Richard Cory - Poverty, Charity

[itsnotmymind]

 *Warning for discussion of suicide*

A thought I had about the Simon and Garfunkel song Richard Cory:
 

(Lyrics are available here)

Richard Cory gets all this praise for donating to charity - and yet the people who work for him live in poverty.

The song is based on a poem by the same name. While the poem contains the same themes of admired man who ends his own life, the contrast between Cory's charity and the fact that workers are impoverished is more striking in the song.

 

Comments

[lokifan]

Reminds me of the stuff I've read about philanthropy as blood money.

[itsnotmymind]

Curious. Could you tell me more?