Wealth, Inheritance, and Power Theme Analysis

The Mysterious Affair at Styles demonstrates the many ways in which wealth can complicate life and put a strain on personal relationships. As a wealthy woman, Emily Inglethorp appears to be aware of the power she holds over people because of her money, and though she makes a show of devoting herself to charity, she also seems to curry favor with people by indicating that she’ll look after them financially. When she takes a young woman named Cynthia into her household, for instance, she promises to leave money for her when she dies—but when she actually dies, she doesn’t leave anything behind for the young woman. To that end, Emily Inglethorp changes her will quite often, drawing up a new one at least once a year (and even more frequently in the months leading up to her death). She thus keeps her loved ones in a state of anticipation, essentially giving them extra motivation to treat her well—a rather manipulative way to approach personal connections. At the same time, though, Mrs. Inglethorp does have good reason to keep a tight hold on her “purse strings” (as Hastings puts it), since there are people in her life who actively want to steal her fortune—namely, her best friend and her husband. And yet, Evelyn and Alfred are the last people she would suspect of wanting to dupe her, ultimately implying that it can be quite difficult for wealthy people to recognize when others want to take advantage of them. In turn, the novel hints that wealth can give people power and influence while simultaneously making them vulnerable to manipulation.