Consequently, ‘appearances’ deceived people. They did not fathom the man’s inner hurt, which caused him to commit suicide, even though he was a rich man and well-schooled. In the end, Richard Cory killing himself was a wake-up call to the citizens of the town and made them realize that no one really knows everything about a person, and certainly outward appearances do not tell the whole story of a person. In fact, outward appearances only convey a small part about a person.