Comparing-Richard-Cory-and-Miniver-Cheevy

ComparingRichardCoryandMiniverCheevyInEdwinArlingtonRobinson’spoems,“RichardCory”and“MiniverCheevy”,thetwomaincharactersarebothportrayedasoutcastsandtheyareshunnedfromsociety.Oneseeminglyiswelloffandcontentwithhislife,theotheroutwardlyismiserable.ThepeopleonthepavementholdRichardCoryinsohighesteemthathebecomesanoutcastwithintheirsociety.MiniverCheevyhasdonenothingsocietyhastoldhimtothereforeheissocietyoutcast.Neitherofthesecharactersisacceptedintheirownlifeandneithercanfaceanotherday.Theybothhaveaneedtoescapethepresent.Thoughthesecharactershavesomesimilarities,thewayinwhichRobinsonportraysthemisverydifferent.Firstofall,thestatusandthevaluationofthesecharactersisdifferent.RichardCory,Awealthyman,isadmiredandenviedbythosewhoconsiderthemselveslessfortunatethanhim.Heisdepictedasanalmostperfectmanwhoisimperiallyslim,agentlemanfromsoletocrown,richerthanaking,even“wethoughtheiseverything.”Ontheopposite,MiniverCheevy,childofscornhasnothingtobeadmiredforandhehasdonenothingwithhislifebutdreamedadventure,romance,andartassociatedwithheroicfiguresoftheTrojanWarinancientGreece,KingArthur'sknightsintheMiddleAges,andthedazzlingbrillianceandcorruptionoftheMediciintheRenaissance.Secondly,theendingwasdifferent.RichardCorychoosestoputabulletthroughhisheadwhichisanironyending.Cory'ssuicidebringsaboutacompletereversalofrolesinthepoembecausepeopleintownwho“wentwithoutthemeat,andcursedthebreadchoosetogoingonlivingwhileheownseverythingbutcommitsuicideunexpectedly.Robbinsondoesnotgiveananswerofhisdeath.Wecanonlysupposethatwhatotherpeoplethinkandfeelisnotasimportantaswhatapersonhimselfbelieves.Hechosehisdeathasthewaytoexpresshisalienation,lonelinessordarknessinsidehissoul.ForMiniverchheevy,hedisplaysafigureoffun.Heismaterialemptybutblamesfateforhisfailureandresumesresponsibility.Hedoesnothingtochangehissituationinsteadofdelusionanddrinkingtoescapefromreality.Hisendingseemesnaturalratherthanunexpectedbecauseofthenegativetonefromtheverybeginningtotheendofthepoem