3. Deep Water (William Douglas)
Short
Answer Type questions :
Q.1 Describe the writer’s experience when he was
of three or four years.OR Which incident created water aversion in
the writer’s mind?
Ans. The writer’s
father took him to the beach in California. Both of them were in seawater. Then a wave knocked him down.
It swept over the writer and buried him in water. His breath was broken. The
incident created an aversion to water in the writer’s mind.
Q.2 What did the 18-years old boy do the writer
and why?
Ans. The writer was
afraid of going into the pool alone. So he was waiting for someone to come.
Then a boy of eighteen came there. First, he made fun of the writer. He called
him skinny. After that, he picked him up and threw him into deep water. He did it
just out of fun.
Q.3 Why was the writer at first not much
frightened when he was thrown into the pool?
Ans. The writer was
hopeful to come to the surface very soon. While going down into the water, he
made a plan. He would spring up as soon as his feet touched the bottom of the
pool. So he was not frightened.
Q.4 How did the writer feel when he stopped all
efforts to save himself?
Ans. The writer felt
relaxed. Even his legs became inactive. He felt darkness in his brain. There
was no fear and panic. All was quiet and peaceful. He felt drowsy. He was too
tired to jump. Those were the moments of giving up all to God.
Q.5 What did the writer remember as he came to his
senses after the misadventure at the pool?
Ans. He remembered
that he was lying on his stomach. He was vomiting. The boy who had thrown him
into the pool was also there. He was saying that he had done that only as fun.
Another person was saying that the kid had nearly died.
Q.6 How was the writer affected by his
misadventure at the pool?
Ans. It affected the
writer badly. It created fear of water in his mind. After that, he never went
to the pool. On that night, he reached home trembling. He could not eat that
night. Thus the misadventure affected him physically and mentally.
Q.7 Why was Douglas determined to get over his
fear of water?
Ans. The writer
wanted to bathe in the warm lakes and cascades or wade in Tieton or Bumping River. But the fear of water would paralysed
his legs. His heart would freeze. Sometimes he wished to fishing, boating, and
swimming. So the writer determined to get over his fear of water.
Q.8 How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?
Ans. First, he got
training from an instructor. He taught him swimming piece by piece. He
continued to practise swimming for four months. Then he swam two miles in
Wentworth Lake. Fear of water came off and on. But he did not care for it.
Finally, in the warm lake, he succeeded in overcoming the fear of water.
Q.9 How did Douglas make sure that he had
conquered the old terror?
Ans. After training
of swimming, the writer wanted to make sure that he had conquered the old
terror. For this, he practised swimming alone in the pool. Then he went to Wentworth
Lake. He swam into it for two miles. Finally, he conquered the fear of water in the warm
lake.
Q.10 The writer says, “The instructor was
finished. But I was not finished.” Why?
Ans. The writer’s
instructor trained him in swimming. Then he said his job was finished. But the
writer’s job was still unfinished. He was to finish his fear of water by
practising swimming alone. That is the reason why the writer says “ ..... I was
not finished.”
General
Answer :
The writer Douglas had a fear of water since
childhood. But he had a strong desire for swimming. The swimming pool of
Y.M.C.A was safe for swimming. He tried to swim into the pool three or four
times. One day a misadventure happened. A boy of 18 threw him into deep water
just for fun. He was nearly drowned. That incident created almost permanent
fear in his mind. The terror for water became stranger in is mind. Whenever he
put his feet into the water, the fear of water made him weak. But he wanted to
conquer fear in order to enjoy swimming, bathing, fishing and boating. He got
training in swimming. After that, he practised swimming for months alone. He
swam alone in Wentworth Lake. He swam in the lake for two miles. Finally, he
conquered fear in a warm lake.
Q.1 How did Douglas overcome /conquer his fear of
water?
Q.2 How did the instructor make a swimmer out of Douglas?
Ans. For Q.1 & Q. 2, see the answer above
(General)
Q.3 How does Douglas describe the panic that gripped
him as he almost drowned himself? What makes the description so vivid (clear)?
OR
Narrate briefly the writer’s emotions and
fears when he was thrown into the pool. What plans did he make to come to the
surface ?
OR
What was the misadventure’ of the Y.M.C.A.
pool that the writer William Douglas speaks about?
Ans. The misadventure
was that a grown-up boy picked up and threw him into the deep water of the pool. In
the beginning, he was not so much afraid. He had a plan in his mind. As soon as
his feet touched the bottom of the pool he would spring up and come to the
surface. But he failed to do so. He felt weak. His legs and arms would not
move. He became panicky. Twice he tried to come up, but in vain his effort
proved. He tried to cry; he tried to
call his mother, but all was dark before his eyes. At last, his efforts stopped.
He left everything to God. He became unconscious. When he came to his senses,
he found himself lying on his stomach and he was vomiting Thus he nearly got drowned.
