Access NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Chapter 1 Third Level

Question
1. What does the third level refer to?
Ans: The third level was the subway of the Grand Central Station, and it took passengers
from Galesburg, Illinois. Metaphorically it refers to an escape medium that takes man away
from the harsh realities of life. In the present world, people are lost in the rush to achieve
more and are clouded by worries and anxieties. A man wishes to fulfill the wishes that are
rooted in his subconscious mind. The third level provided space to fabricate fantasy and
reality.

1. Would Charley ever go back to the ticket counter on the third level to buy tickets to
Galesburg for himself and his wife?
Ans: No, Charley would never go back to the ticket- counter on the third level to buy tickets
to Galesburg for himself and his wife. He withdrew three hundred dollars from the bank so
that he could arrange some “old currency” since it belonged to a different time period. He
could not find the third level since it was just a strand of his imagination to escape reality and
has entered the world of romance and fantasy.

1. Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why?
Ans: Yes, I think the third level was a medium of escape for Charley. His life was full of
worries, stress, insecurity, and fear which caused him a lot of mental strain. The mental strain
he had gone through was harsh and it made living for him unbearable and unpleasant. Since
his reality was so unpleasant, he did various things that helped him escape reality. His stamp
collecting was a ‘temporary refuge from reality. Later when he contacted his psychiatrist
friend and told him about the third level incident, he termed it “a waking-dream wish
fulfillment”.

2. What do you infer from Sam’s letter to Charley?

Ans: Sam’s letter was received from the third level- Galesburg, dated July 18, 1894. The
envelope had the address of his grandfather and a picture of President Garfield as the
postmark. In the letter, he stated that he had been there for two weeks now and it was a
hospitable place. The letter appears to be an outcome of Charley’s imagination but it
successfully brought out the difference between the present world, which was troublesome
and filled with tension, and the pre World war era that was tranquil.

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: The modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry, and stress.’ Stress and worries
are an inevitable part of daily and busy life especially in the hustle and bustle of the modern
world. We are more involved in gaining more profit and collecting material wealth and losing
connection with our inner desires. Doing things like meditation and yoga daily can help us
get rid of the anxieties and fears that we have. Eating a healthy diet not only maintains your
body health but also mental health too. Finding your hobbies and doing them on a regular
basis helps us to distract our mind from the daily stress and concentrate on something
productive that our heart loves. Going out with people you love, occasionally also refreshes
your mind and helps you let go of all the worries in your head. For more busy days, listening
to calming music or playing with your pet can make you feel instantly refreshed and in a
good mood. These small activities won't seem very significant but will make you feel much
better and happy.
4. Do you see an intersection of time and space in the story?
Ans: Yes, the author has cleverly used elements of time and history to make the story more
thrilling. The first instance of the same could be seen in the different levels that existed in the
Grand Central Station. The first two levels were in the present while the third level belonged
to the 1890s. He rushes to a bank to get an old currency denomination to pay for the train
tickets for Galesburg. The architecture of the third level was old and unconventional. The
people on the station dressed very typically like the people from the 1890s and held a
newspaper, The World dated June 11, 1984. Finally, we see that the letter which was mailed
to Charley’s grandfather on 18th, July 1894 intersected the time and space since the sender
and receiver belonged to the present time.

5. Apparent illogicality sometimes turns out to be a futuristic projection? Discuss.

Ans: Yes, I do believe that apparently, illogically sometimes I turn out to be a futuristic
person. Anyone who does an invention is apparently a step towards the future and appears
like a futuristic projection. Before Graham Bell’s invention of the telephone, it was a thing
people could have only imagined seeing. Similar goes for Wright Brothers too who invented
the first airplane. These things were impossible to believe during the period of time they were
discovered but were apparently true. More modern-day machines like a sewing machine
would have been something that the general masses could not have believed in. All these
thoughts soon turn into reality and the things that seem illogical might actually be a step into
our future.

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: Philately helps keep the past alive. There are various other ways too that can help us
keep the past alive. The collection of various paintings, inscriptions, artifacts, books, etc.
helps to preserve what actually existed a while ago in the period of time. Keeping sketches,
letters, and diary entries is another fun way of preserving the past with oneself. These not
only help us to keep our history alive but also keeps our tradition and culture to survive and
sustain for years. These things also provide us an opportunity to learn what history contained
and unveil its secrets before us. Old buildings and artifacts are also a source of history for us.
It's amazing that the human brain tends to move between present, past and future. But this
capacity can be a great source of stress and depression. Thinking and worrying about what
happened in the past and what will happen in the future always keeps us in a state of unrest.
We should learn to accept what the present has for us and try to live it to the fullest. The
present provides us opportunities to learn which our past holds memories for us to cherish
later.

7. You have read ‘Adventure’ by Jayant Narlikar in Hornbill Class XI. Compare the
interweaving of fantasy and reality in the two stories.
Ans: The stories hold various supernatural and mystical elements within them. The stories
help us drift away from practical reality and help us explore the world that our brain can
create. In ‘Adventure’ Jayant Narlikar brought forth his view that various worlds could exist
simultaneously. The worlds that exist can be separated by time. In ‘The Third Level,’ Charley
encounters a new world from the past on the third floor of the Grand Central Station. He finds
a gateway that leads to the past of 1894. He even didn't have any currency of that period for
which he had to rush to the bank. Both these stories had elements of time travel.