Summary of Third Thoughts
- By E.V Lucas
Introduction
The story 'Third Thought' is all about humour and satire. The writer's friend's destiny was to buy things at the highest price and to sell at the cheapest, but one day, he was walking around the old shops of the city. He saw a collection of watercolour drawings. There was a painting that had the possibility of Turner. The dealer was not sure of it. So, he was reading to sell it in 10 shillings if the writer's friends did not buy it, the dealer would take it to London to check-either the painting was original or not.
Summary of The Story Third Theught
The writer's friend bought the painting for 10 shillings. He was lucky because the painting was proved to be original and he sold the painting for 50 pounds. He earned 49 pounds 10 shillings as a profit for the first time in his life. He thought to share the profit with the dealer because the dealer had behaved him very well. He thought to give him half of the profit. He wrote a note to the dealer then he went to bed because he did not have a stamp and it was too late.
He woke up at 3:30 am and began to think about his mistake. He thought why he had to share half the profit. Then decided to give only ten pounds he tried to sleep but could not. Again he begins to think about the dealer by closing his eyes. If he sends the dealer 10 pounds, he would always expect similar later from other customers every day. It would make him sad waiting for the latter which none would send him. Then he decided to send 5 pounds and that would be plenty for the dealer. In the morning while he was dressing, he thought about the dealer again.
Sharing a large part of the profit was to disregard the goodness of business. He controlled his feeling and was ready to send just a pound to the dealer. Then he wrote a note and kept the cheque inside the envelope. He went to the club for lunch there he started playing cards and lost whatever he had. Then he concluded his thought that buying and selling are straightforward matters between customer and dealer. The dealer asks as much as he can and the customer tries to pay less. When the selling and buying activity end, there is no obligation of any duty from both sides.
In this essay, the essayist has talked about the human thinking process. This is a biographical essay in which the writer talks about the events of his friend's life. The writer's friend was a dealer who used to sell some of the watercolour paintings. He was not a good businessman because he had failed to make a profit in his business. He was a man of the heart rather than the mind. He used to buy things at higher prices and sell them at lower prices.
The situation reversed when he visited the old curiosity shops of a cathedral city. There he saw a watercolour drawing and the name of the famous painter, Turner's name was written on it. Being curious about it, the writer's friend asked the price of the drawing with the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper replied that he was not sure whether the drawing was really of Turner which he was going to confirm on his visit to England. But if he wanted to buy it, he could take in ten shillings. The writer decided to buy it and took it to his shop. Later on, the drawing turned out to be the real work of Turner.
The writer's friend became successful to sell it with a net profit of forty-nine pounds and ten. As a man of heart, he started to think that the shopkeeper was an equal partner for the profit. If the shopkeeper had not sold it at that price, he would not have been able to make much profit. So, he decides to give him half of the profit. He writes a note to the shopkeeper. Since it was already night and he had no stamps, he keeps the letter and goes to the bed. He wakes up at about 3.30 a.m. Then he ponders over his entire life. He had faced so many losses in his life. At that time, there was none to support him, why should he give half the profit to the shopkeeper? He feels that he should not be so much quixotic (idealist).
He questions himself whether the shopkeeper would have been so kind if he had been in loss, of course not. So, he decides to give me ten pounds. He closes his eyes and again begins to think about the dealer. Why should he give ten dollars? He thinks that if he gave ten dollars to the shopkeeper, he would be expecting the same kinds of gifts in the days to come. Since other customers would not be like the writer's friend, so they would not send any gift. If it happens, the shopkeeper would live all their life with the false hope sinking down in the ocean of tears that he did not want. So, he decides that he would give just five pounds.
Interpretation of Third Thaught
The story presenting the constantly changing nature of the human mind seems to be full of humour and satire. Basically thinking with the nature of a businessman's mind proves that the human mind can never be rigid and fixed. Especially in business, their mind keeps on changing. At another level, it sheds light on human earning since the earning as that of writer's friend has no meaning at all in life. The most important thing in the story is that in business buying and selling are straightforward dealings. It has nothing to do with human consideration, sympathy and faith. Once goods are sold or bought they have had nothing to do with them since then.
Critical Thinking
The story offers a great deal of humour and satire. But in many respects, it doesn't seem appropriate and convincing. The first is: Does anyone want to share his profit? It is so much unbelievable. Similarly, the seller of any good knows its quality and the cost. Does any seller sell his good without knowing it?
Assimilation in the Context
As I went through the story, it reminded me of my own events that I experienced earlier. Once I had been to my village after a long time from the city. I had taken a beautiful watch there. Everyone liked it, one of my friends promised to pay Rs 500 for it, so I gave it to him. I got Rs 300 as profit, and so I got extremely happy but I did not share the profit and I was very happy.