Class XII - ENGLISH

(VISTAS)

THE THIRD LEVEL

Jack Finney
Lec-3
 THE THIRD LEVEL (RECAP)

Grand Central Station

‘I’ – the narrator (Charley)

According to him, there were three levels
at Grand Central Station

Comparison between fantasy (imagining impossible or

improbable things) and reality

The writer’s friend Sam refers to the third level as - waking dream
wish fulfillment - According to Sam Charley was unhappy
 THE THIRD LEVEL (RECAP)

Sam’s Explanation Charley narrates his story

He was late at office and wanted to reach his apartment early.

Modern world Ancient world He reached Grand Central Station and came across many
people dressed in similar style.

Charley’s description

Charley reaches the first level- trains like 20th Century are seen, Suburban
trains on the second level, he reaches the arched gateway and gets lost

Description of Grand Central Station

 THE THIRD LEVEL (RECAP)

Charley reaches The Third Level

Narrates his desire to be at Galesburg of 1894

His wife Louisa asks him to stop thinking about it.

Unexpectedly, his friend Sam Weiner also disappears and they
both keep on looking for him in the weekends.

Found the first - day cover dated -July 18, 1894
-Price of stamp - 6 cent, dull brown, picture of
President Garfield
-There was a message inside, it was from Sam, the
psychiatrist friend, inviting Charley to Galesburg
with Louisa.
Details about how Sam had reached Galesburg
-He had purchased 800 dollars worth old currency
-He wanted to start hay and grain business
-Sam was none other than Charley’s psychiatrist!
1) How did Charley come to know that he had reached the third level?
Ans- Charley came to know that he had reached the third level when he saw
fewer ticket counters and an information booth which looked old as it was made
of wood. He saw gaslights that flickered and brass spittoons on the third level. The
men and women on that level were dressed in the fashion of the 1890s and he
also saw a Currier Ives steam engine which had a funnel shaped stack.
2) What is 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. The envelope is called a first day cover.
3) Why did Charley run away from the Third Level ?
Ans- Charley offered his currency notes to the ticket seller to buy two
tickets for Galesburg in 1894. But in 1894, the currency notes were different.
The ticket seller thought that Charley was trying to cheat him. Charley did
not want to go to jail in 1894, so he ran away.
4) Do you think The Third level was medium of escape for Charley? Why?
Ans- According to me, the third level was a medium of escape for Charley. He lived in
troubled times past World War II when life was full of struggles. In such a situation, it is
natural for a person to find an escape from problems. A chanced experience of going to
the third level, thereby travelling to the past in 1894, made Charley believe that he has
the opportunity to go back to his past and escaping from his problems. Even though he
returned to his real life and tried to forget the third level his friend Sam’s disappearance
forced him to believe in the existence of third level and a hope that he could also travel
in 1894 just like Sam.
5) Do you see any intersection of time and space in the story?
Ans- Yes, an intersection of time and space is seen in the story. Charley, as an
escapist moves in past from present. He reaches in the last century 1894, which is
practically impossible but due to his imagination he was shifted to the third level
and found himself desiring to go to Galesburg. The author Jack Finney is a science
fiction writer and presents the intersection of time and space. Thereby introducing
a futuristic concept which the readers may find illogical and improbable.
6) What do you infer from Sam’s letter to Charley?
Ans- The presence of Sam’s letter among Charley’s collection of first-day covers
was weird. The cover had a letter which was not blank, whereas the first day
covers included a blank page. Moreover, the date mentioned on the letter 18
July,1894 added to the confusion as neither Sam nor Charley existed at that time.
Thus, all points direct towards the conclusion that it was just a product of Charley’s
imagination.
7) ‘The modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and stress.’ What are the
ways in which we attempt to overcome them?
Ans- In today’s modern world, there are many negative aspects like stress,
pressure, fear, and insecurity which adds an unwanted weight to the smooth cycle
of life. To overcome these, it's important to engage in creative activities, take time
for yourself, read, meditate, or go for walks in nature. Weekend getaways, movie
nights with friends, or alone time at home can also help break away from the
routine.
8) In the story, ‘The Third Level’ by Jack Finney, Charley is obsessed with finding the
third level. In an attempt to thrash out whether this obsession is a good quality or a
harmful one, Charley’s wife expresses her thoughts in a diary entry.
As Louisa, Charley’s wife, write this diary entry. Support your response with
reference to the story.

