Tone, Theme, And Point Of View In Richard Cory

Like politics and religion, death is a topic that many chose not to freely explore because of the vast opinions of others. Death is something we have yet to understand, causing some to fear death while others are intrigued by death. Death and suicide go “hand and hand,” two topics everyone is curious about but fear discussing. Edwin Arlington the father of unhappiness, growing up in Maine living a stark childhood with his mother and father. Through the use of tone, theme, and point of view of “Richard Cory” he shows us the reality of a person who suffers from suicidal thoughts while others admire him. Throughout Richard Cory’s life, Arlington shows the audience how the community views him, giving him a king like aura. Arlington wrote this from an outside point of view, through the eyes of a member in the community, the audience sees how the town views Richard. There infatuation with Richard and they way he walks, talks, etc. was confinding him. They do not look at Richard as an average person, they hold him at a higher standard, placing him on a …show more content…
All that we know about Richard is that he kept up this act until summer when he shot and killed himself. Nobody really knows what he truly felt like during his life on earth, but you can assume he was unhappy because he killed himself. Richard Cory had what most teenagers, even adults wanted which was power, but “with power comes great responsibility,” which Richard probably couldn’t handle. Reading you learn that the pursuit of money is hollow and empty, having everything doesn’t always guarantee you satisfaction in life. What Arlington is showing us is that anyone can appear happy on the surface but you never know what they are internally thinking and having power can't always give you