Class XII English

Vistas Chapter 1: The Third Level

Read and Find Out

1. What does the third level refer to?

The third level refers to the subway of the Grand Central Station that takes passengers to Galesburg, Illinois.
Although Charley, the protagonist of the story, strongly believes in its existence, in reality, there are only two levels.
Suffocated by the complexities of the modern world, Charley tries to evade reality by hallucinating. The third level
is a figment of his imagination. It provided him a base where he could interweave fantasy and reality. His Psychiatrist
friend Sam Weiner calls it “a waking-dream wish fulfillment.”

2. Would Charley ever go back to the ticket-counter on the third level to buy tickets to Galesburg for himself and
his wife?

Charley desired to go on a trip to Galesburg, Illinois with his wife Louisa and hence wanted two tickets. He went
to the ticket counter at the third level but could not buy them as the currency he had with him was quite different.
So, he went back, drew three hundred dollars from the bank and converted them into “the old-style currency.”
However, he could never again find the corridor that led to the third level. His wife was worried upon hearing
everything. Thus, Charley became busy with his stamps. So, he stopped looking for the third level after a while.

Reading with Insight

1. Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why?

Yes, I think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley.

Burdened by the pressure of the modern world, Charley derived solace from resorting back to the world that
was rather peaceful and calm. The Third Level became a part of his imaginary world because of his tendency to
hallucinate. Today’s fast-paced and competitive world provides little incentive to relax and reflect. Often, we are
exhausted from chasing after our material goals. In fact, the Modern world “is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry.”
The complexities of Modern Life fueled Charley’s escapism and provoked him to hallucinate about the Third Level at
Grand Central Station. According to his Psychiatrist, it was nothing but “a waking-dream wish-fulfillment.” Thus,
Charley possessed an escapist tendency. Even his stamp collecting was also a ‘temporary refuge from reality’.

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

Sam’s letter to Charley is quite an enigma. After Sam Weiner, Charley’s psychiatrist friend disappears,
Charley discovers that a first-day cover had been mailed to his grandfather at his home in Galesburg. It had remained
there since July 18, 1894, and was kept unopened. A letter lies inside the cover instead of it being blank. The
postmark shows the Picture of President Garfield. It is perplexing that the letter comes from Sam who “got to
wishing” and then “got to believing” that Charley was right about the Third Level. Ironically, this psychiatrist who
previously dismissed Charley’s experience at the Third Level as “a waking-dream wish fulfillment” now not only
claims to have found The Third Level but also invites Charley and Louisa to join him. This is baffling as Charley and
Sam exist in the same time period whereas the letter claims to have arrived from as far back as 1894. This gives us a
hint of different versions of time and reality that seem to exist in our consciousness. It is possible that Sam was
reminiscing about the old times and replaying different scenarios in his head. The letter, therefore, could just be a
figment of his overheated imagination.

3. ‘The modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and stress.’ What are the ways in which we attempt to
overcome them?
 The Modern World is complex and boisterous. To escape from the stress and exhaustion, we all need to
dissociate ourselves from the mundane activities for a while. We can recharge ourselves in different ways that we
find pleasurable. One can sit back at home, read books of his choice and fill his mind with words of wisdom.
Inspiration can come through engaging in activities like art and craft, writing a poem and letting the creative juices
flow. Meditation and Yoga help to relieve stress and replenish our energy levels. Spending alone time and
introspecting can help us deal with the complexities of life. Playing with our pet or taking a long walk amid nature
can soothe the mind. Interacting with friends and families, travelling and exploring the world can make us more
energetic. Recreational activities like watching movies and even connecting with people who have the same interest
as us can provide us a sense of emotional support. It is important to invest time in doing what we are passionate
about so that we can get in touch with our inner selves.

