Comparing Richard Cory And The Gilded Six-Bits

The ability to attain a fruitful status in society remains a goal that most people endeavor to obtain. The potential of prosperity, and bringing pride to your name exists as part of the American Dream. Nonetheless the need to be important, to have financial gain, and the realization of this ideal are far from perfect as one can see in E. A. Robinson’s “Richard Cory,” Edith Wharton’s “Roman Fever,” and Zora Neal Thurston’s “The Gilded Six-bits.” The first tale in our cautionary analysis is E. A. Robinson’s “Richard Cory.” Richard is a seemingly successful entrepreneur boasting an auspicious career who has more wealth than those he passes every day on his way to work. In spite of how his life seems to the outside world, Richard takes his own life one evening after work: “And Richard Cory, one calm summer night, Went home and put a bullet through his head” (Robinson 674). What is noteworthy about this work is that those laborers whom he passed actually had the one thing that Richard couldn’t seem to obtain; a sense of community. They were envious of him due to his place in society, but they were actually much wealthier than he …show more content…

What they do have is a home, a steady income, food on the table, and lots of love. Joe and Missie May seem to have everything that someone would need to be happy. Underneath the surface, however, Missie May wants Joe to have money and status. Not so much for herself, but because she feels that he deserves it even though he is happy with the way things are: “Ah’m satisfied de way Ah is. So long as Ah be yo’ husband, Ah don’t keer ‘bout nothin’ else” (Hurston 947). When a stranger comes to town she sees an opportunity to help Joe obtain all of those things that she wanted for him. She soon finds out that there is always a price that must be paid for wanting more, and sometimes the cost is simply too