THE THIRD

LEVEL
JACK FINNEY
 Q1. Do you think that the third level
was a medium of escape for Charley?
Why?
Ans.

• Yes, I think that the third level was a medium of escape for
Charley
• Life in modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worries and
stress. Man has to confront them all the times.
• The harsh realities of life make living quite unpleasant and even
unbearable. So, he wants to escape into a wishful world.
• The third level is the world somewhere between desire,dream
and reality.
Q2. What do you infer from Sam’s
letter to Charley?
Ans.
-> The way Charley discovered Sam’s letter was rather
peculiar.
-> It was one of the first-day covers people used to mail to
themselves back in time with a blank page inside.
-> The cover had a letter in it and not a blank page in it.
-> The letter was dated back to July 18,1894.
->Sam had learnt to transport himself into the time period of his
ancestors.
->So what we could infer from his letter was that he believed that
life back in time was much more simpler and authentic than the life
in present.
 Q3.  ‘The modern world is full of
insecurity, fear, war, worry and
stress.’ What are the ways in which
we attempt to overcome them?
Ans.
• There are various ways in which we can attempt to overcome insecurity,
fear, worry and stress.
• Simple activities like listening to music, playing with pets, watching
cinema or plays or going to places like parks etc.
• Reading good books is equivalent to having good friends with great
insight. They not only enrich us with the vast store of knowledge but also
help us to learn from other's experience and stay rooted to some basic
qualities of humanity.
• Spending time with family and friends, going on trips and excursions,
pursuing meditation and exercises help us live a balanced and healthy
life.
Q4. Do you see an intersection of
time and space in the story?
Ans.
• Yes, there are several instances in the story that show a time-space intersection.
• Firstly, The Grand Central Station's first two floors were presently located when the
third floor existed in the 1890s.
• Secondly, Charley and his aunt, Louisa, are living in the present time and rushing to
get old currency to buy two tickets to go to the 1894 Galesburg.
• Also, the platform's old design at the third level is distinct from the first two levels'
new platforms. In fact, the manner in which people dress, and the journal, The Times,
dated June 11, 1984, also contrast with the real-time culture and life of Charley.
• Finally, the letter sent to Charley 's grandfather on July 18, 1894, shows the
intersection of time and space as the sender and the receiver belong to the present. 
Q5 . Apparent illogicality sometimes
turns out to be a futuristic
projection? Discuss. 
Ans.

• It is true that often, apparent illogicality turns out to be a futuristic

projection.
• No-one could have dared to believe that man could fly before the
Wright Brothers invented the first airplane.
• It would have been difficult to believe in long-distance talks occurring
in the real-time system before Alexander Graham Bell invented the
telephone.
• All of this highlights that one-point visions which seem illogical turn
out to be groundbreaking things that alter mankind's future.
Q6. 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.
•In addition to philately, there are other ways to help keep the past alive.
•Collecting historical objects, drawings and inscriptions in a museum, collecting
and reading books written in various periods such as autobiographies, bio-
sketches, letters and diary entries, collecting and watching documentaries and
other videos are some ways to explore history.

• Reviving old temples, buildings and other objects can also provide an immense
learning opportunity for those visiting these sites, while at the same time
encouraging tourism. 

•A great gift that we humans have is the capacity to oscillate between the past, the
present and the future. This helps us to prepare for the future in the present by
keeping in mind the past benefits.

•Like a student makes an action plan to fix the poor areas further and score higher
in the future, taking into account the past outcome .
Credits