It is possible Richard Cory came to town because he was lonely and wanted to be accepted by the townsmen. The townspeople admired Cory and looked up to him; they saw him as a rich gentleman who had everything. The town's folks wanted to be him; in fact they were in such awe of him that their pulses actually fluttered when he said good morning.
The townsmen were so excited by Cory that they never answered his greetings. Cory must have thought the people in town hated him because he was rich, and they had to work for their bread. Cory wanted to be their friend. He recognized them as people, yet they failed to see him as one.
Cory didn't have anyone with the same social status. The townspeople thought they could never rise to Cory's stature. They probably felt that they were not worthy to speak to him.
English: Working Class Movement Library, Salford T...
Cory reading Harry Potter
Cory ReadingUnbeknownst to the townspeople, Richard Cory wanted to be their friend, but he felt rejected each morning when his greeting wasn't returned. Although Cory had money, he lacked friends. The townspeople had friends and lacked money. Cory envied their friendships, while they envied his wealth. Cory felt empty without friends, and therefore he killed himself. The poem doesn't have any feeling because Cory felt empty. The narrator never spoke to Cory and therefore isn't personally upset about the loss.
Cory's world is a microcosm of today's society. The wealthy and the working class live in two different worlds. The rich kids go to private schools, while the working class kids attend public. The wealthy kids play at private country clubs, whereas the working class children play in the streets. The rich families drive fancy cars, but the working class takes public transportation. The rich families have nannies to...