The Third Level

By- Jack Finney

TEXTUAL Q & A-
Q.1- Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why?
Ans- This world is full of stress, anxiety, tension, war, insecurity, fear, hurdles and worry. These things
keep on gnawing modern man’s mind all the time. This helplessness and frustration leaves a man
baffled. And then he looks for ‘a temporary refuge from reality’. This is what happens with Charley also.
The fast pace of life, overwork and subconscious apprehensions make Charley too uneasy and restless.
He yearns for peace, tranquility and serenity. He does philately (an escape mechanism) but the degree
of relief that this hobby provides, is not sufficient to calm him down emotionally. So he wants to escape
into a wishful world. He gives a flight to the third level- a level of existence which he associates with
tranquility. He finds comfort and peace there.
This shows that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley.
Q.2- What do you infer from Sam’s letter to Charley?
Ans- The way Charley comes across Sam’s letter is surrounded in mystery. Among his first-day covers
(his own collections) he finds an envelope. It shouldn’t have been there. It was not addressed to him. It
was mailed to the address of his grandfather dated July 18, 1894.
Generally, the first day cover has only a blank paper in the envelope. But the paper inside wasn’t blank.
It was written and signed by Sam. It is strange that how such a letter was never noticed before.
And Sam is the character of 20 th century. He shows himself in 19 th century and communicates with his
friend of 20th century, which is totally unbelievable.
Actually Charley had become so obsessed with the purpose of returning the ‘old world charm’ that his
imagination became even more fertile. In fact, the letter is Charley’s own composition/ own figment of
imagination.
OR
Sam’s letter written from Galesburg dated 18 th July 1894 is a proof of his having been transported to
Galesburg via the third level. Charley’s claim to have visited the third level, is an escape mode as Sam
had explained it. Being equally insecure, in the heart of hearts, Sam had wished the entire episode was
true. In fact he too wished for such an escape. By and by he believed in the existence of the third level
and carried out an intensive search for it and at last found it. Galesburg fascinated him and gave him the
taste of tension free life with ample leisure and boundless pleasure. He enjoyed the easy going, peaceful
and simple life where people loved music and dance. He suggested Charley and Louisa to keep on
looking for it till they find the third level.
The letter surprises the reader because it is found in a first-day cover, in the collection of Charley,
addressed to Charley’s grandfather. Charley wonders whether Sam had written it to Charley or Charley’s
grandfather. This letter appears to be strange but an interesting mixture of reality and fantasy.
Note- Both answers are correct.
Q.3- “The modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and stress”. What are the ways in which we
attempt to overcome them?
Ans- Insecurity, fear, war, worry, and stress rob human being’s peace of mind. Our conscious mind
continuously tries to overcome these problems and tries to come out from this quagmire. In order to
come out, he turns to religion, world of fiction, fantasy, hobbies, sports, music and creativity. These
things divert man’s attention from harsh realities of life. Doing these activities a man experiences some
sort of relief from his worries. The degree of involvement in these activities ascertains the level of
calmness a man attains. The tranquility that he experiences for himself saves him from the psychiatric
problems caused by stress, strain and apprehension.
Q.4- Do you see an intersection of time and space in the story?
Ans- The narrative moves freely transcending all barriers of time and space. Thus Charley strays into
1894 at the third level and then gets back to 20 th century. Sam transports himself to Galesburg, Illinois in
1894 and yet communicates with Charley in 20 th century. Evidently it shows that there is an intersection
of time and space in the story ‘The Third Level’.
Q.5- Apparent illogicality sometimes turns out to be a futuristic projection? Discuss.
Ans- The visualization of something that the world is unfamiliar with, usually seems to be illogical. In fact
a good number of scientific inventions sounded ridiculous when some fertile mind imagined them for
the first time. Aeroplane, railway-engine, telephone, radio, television, mobile phone- all of them must
have sounded illogical impossibilities till some brilliant minds gave them a concrete shape. Similarly the
make-believe world of science fiction and all talk about aliens and extra-terrestrial life may sound a bit
unlikely and unbelievable today but who knows tomorrow man may be travelling to planets inhabited by
aliens and aliens too might come to visit earth. The idea of going back in time, as shown in The Third
Level, is illogical yet some day in future it may become possible and one get transported back in time
whenever one may be bored with the present world.
Q.6- Philately helps keep the past alive. Discuss other ways in which this is done. What do you think of
the human tendency to constantly move between the past, the present and the future?
