In this poem, the main character, Richard Cory, is portrayed as the “American Dream” that everyone wants to achieve in his town. Throughout the poem, Richard Cory went through stages of deep depression that no one had known about since he never showed his inner emotions in person. For example, Richard Cory was said to be “quietly arrayed... he was always human when he talked…he fluttered pulses when he said, ‘Good morning’, and he glittered when he walked”(lines 6-8). Richard Cory was a man of integrity, always dressed nice, and presented himself as a guy that was always happy and shined in the eyes of people when seen. In these lines, Richard Cory’s generosity delivers a positive message to his surroundings, showing how he is fully satisfied with his own life. It isn’t until the end of the poem when Richard Cory, “Went home and put a bullet through his head”(line 16). The people that Richard Cory was surrounded by never really knew about his inner world. Richard Cory was respected way too much to the point that he was more of an idealization rather than a living, breathing person. As a result, he was never truly befriended by any of them; consequently, he became isolated and permanently lonely causing his depression. Richard Cory had all of the money in the world but didn’t gain his happiness, which correlates to my thesis …show more content…
The daydreams that Walter Mitty encounters are all triggered by the heat of the moment when he’s driving, thinking about what he can become, foreshadowing all of his American Dreams. Throughout this short story, Walter Mitty had to put up with an environment that constantly interrupted his daydreams. For example, at the beginning of the story when Walter Mitty is driving, he enters a state where he’s in war, flying the hydroplane that he had always dreamed of flying. “We’re going through!... Throw on the power lights! Rev her up to 8,500! We’re going through… The pounding of the cylinders increased ta-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa…”(625). At the time, Richard Cory is in complete satisfaction with himself until his wife suddenly says, “Not so fast! You’re driving too fast!”(625). Another example of Walter Mitty’s American Dream is created when he puts on a pair of gloves, dreaming that he’s in an operating room with his partner that tells him to, “Get on with the operation…”(626). At this point, Walter Mitty is an amazing surgeon until a parking attendant suddenly yells at him and says, “Back it up Mac! Look out for that Buick!”(626). Both of these examples support my thesis because Walter Mitty’s American Dreams are to become all of these things but he never gets the chance too because there’s always someone or something