4. Do you see an intersection of time and space in the story?

“The Third Level” by Jack Finney is replete with the intersection of time and space. The very first instance is the
existence of Third Level in the Grand Central Station which dates back to the 1890s whereas the other two levels
exist in the current times. Charley’s entrance to the third level is mystifying in terms of time and space. The
architecture of the third level differed from the first two, and “the information booth in the centre was wood and old
looking.” The costumes of both men and women dated back to 1890s, and the author was bewildered by the
“beards, sideburns and fancy moustaches” of many men, he came across. The locomotive and even the Newspaper
dated June 11, 1894, overlapped with the reality he was living in. Charley is in the present times but buys old-style
currency to go on a trip to the Galesburg of 1894 with Louisa. The Letter from Sam is dated July 18, 1894. In reality,
however, both Charley and Sam belong to the present times. This reflects how time and space overlap in the story
and makes it even more amusing for the readers.

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

There are a lot of instances which prove that apparently unrealistic imaginations have successfully
materialised. Many scientists and inventors were apparently scorned at for their ideas. They were initially rejected,
and their inventions were mocked. However, it were these inventions and ideas that, after a generation later,
revolutionised the world. Thomas Alva Edison’s light bulb, Alexander Graham Bell’s Telephone and even Gutenberg’s
Printing Press received apprehensive remarks. Today, we would fall behind had these geniuses not thought
differently. Many of the inspirations for scientific discoveries, literary creations and inventions were derived from
dreams. The world of Science Fiction stimulates us to look beyond the present world and dive into potential reality.
Thus, imagination and thoughts can transcend practicality and provide us with a deeper insight into the 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?

Apart from philately(stamp collection), there are numerous other ways to help keep the past alive. The past can
stay alive in photographs, recordings, videos, documentaries. Often written documents like
autobiographies, diaries help us to connect with the memories of the past. Even Literary creations and Oral history
can throw light on many historical scenarios and enable us to look at the past from the viewpoint of personal
experience. Old artifacts, monuments, buildings, sculptures provide a great deal of knowledge about the
past. Museums preserve the remains of different eras and civilizations which stand as a testimony to the evolution of
mankind.

The human tendency to oscillate between the past, present and future facilitates us to progress and
evolve. Connecting with the past helps in understanding how social structures, institutions and human society had
worked. We can be aware of the follies committed in the past. This knowledge can be used to prevent the same
mistakes from being made in the future. While studying the past helps us to understand the present situation
better, envisioning the future is necessary to manifest our goals. Foresight into the future can be instrumental in
making necessary changes in the present so that we can have brighter days ahead.
7. You have read ‘Adventure’ by Jayant Narlikar in Hornbill Class XI. Compare the interweaving of fantasy and
reality in the two stories.

In ‘Adventure’ Professor Gaitonde oscillates between fantasy and reality. He collides with a truck while thinking
about Catastrophe Theory. In the world he visits, Bombay looks more like England. As he goes to Asiatic Society and
searches the History books, he is astonished by the information he revives. In this world, the Marathas have won the
battle of Panipat and Vishwasrao narrowly escaped from death. The victory of the Marathas has contributed to an
altogether different reality here. However, upon returning to his own world, he discovers Vhiswasrao had died and
an entirely different course of the event followed. This brings to our mind the possibility of the existence of a
parallel universe. Similarly, in ‘The Third Level’ Charley believes in the existence of a third level when only two had
been constructed in reality. His hallucinations even lead him to buy old-style currency to travel to Galesburg of 1894.
Two different time periods overlap as Charley receives a letter from Sam dated July 18, 1894, when in reality both of
them exist in the present times. Thus, both stories are based upon the intermixing of space and time.

