"The Absentee" by Maria Edgeworth is a captivating story set in the 1800s that shines a light on the lives of Irish landowners living far away in England; it centers around Lady Clonbrony's tough journey trying to fit into London's high society while ignoring her duties back in Ireland, and also includes characters like Lord Colambre and Miss Broadhurst, whose tangled relationships reveal a story of what society expects and also the need to do the right thing. Starting with a talk at the opera, the story shows how the Clonbrony family is struggling, trying to figure out how to act in London's elite circles. As people like Lady Langdale mock Lady Clonbrony, Lord Colambre starts thinking seriously about what his family is doing; this makes him decide to go back to Ireland in order to deal with the problems on his family's land and the people struggling because they are never there. This sets the scene for a heartfelt play about wanting to be accepted, figuring out who you are, and feeling like you belong, all complicated by social class and family responsibilities.
The Absentee
By Maria Edgeworth
An Irish lord's journey of self-discovery forces him to choose between the glittering world of English high society and the neglected responsibilities of his homeland.
Summary
About the AuthorMaria Edgeworth was a prolific Anglo-Irish novelist of adults' and children's literature. She was one of the first realist writers in children's literature and a significant figure in the evolution of the novel in Europe. She held critical views on estate management, politics, and education, and corresponded with some of the leading literary and economic writers, including Sir Walter Scott and David Ricardo. During the first decade of the 19th century she was one of the most widely read novelists in Britain and Ireland. Her name today is most commonly associated with Castle Rackrent, her first novel, in which she adopted an Irish Catholic voice to narrate the dissipation and decline of a family from her own landed Anglo-Irish class.
Maria Edgeworth was a prolific Anglo-Irish novelist of adults' and children's literature. She was one of the first realist writers in children's literature and a significant figure in the evolution of the novel in Europe. She held critical views on estate management, politics, and education, and corresponded with some of the leading literary and economic writers, including Sir Walter Scott and David Ricardo. During the first decade of the 19th century she was one of the most widely read novelists in Britain and Ireland. Her name today is most commonly associated with Castle Rackrent, her first novel, in which she adopted an Irish Catholic voice to narrate the dissipation and decline of a family from her own landed Anglo-Irish class.
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Castle Rackrent
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The Bracelets Or, Amiability and Industry Rewarded
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