Journal #14

“Richard Cory“ (497)

In the town, the people view Richard as a perfect man. He is always looked up to by the people and is always admired. His wealth shows through his intensive schooling in everything a good gentleman should have. On the contrary, this is ironic because even though the people came to believe he had as perfect life, but he actually killed himself. Though everyone thinks it, it really isn't perfect because he kills himself and has problems that no one can see from the outside. A theme of this is that you cannot judge people from the outside and think that they are the same on the inside and that no amount of money will every make you truly "happy". His name sounds very similar to "rich core" which is totally opposite to his life, and is contrasting reality and his ideal life.

“Miniver Cheevy” (497)

He dreams of being born in a different era, is fond of knights and romantic stories and enjoys the days when people rode horses and used swords. He dreamed for an ideal life, but reality came for him and he became a drunk. He desired to have a life like a person in adventure novels, cursing his life in the process and destroying it as well. His name is similar to "minimal achiever", and his life is very empty as he lives in these "stories", not adding anything in his physical life.

“Mr. Flood’s Party” (498)

Mr. Flood is only having a party for himself, which is obviously not how a party is meant to be. He is very old, and since all of his friends are gone, he drinks alcohol so that he can have "friends" in himself. When drunk, Mr. Flood is able to have a party within himself with his "friends" and always lives in the past. Mr. Flood is attempting to live his ideal life by drinking and pretending to live in the past, but the reality is that he is just a very lonely drunk.