 Extra Questions:
1. What was Charley’s vision about Galesburg town?
Charley thought that Galesburg was still a wonderful town. In that century in 1894, people used to sit on
their lawns, having sufficient time to talk to each other, smoking cigars, women waving palm-leaf fans in very
long summer evenings, overall, it was a peaceful and friendly place.
2. Why did Charley rush back from the third level?
When Charley took out the modem currency to pay for the two tickets to Galesburg, the ticket clerk accused
him of trying to cheat him. He threatened to hand Charley over to the police. Charley was frightened and he
decided to rush back from the third level, lest he was arrested and put into prison.
3. When and how did Charley find the letter of Sam?
One night, while fussing with his stamp collection, Charley found, among his oldest first-day covers, the
letter of Sam with a six-cent stamp mailed to his Granddad earlier into his collection.
4. How much old currency did Sam buy?
Sam bought the old currency worth eight hundred dollars.
5. What business did Sam want to do?
Sam wanted to do the business of hay, feed and grain.
6. What did the ticket clerk say to Charley?
The ticket-clerk scolded Charley that that was not the real currency which he was having. Additionally, he
warned Charley that if he was trying to skin him, he would not go very far. He would be imprisoned.
7. ‘But now we are both looking….’ What does this refer to? Explain.
The above mentioned words were said by Charley as he and his wife Louisa, both every weekend started to
search the third level because they had the proof. Charley’s friend Sam disappeared and apparently found
the third level. So, they both Charley and Louisa were looking for the third level.
8. Why did Charley meet a psychiatrist?
Charley met a psychiatrist, since he was in a dilemma. He felt sure that he had been on the third level of the
Grand Central Station, which everyone knows has only two levels. Even the Presidents of the railroads would
swear on a stack of timetables that there were only two levels.
9. What was the psychiatrist’s diagnosis?
The psychiatrist said that Charlie was unhappy. The modern world, full of insecurity, fear, war and worry
oppressed him, and he just wanted to escape.
10. What proof did the psychiatrist provide?
Charley’s psychiatrist and his friends said that his stamp-collecting was an indication of his desire to seek “a
temporary refuge from reality”, as was his collection of first-day covers.
11. What was Charley’s argument when the psychiatrist told him that the stamp collection was a temporary
refuge from reality?
Charley argued that his grandfather lived in nice and peaceful times, yet he was the one who had started the
 stamp collection. He did not need any “temporary refuge from reality”. He added that President Roosevelt
collected stamps too.
12. What was the psychiatrist’s reaction when Charley told him about ‘The Third Level’?
The psychiatrist told him that it was a walking-dream wish fulfillment. He also told that Charley was
unhappy.
13. What is the world filled up with?
The world is filled up with insecurity, fear, war .worry and a lot of tensions. On the other hand, there is joy,
satisfaction, security and positivity in the world also.
14. What, according to the author is ‘Stamp Collecting’ ?
According to the author, stamp collecting is a ‘temporary refuge from reality’. Its an escapement from
worldly worries.
15. What happened with Charley at Grand Central Station?
At Grand Central Station, Charley entered into a subway to get the train to his home but he was misdirected
and entered into another way that was, according to him ‘The Third Level’.
16. How does Charley describe Galesburg, Illinois, 1894?
Charley describes it as a wonderful town with a leisurely way of life with big old frame houses, huge lawns,
tremendous trees and a peaceful and tranquil world. During summer evenings, people sat in their lawns,
with men smoking cigars and women waving palm-leaf fans. The first World War was twenty years away and
the second World War was forty years into the future.
17. What is a first-day cover?
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. They are
never opened. One just puts a blank paper inside the envelope.
18. What role does the first-day cover play in the story?
One night, while fussing with his stamp collection, Charley comes across a first-day cover that should not
have been there. It had been mailed to his grandfather at his home in Galesburg in July 18, 1894. However,
instead of a blank paper, it contained a letter for Charley from Sam. It urged him to come back to the third
level with Louisa, and keep looking for it till he found it.
19. What was the content of the note that Sam wrote to Charley?
Sam said that he had found the third level, and that he had already been there for two weeks, that life was
peaceful, calm and tranquil in nineteenth century. He urged Charley and Louisa to go back to the third level
and keep looking for it till they found it.
20. How was Charley often lost on the Grand Central Station?
Charley had went to the Grand Central Station hundreds of times. However, at times, he was always lost in
new doorways and corridors. Once, he entered a tunnel and came out in the lobby of a hotel. Another time,
he reached in an office building.
21. How did Charley compare the Grand Central to a huge tree? Why?
Charley always found new tunnels and staircase at the Grand Central. He began to suspect that Grand
Central was like a huge tree. It used to push out new corridors and tunnels like the roots of a tree.
22. How did Charley reach the third level?
Charley had been late to his office. He desired to reach home early. So he went to Grand Central to catch a
suburban train. He was lost in a corridor. He thought it was the second level. But he had reached the third
level.
23. What did Charley find in the third level?
