VISTAS- Chapter 1 THE THIRD LEVEL

By JACK FINNEY

Summary
The story revolves around a 31-year-old man named Charley, who experienced something
weird. One day after work coming from the Subway, he reached the third level of the Grand
Central station (which doesn’texist). He reminisces the entire experience with his psychiatrist
friend Sam. Charley thought he experienced time travel and had reached somewhere in the
eighteen-nineties, a time before the world saw two of its deadliest wars. As soon as he
realised what time he is in, he immediately decided to buy two tickets to Galesburg, Illinois:
one for himself and the other for his wife. Unfortunately, the currency used in that century
was different. Thus, the next day he withdrew all his savings and got them converted even if
it meant bearing losses. He went looking for the third level but failed to find it. It worried his
wife and the psychiatrist Sam who told him that he is hallucinating in order to take refuge
from reality and miseries of the modern world which is full of worry. Charley thus resorts to
his stamp collection in order to distract himself when suddenly one day he finds a letter from
his friend Sam who had gone missing recently. Sam wrote that he always wanted to believe
in the idea of third level and now that he is there himself, he encourages Charley and Louisa
to never stop looking for it.

POINTS TO REMEMBER

 Charley discovers the third level at Grand Central station

 Tells his psychiatrist friend Sam about his discovery
 Sam dismisses it by saying it was ‘a waking dream wish fulfilment’ , an escape from the
modern world’s fears and insecurities
 His friends regard his hobby of stamp collecting also a refuge from reality
 Charley disagrees saying that even his grandfather used to have this hobby and things were
very peaceful then
 Charley gives an account of how he discovered the third level

1. One evening after a long day’s work in the office was in a hurry to get back home
2. Decided to take the subway from Grand Central station
3. Having found no train from the first level of the station, Charley went down to the
second level.
4. While waiting for a train on the second level, Charley found a door and tunnel down
5. Following the tunnel, he took steps down and reached the third level of the station.
6. Realizes that the third level is very different from the present world – men & women
dressed in the old French style, the gas lamps , brass spittoons , old locomotives , the
newspaper ,The World ,dated June 11, 1894
7. At the ticket counter he tries to buy for two tickets( for himself and his wife) to
Galesburg –to the world of 1894
8. Fails as the currency is different , so returns to the present world

 Next day Charley goes back to Grand Central with some old currency
 Begins searching for the tunnel that led to the third level but cannot locate it any more.
 Returns home disappointed and resumes his normal life
 His psychiatrist friend disappears
 Sam’s letter arrives from Galesburg -1894 with the first day cover
 The letter also corroborates Charley’s belief in the third level.

THEME

The story dwells on the theme of escapism, not only as a psychological refuge from the grim
realities of the present day world but also as a desire to stay with the past or to keep the past
alive in the complexities of the present

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

1. What, according to the psychiatrist, was Charley’s problem?
2. Why does Charley feel that Grand Central is growing like a tree?
3. How did Charley make sure that he had travelled in the past?
4. Describe Galesburg, as it existed in the year 1894.
5. In which context did Charley say, “eggs were thirteen cents a dozen in 1894”?
6. What made Louisa, Charley’s wife, believe that the third level was a reality?
7. What is a first day cover?
8. Who had sent the first day cover and what was written on it?

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

1. Describe the Grand Central Station at the third level.

2. What was reaction of the Clerk at the Ticket counter? Why?
3. Why is the fact that Sam has moved to the third level ironical?
4. Imagination is a ‘temporary refuge from reality’ Explain.

******