Ans- Human beings learn from their past while trying to make the present and future better. The
knowledge and experience of the past helps one widen one’s horizons and add dimensions to one’s
present and future. Philately helps one keep one’s past alive. There are many other such mediums like
the monuments, relics, coins, literature, religion and history that prevent the past from getting buried in
the debris of oblivion.
Human tendency to oscillate between the three phases of time- past, present and future- reveals man’s
urge to chase what evades him. Present usually leaves man dissatisfied and he takes it casually but when
present fades into the past, he looks back with a sigh and recalls those days ‘good old days’. Similarly
future is looked upon as a promise that might bring fulfillment. Thus present remains merely as a
waiting period.
SAQs-
Q.1- ‘Yes, I’ve taken the obvious step.’ Why does Charley term meeting the psychiatrist as ‘an
obvious step’?
Ans- When Charley returned from non-existent third level. He started talking about his coming
across the third level. Everyone got alarmed and felt that he needed to see a psychiatrist. In this
situation it was clear that he had to seek an expert opinion to rule out any psychiatric problem.
This is why he terms it as ‘an obvious step.’
Q.2- How did Charley reach the third level?
Ans- He was in a hurry to reach his home as it was getting late. He came to Grand Central and
took tool two flight of stairs to reach the second level from where he could take the suburban
train. He ducked into an arched doorway heading for the subway and got lost. He found himself
into a tunnel. The tunnel took him to a short flight of stairs and came out on the third level at
Grand Central Station. In this way he reached the third level.
Q.3- What is the third level or what does the third level symbolize?
Ans- It is a world of imagination. It’s a medium of escape from the world of harsh realities. It
symbolizes human being’s yearning to delve deeper into the world of imagination. It stands for
narrator’s quest for ‘the fabulous ordinariness of a bygone age’ that was free from modern
razzle-dazzle, sophistication and material comforts but exuded peace and tranquility.
Q.4- ‘But I never told my psychiatrist friend about that idea.’ What did Charley not tell his
psychiatrist? Why?
Ans- Charley didn’t tell about a long unknown tunnel that ran under the city and was offering a
way of escape. It was an exit that Grand Central offered. He did not share this idea because Sam
would have taken him as a crazy person and would make fun of him as an escapist.
Q.5- What do you understand by a first-day cover?
Ans- When a new stamp is issued, stamp collectors buy some and use them to mail envelopes
to themselves on the very first day of sale; and the postmark proves the date. They are never
opened; you just put blank paper in the envelope. Such an envelope is called first-day cover.
Q.6- Why was Sam attracted towards Galesburg?
Ans- Sam was a typical city boy. He was fascinated by Charley’s description of Galesburg,
Illinois, as a wonderful town with old frame houses, huge lawns, tremendous trees lining the
street. He was so bogged down by the burden of modern life that he thought of escaping to the
‘peaceful world’ of Galesburg of 1894 with long summer evenings and an easy going, peaceful
life.
Q.7- How did Charley come to know that Sam had found the third level?
Ans- Charley came across a first-day cover in his own collections. It had his Grandfather’s
Galesburg address and it contained a note written by Sam mentioning that he had found the
third level. He had been there for two weeks. This proof showed that Sam had found the third
level.
EXTRA QUESTIONS-
Q.1- Sketch the character of Charley.
Ans- Charley is the chief protagonist of the story. He is a super-sensitive and highly imaginative
character who indulges in flights of fancy. He is a true representative of modern man who is a
victim of insecurity and wants to run away reality. He does philately, stamp collection. He is
very much fascinated with the good old simple days of his grandfather when ‘things were pretty
nice and peaceful.’ He is intrigued by the mystery whether the third level exists or not. Having
been there once, he fails to locate it in second time. Even when he and his wife think that they
have proof of its existence, they fail to find it despite their frantic efforts.
To sum up, Charley is a true picture of the modern man who is caught in the unwanted pulls
and pressures of life and wishes to escape the turbulences associated with it.
Q.2- Did Sam really go to Galesburg or was it Charley’s figment of imagination?
Ans- Charley’s imagination had given him a brief taste of the third level. But after getting a
glimpse of it, Charley could never get back to this world in spite of his frantic efforts. Still, the
craving for such a utopia remained in him.
Sam’s letter from Galesburg is also a way of escape for Charley. He had become so obsessed
with the purpose of returning the ‘old charm world’ that his imagination became even more
fertile. It means that Sam never went to Galesburg. It was Charley’s figment of imagination.

In other way – This story is a science fiction and is open-ended to allow the reader to believe
either what Charley thinks about Sam or what Sam thinks about Charley’s escapist attitude.