At the third level, Charley saw the people wearing old-fashioned dress, an old locomotive, newspaper dated
June 11, 1894, brass spittoons, flickering gas same lights and many other things related to that century.
24. What do you understand by escapement?
Escapement, in this sense means the saving of oneself from worldly worries like insecurity, fear, war, worry
and a lot.
25. “I’ve taken the obvious step”. Explain.
Nobody believed on Charley’s statement about ‘The Third Level’. His wife was alarmed and brought him to
the psychiatrist. Charley himself needed to meet the psychiatrist. It was an ‘obvious step’.
26. How did Charley realise that he was on the third level?
Charley realised this as there were fewer ticket windows; the information booth was of wood and old-
looking. The lights were flickering as they were open-flame gaslights. There were brass spittoons on the
floor. The locomotive had a funnel-shaped stack.
27. How did Charley make sure that he had actually travelled in the past?
Charley went to a news stand. He saw the stack of newspapers. It was The World which was not published
any longer. The lead story was about President Cleveland. Later, he discovered in the public library files that
it was printed on June 11, 1894.
28. Why did Charley rush back from the third level?
Charley wanted two tickets for Galesburg. But when he offered the fare, his money was different-looking
from the money of those days. The clerk thought the money was fake. He threatened to get Charley
arrested. Charley rushed back to escape.
29. How did Charley learn that his psychiatrist friend had reached Galesburg of 1894?
One day, Charley discovered a first-day cover in his stamp collection. It was addressed to his grandfather at
his Galesburg address. In it, he found a letter of July 18, 1894, addressed to him by Sam. This proved that
Sam had reached Galesburg of 1894.
30. What did Sam write to Charley from Galesburg?
Sam had written to Charley that he had discovered the third level and reached Galesburg. He found
Galesburg to be peaceful and friendly as Sam had described to him. He exhorted Charley to keep looking for
the third level and reach Galesburg.
31. How do you find the ending of the story surprising?
Sam was a psychiatrist. He got worried about Charley as he told Sam that he reached the third level. He
firmly believed it did not exist. However, he himself was not only convinced but also escaped to Galesburg.
32. What does the third level refer to? What is the significance of the third level?
The third level is a medium of escape through which man yearns to be away from life’s harsh realities.
Modem life is devoid of peace and tranquility so man in his quest to seek solace escapes to a place where his
aim is to seek the realization of his dreams and unfulfilled wishes of his subconscious mind.
33. What convinced Charley that he had reached the third level at Grand Central Station and not the second
level?
The general layout of the third level was different from that of the second level. It had comparatively smaller
rooms, fewer ticket windows and lesser train gates. The information booth in the centre was made of wood
and looked old. The place with its brass spittoons did not look very bright. So Charley was convinced it was
not the second level.
34. How does Charley, the narrator describe the third level at Grand Central Station?
Charley says that the rooms on the third level were smaller than that of the second level. There were fewer
ticket windows and train gates and the information booth in the centre was wood and old looking. There
were open- flame gaslights and brass spittoons on the floor. Everyone at the station was dressed in
nineteenth century dresses.
35. How did Charley make sure that he was not in the present time?
To make sure that he was not in the present time, Charley did a reality check. He looked at the newspapers
which were on sale at a kiosk and found a copy of the newspaper ‘The World’, which carried the main story
on President Cleveland. Then he confirmed from the Public Library files that the newspaper he had seen was
dated 11th June, 1894.
36. How did Charley often get lost on the Grand Central Station?
The Grand Central Station was growing like a tree pushing out endless corridors, doorways and stairs like
roots. It had intricate and tangled pathways. The network of passages was so complicated that instead of
 reaching his destination, one did tend to move up and down to look for entries and exits. So, Charley often
got lost on this station.
37. Why did Charley suspect that Sam had gone to Galesburg?
When Sam disappeared all of a sudden and no one knew about his whereabouts, Charley suspected he had
gone to Galesburg as Sam was a city boy and liked Galesburg very much. Then Charley found an envelope
mailed to Sam by his grandfather from his home in Galesburg and so it confirmed that Sam was indeed in
Galesburg.
38. What did Charley learn about Sam from the stamp and coin store?
From the stamp and coin store Charley gets to know that Sam had bought old style currency worth eight
hundred dollars. This money was sufficient to set him up in a little hay, feed and grain business in Galesburg.
39. How did Sam reach Galesburg? What did he advise Charley to do?
Sam was fascinated by Charley’s description of Galesburg. He was so burdened by the tensions and stress of
modem life that he thought of escaping to the peaceful world of Galesburg. His advice to Charley is that, he
(Charley) and his wife, Louisa should come over to Galesburg through the medium of the ‘third level’.
40. Why did the booking clerk refuse to accept the money?
The booking clerk refuses to accept the money because the notes Charley had given him were of old style.
He did not pay in the currency notes that were in circulation in 1894. So the clerk stared at him and told him,
“That ain’t money, Mister”. He thought Charley was trying to cheat him and even threatened to get him
arrested.

