. Edgeworth believed that the main problem in Ireland was division caused by religious differences and although there is no inherent Church of England / Catholic Church difference in this novel there is religious conflict between the Catholic Sir Kit and his Jewish bride. This conflict is shown to be both impossible to resolve3 and also detrimental to both sides. The author's view of Ireland was very nostalgic even for its day, and she shows the Ireland of old to be a gentler and more efficient place than it is at the time of writing the book.
Financial Dysfunction
There is only one character in the novel with any aptitude for financial organization and he is not a member of the Murtagh family. The gentry in the novel are different in personality but have one family trait that is undeniable - they are hopeless with money. They are either too cheap to pay proper wages and consequently unable to find good enough help to make the estate work smoothly, or they are profligate and spend everything that they have despite all the evidence around them that a little bit of belt tightening might be in order.
The potential Murtaghs are no better; each of the women considering marriage or trying to attract the eye of the incumbent head of Rackrent Castle is more concerned with money than with titles or prestige. When it is realized that Jason is the only man capable of becoming rich, he becomes the most eligible bachelor in the story despite the much higher social position of the heirs to the Rackrent fortune.
Religious Differences
The main example of this theme is the relationship between Kit and his Jewish bride, a relationship that is peppered with, and ultimately distinguished by, one religious difference after another. The main bone of contention seems to be the household's unwillingness to defer to her dietary requirements, and pork is served quite often which results in a withdrawal of respect from her husband and a withdrawal of financial support from the new Lady of the Castle.