You may begin this way:

I have been married to Charley for a few years now and I have always known him
to be an intelligent man with an imaginative mind. However, his recent obsession
with finding the Third Level has…….
9) The presidents of the New York Central and the New York, New Haven and Hartford
railroads will swear on a stack of timetables that there are only two. But I say there are
three, because I've been on the third level of the Grand Central Station. Yes, I've taken
the obvious step: I talked to a psychiatrist friend of mine, among others. I told him about
the third level at Grand Central Station, and he said it was a waking-dream wish
fulfillment. He said I was unhappy. That made my wife kind of mad, but he explained
that he meant the modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and all the rest of it,
and that I just want to escape. Well, who doesn't? Everybody I know wants to escape,
but they don't wander down into any third level at Grand Central Station.

a) Complete the given sentence appropriately.

Unlike the two levels that have 'a stack of timetables' to prove their existence,
the third level has __________.
Ans- no such evidence
or
only Charley’s imagination as a proof
9) The presidents of the New York Central and the New York, New Haven and Hartford
railroads will swear on a stack of timetables that there are only two. But I say there are
three, because I've been on the third level of the Grand Central Station. Yes, I've taken
the obvious step: I talked to a psychiatrist friend of mine, among others. I told him about
the third level at Grand Central Station, and he said it was a waking-dream wish
fulfillment. He said I was unhappy. That made my wife kind of mad, but he explained
that he meant the modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and all the rest of it,
and that I just want to escape. Well, who doesn't? Everybody I know wants to escape,
but they don't wander down into any third level at Grand Central Station.

b) Yes, I've taken the obvious step.

What is the narrator assuming that the reader is thinking when he says the above line?
Ans- The narrator is assuming that the reader might have considered him mad already.
c) Which of these is an example of 'a waking-dream wish fulfillment’ as described in the
extract?

A. Meenal loses her book and swears that it is her enemy who stole it.
B. Milind claims that he was petting his beloved dog whom he lost a few years ago.
C. Malini tells everyone that she saw a Cheetah though she herself knows it is a lie.
D. Mrinal thinks that he saw a spaceship in the sky which later turned out to be a normal
aircraft.
The presidents of the New York Central and the New York, New Haven and Hartford
railroads will swear on a stack of timetables that there are only two. But I say there are
three, because I've been on the third level of the Grand Central Station. Yes, I've taken
the obvious step: I talked to a psychiatrist friend of mine, among others. I told him about
the third level at Grand Central Station, and he said it was a waking-dream wish
fulfillment. He said I was unhappy. That made my wife kind of mad, but he explained
that he meant the modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and all the rest of it,
and that I just want to escape. Well, who doesn't? Everybody I know wants to escape,
but they don't wander down into any third level at Grand Central Station.

d) Based on the extract, what does the narrator think about the psychiatrist’s opinion?
Ans- The narrator didn’t agree to the psychiatrist’s opinion.
Summary

• "The Third Level" is a short story written by Jack Finney, which is set in Grand Central Station in
New York City. It revolves around the protagonist, Charley, who discovers a mysterious third
level at the train station, which leads to a bygone era (past time). The story is a blend of fantasy
and reality, and it explores the theme of escapism.

• The protagonist, Charley, is a man in his thirties who is struggling with his mundane (boring) life
and his job. He is fascinated by the idea of time travel and often daydreams about going back to
the past. One day, while going back home, he stumbles upon the third level at the train station.
He finds himself transported to a different time period, the year 1894, where he meets a
psychiatrist who helps him return to the present.

• The story ends on an ambiguous note, leaving the readers wondering whether the third level
was real or just a figment of Charley's imagination. It suggests that people may use escapism to
cope with their present problems and seek refuge in the past or the future.

• In conclusion, "The Third Level" is a thought-provoking story that explores the human tendency
to escape from reality. It highlights the importance of living in the present and facing our
problems instead of seeking refuge in the past or the future.