Sir Richard’s cruel refusal to let Edith, Arthur, and Miles marry whom they love is one example of corruption in the upper classes. Like many noblemen, Sir Richard wants to give the best of everything to his oldest son because, at this time, the oldest son was the legal heir to any of their father’s titles, land, or estates. Richard, then, wants Arthur to marry Edith because he wants his oldest son to get Edith’s fortune and pass down to
his oldest son, thus making sure the greatest possible wealth and privilege stays with the title and builds from one generation to the next.