Long Answer Type: Answer each of the following questions in about 125-150 words.

1. Why did Charley again want to go to the third level?

As once Charley had visited the third level in his imaginations, he found and noticed a big difference and as
Galesburg was in his thought since starting to find the peace, he became totally satisfied but after reaching
to the ticket-window, he came to know that he was unable to buy tickets or to do any transaction due to lack
of the currency of those days. He realised it and returned to the real life to buy some old time currency from
the exchange and then to return to the third level and Galesburg to stay there permanently.
He actually wanted to buy two tickets to Galesburg for himself and his wife as he was sure that in Galesburg,
people lived without worldly worries and had enough time to spend with each other. Things were also very
cheap and with the money with him, he would be able to survive there easily. So, Charley wanted to return
to the third level for his escapement and satisfaction, though the third level actually did not exist, it was only
his imagination.

2. How did Charley reach the third level of Grand Central? How was it different from the other levels?
One night Charley worked till late at the office. Then he was in a hurry to get back to his apartment. So he
decided to take the subway from Grand Central. He went down the steps and came to the first level. Then he
walked down to the second level from where the suburban trains left. He ducked into an arched doorway
that headed to the subway. Then he got lost. Knowing that he was going wrong he continued to walk
downward. The tunnel turned a sharp left and then taking a short flight of stairs he came out on the third
level at the Grand Central Station. Here he saw many unusual things. There were very few ticket windows
and train gates that were old-looking and made of wood. Dim gaslights flickered and men wore derby hats
and four-button suits. It was a rather strange world of sideburns, beards and fancy moustaches.

3. Discuss the importance of Sam’s letter to Charley.

Charley, the protagonist of the story, gives up hope of ever finding the third level again and resumes his
hobby of collecting stamps. It is then that he comes across the first- day cover which he had not seen before
and should not have been there. It carried the stamp of July 18, 1894, and had been posted from Galesburg,
Illinois. As he reads the content of the letter, a shocked Charley realises that it was from Sam, his psychiatrist
 friend. Though he had earlier hoped that the third level existed, now he had actually found it and been there
for two weeks.
Very different from the modern world full of stress, worry and insecurities, Sam describes it as a peaceful
place, full of warm and friendly people and an old-world charm. He urges Charley and Louisa not to stop
their search and not give up, till they find the third level. Thus, Sam reaffirms Charley’s conviction about the
existence of the third level.

4. Charley wanted to go home quickly but he reached the third level. How did he get there?
One summer night, Charley was late at the office. As he wanted to get home quickly, he decided to take the
subway from Grand Central. He went into the Grand Central and went to the steps of the first level. Then he
went down another flight of stairs to reach the second level. He found an arched doorway and was lost in
the corridor where he was slanted downwards. He thought it to be wrong. But he continued walking. He
found nobody on the way. From there, the tunnel took a sharp turn to the left.
He went down a short flight of stairs. For a moment he perceived, he had once again come back to the
second level. However, everything there was different and old-fashioned. There were fewer ticket windows.
The information booth in the centre was made of wood and looked very old. It was then he realised
suddenly that he had reached the third level.

