DEEP WATER

QUESTION ANSWERS

Short Answer Questions

1.Why did mother warn Douglas against river Yakima?

Mother warned Douglas against river Yakima, as it was treacherous. She kept him
updated with the details of people drowned in the river.

2. Why was YMCA pool safe ?

It was safe as it was only two to three feet deep at the shallow end and white it was
nine feet at the other end. The slope was gradual and so it was safe for a learner to
swim.

3. Why did Douglas refrain from going into the pool all alone on the fateful day?

On the fateful day, when Douglas reached the pool, he found himself all alone
there. The place was quiet and the stillness of water induced fear in him. Feeling
too timid to plunge into the water all by himself, he decided to wait for others to
come.

4. What misadventure did William Douglas experience at the YMCA pool?

One day when Douglas was sitting alone on one side of the YMCA pool waiting
for others to arrive, a big bruiser of a boy picked Douglas and tossed him into the
deep end for fun. He landed in a sitting position, swallowed water and went at once
to the bottom. He almost drowned.

5. Why did Douglas want to learn swimming?

Douglas was determined to overcome his fear of water because this fear had ruined
his fishing trips. Moreover, the fear deprived him of the pleasures of canoeing,
boating, and swimming. So he was determined to get an instructor and learn
swimming to get over his fear of water.

6. What did Douglas mean when he says, “The instructor was finished, but I was
not.”?
Having been trained for six months, Douglas was still apprehensive about
swimming all alone in the pool so he practiced for three months. Douglas then
moved to Lake Wentworth, from there he went westwards, where he subjected his
swimming to tough test till he felt fully satisfied.

7. What larger meaning did the drowning experience have for Douglas?

The almost drowning experience taught Douglas that death itself is not terrifying,
instead it is peaceful. There is terror in fear of death. Therefore it is necessary to
get over fear, otherwise man may have to die many a time before his life actually
comes to an end.

8. What intensified Douglas will to live?

Douglas had a unique experience – the sensation of dying and the terror that fear of
it can produce afterwards. Both these sensations intensified his will to live

Long Answer Questions

1. How did the instructor make Douglas a good swimmer ?

Value Points:

 The instructor gave a rigorous training

 Given practice 5 days a week, an hour a day at the YMCA pool

 Learnt swimming piece by piece

 Put a belt around Douglas

 A rope was attached to the belt

 The Rope went through the pulley

 Pulley ran on an overhead cable

 Went back and forth across the pool

 Taught how to exhale underwater

 Taught how to inhale outside it

 Taught him all the strokes of swimming

 Made him a perfect swimmer

2. How did Douglas try to save himself from drowning in the YMCA pool?

Value Points:

 flung into the swimming pool by a bully

 landed in a sitting position, swallowed water and went at once to the bottom

 Frightened but not out of his wits

 Planned a strategy to save himself

 He would make a big jump to come to the surface of water when his feet hit the
bottom

 Then would lie flat and paddle to the edge of the pool

 Could not succeed in his attempts.

 Panic seized him, limbs got numb and he fainted though he was saved finally.

3. Desire, determination and diligence lead to success. Explain the value of

these qualities in the light of Douglas’ experience in ‘Deep Water.

Value Points:

• Courage, determination and diligence help human beings to overcome obstacles

in life.

• The most appropriate example is William Douglas’ pursuit to overcome his fear
of water

• He had a morbid fear of water after his nightmarish experience at the YMCA
swimming pool

• Panic paralyzed his limps whenever he entered the water

• Determined to get rid of his handicap, he engaged an instructor to learn

swimming
• Learned the techniques of swimming through rigorous training

• Even after the training , he tested himself in water till he conquered his fear
completely