Everyone sees the world differently. You might even say that we each have our own version of reality. For the townspeople of "Richard Cory," the titular character has it all: good looks, lots of money, nice clothes, a friendly attitude. What more could you want out of life? But Richard Cory's own reality is different—so different, in fact, that he kills himself at the end of the poem. What do the townspeople see in Richard Cory that he doesn't see in himself? What does he see in himself that the townspeople can't see? They have vastly different versions of reality for sure.
Questions About Versions of Reality
- We know a whole lot about what the townspeople think of our dude R.C. Does the poem ever present us with Richard's point of view?
- Does the poem suggest that you can never really know someone else's version of reality? That we are all doomed to see the same world differently? What parts support your answer?
- What do you think drove Richard to kill himself? What, if any, clues does the poem provide?
Chew on This
This poem proves that you can never truly understand anyone else's version of reality.
Richard Cory's suicide is a lesson to us all that our desires can blind us to reality.