While reading The Wild Irish Girl, I noticed that several times Owenson used the word sublime.  Burke argued that there are two different kinds of the aesthetic experience, the sublime and the beautiful (Mellor and Matlak 126).  Burke went on to say that "the sublime experience occurred when one's instinct for self-preservation was aroused by an image that seemed to threaten one's life, by scenes of infinite power of God or nature in which the frailty and mortality of human beings are strikingly portrayed" (Mellor and Matlak 126).  In The Wild Irish Girl, Owenson represents the sublime with her awesome description of nature.  When Owenson details the hugeness and vastness of the Irish countryside and the ruins and suffering that could be seen in the landscape she overwhelmed the reader with her passion and the beauty of the land.  In Burke's view this would all be part of the sublime because it shows the infinite power of God to create such beauty.  According to Burke the sublime should be associated with the masculine.  On the hand, Burke viewed the picturesque as more feminine.  When Horatio would describe Glorvina or something in association with her he would use the picturesque.  When Horatio encounters Glorvina on one of his walks he says, "I had scarcely entered this Eden, when the form of the Eve to whose picturesque fancy it owes so  many charms, presented itself" (Morgan 140).

    Another observation that I had was the incredible number and length of the footnotes accompanying the text.  According to Jeanne Moskal, "Morgan forged an early version of a woman writer's authority by splitting text and paratext..." (Feldman and Kelley 176).  Most of the footnotes were used to explain historical contexts or ancient myths and legends.  Moskal says, "The editor comments on Irish customs and language, being particularly anxious to liken the Irish to the ancient Greeks and to the biblical patriarchs.  Footnotes prevent the reader form dismissing the plot as mere sentiment by guaranteeing the veracity of the editor and anchoring the plot and characters in "objective" facts" (Feldman and Kelley 176).  The reader must focus on what Glorvina, the Prince, and Father John tells Horatio.  We learn along with Horatio.  Moskal goes on to provide an explanation as to why Morgan uses a great number of footnotes in her novel.  She says that male writers had confidence in their writings and did not need to support there works as much as Morgan did (Feldman and Kelley 177).  The "footnotes in The Wild Irish Girl extend the context of the romantic fiction by shoring up the author's status as an authority on Ireland, supporting the text's claim , not dividing against them. The Wild Irish Girl employs footnotes to supplement the text, not ot undermine it, and to advance the woman writer's claim to authority; text and notes create the impression of the same voice singing in two different modes" (Feldman and Kelley 177).  Morgan uses her footnotes to have her work more widely accepted.  By supplementing her work with facts, she leaves less room for her contemporaries to dismiss it.

    I really liked this novel.  I learned a lot about the Irish culture and the ancient legends and traditions.  The letter format was effective as a means of getting the information to the reader.  I think that it is ironic that all the letters in the novel were written by men; I thought that usually letter writing was a more feminine means of expression.  Sometimes I found the novel hard to read because of the excess number and length of the footnotes.  After reading this novel I want to learn more about this ancient Irish myths and history.

    Owenson has written a nationalistic tale.  She is trying to show the splendor of Ireland and erase or change the common stereotypes that others have about Ireland and the Irish people.  She portrays a nation that is having a hard time now, but with the direction could become great.  She reflects on the rich history and the accomplishments of her ancient ancestors and uses this as proof that the Irish are strong and determined people.  The Prince of Insimore is a good example of a person dedicated to his traditions and his culture. He has not given up on Ireland.  He believes that if Ireland could recover what has been taken from them, their land as well as the ancient heroes that are in the ancient Irish traditions, then his country will be in much better shape.  He does not want the English to own or control his country.  Ireland is looking to America and the results of their revolution with similar notions in mind for their country if America is successful.