Tight Corners

E.V. Lucas

Introduction

In the essay 'Tight Corners' E.V. Lucas points out that tight corners can be both mental as well as physical but the mental tight corner is too much to bear.

The Narrator's Tight Corner :

Once the narrator went with his friend to 'Christie's, an auction-sale hall, where Barbison pictures were put up. The narrator knew nothing about art pictures nor had enough money to participate in the bidding. He had only sixty-three pounds and that too in the bank. He had no securities either. The auction started and the narrator, not understanding the seriousness, started raising the bid amount marginally. By that time a Daubigny picture was put on sale. A rich man bade four thousand guineas for it. As usual, the narrator, just for fun, raised the bid by fifty guineas more.

The Difficult Situation for the Narrator :

Lucas thought that someone would raise the bid further. But to his amazement, nobody else bade after that. The narrator was panic-stricken. No doubt, he unwittingly got into a (mental) tight corner. He could not find ways as how to raise such a huge amount. Sensing the danger his friend had already left the place. Finally, the narrator decided to confess his foolishness to the auctioneer himself and get rid of the critical situation.

Turn of Events :

All on a sudden, the unexpected happened. At that time, the rich bidder's agent came and offered fifty guineas, provided he passed on the art picture to the first bidder. The narrator was immensely relieved. He was about to weep in joy. Yet, he had the presence of mind to demand a hundred guineas. When a cheque for that amount was given to him, his joy doubled.