5. What was the third level like? How did Charley know he had bumped into the past?
There was no third level at the Grand Central. It was only Charley’s journey into the past. The third level
appeared to be railway station of about a century ago. The rooms were smaller and ticket windows were
few. The information booth in the centre was of wood and old-fashioned. The man in the booth wore sleeve
protectors and a green eyeshade.
Lights were flickering as they were open-flame gaslights. Brass spittoons were found on the floor. Most
people bore beards and side burns and fancy moustache. He saw a man had a gold watch. A woman wore a
dress with leg-of-mutton sleeves and high buttoned shoes. The locomotive was small with a funnel-shaped
stack. A newsboy had stack of The World. It was published on June 11, 1894. It made Charley sure that he
had bumped into the past.

6. Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why?
The fears, anxieties and insecurities of the modem world are taking a toll on man’s mind. He feels helpless
and frustrated and seeks temporary respite from life’s harsh realities. Charley too was unable to cope up
with his fast paced and stressful life so his flight to the third level was undoubtedly a medium of escape for
him. It is nothing but a creation of Charley’s own mind. He wants to escape from the modern world’s
insecurity, fear, worries and stress and so seeks an exit, a medium to get away into the world of dreams and
fancies.

7. What is being inferred from Sam’s letter to Charley?

Sam’s letter to Charley is dated 18th July, 1894. It is written from Galesburg, Illinois. In response to Charley’s
claim of having visited the third level, Sam who is equally insecure wishes the entire episode is true, as he
too believes in the existence of the third level. There are some inferences made by the letter. The
introductory part of the letter confirms Charley’s belief in the existence of the third level. It also suggests
that those who find the third level can travel across to Galesburg and enjoy the festivities, songs, music and
peaceful world of the 1890s. So the author uses Sam’s letter as a unique combination of the real and fantasy
world.

8. What made Charley believe that the was actually standing at the third level?
One night Charley worked late at the office. He was in a hurry to get to his apartment. So he decided to take
the subway from Grand Central. He ducked into an arched doorway and then he got lost. He walked down
 the steps to the second level, turned left and kept on walking. He came out on the third level at the Grand
Central Station. This was a different, old and romantic world. So he was convinced that he was actually
standing at the third level. There were fewer ticket windows there which were made of wood and were old-
looking. There were open flame gaslights. He saw people with beards, sideburns and fancy moustaches.
Then he caught a glimpse of an old locomotive and also saw an 1894 issue of ‘The World’ newspaper.
Perhaps Charley is under pressure to escape from the harsh world of realities. He would like to escape to the
peaceful world of 1894.

9. What kind of people did Charley ‘See’ at the third level?

Having worked late at the office Charley decided to take a train back home. So he came to Grand Central
Station and from the second level he got lost while ducking into an arched doorway and found himself inside
a tunnel. This tunnel took him to another light of stairs and he found himself on the third level of the station.
As compared to the second level, the third level had smaller rooms, fewer ticket windows and train gates.
Everyone there was dressed in ‘eighteen-ninety-something’. Charley came across men and women wearing
19th century dresses. Men sported fancy moustaches, beards and sideburns. Tiny lapels, four-button suits,
derby hats and pocket gold watches seemed to be in vogue. Women were wearing fancy cut sleeves, long
skirts and high-buttoned shoes. Charley was confused to see people sporting old-fashioned clothes and hair
styles at the third level.

10. How does Charley make his description of the third level very realistic?
To make his description of the third level very realistic, Charley describes its minute details, vividly
comparing it to the second level of the Grand Central station. He says the rooms here were smaller. There
were fewer ticket windows and train gates, and the information booth was wooden and old-looking. He also
gives a detailed description about the people he saw at the third level and their dresses. He says the people
wore nineteenth century dresses; many men had beards, sideburns and fancy moustaches. He also buys
tickets to Galesburg, Illinois thus making the reader believe that he was actually at the third level.