1. The Third Level: Writer: Jack Finney (Notes
Prepared by Shish Pal Chauhan)
Short-Answer Type Qs
Q1. How does Jack Finney describe the Grand
Central like the roots of a tree?
Ans. Jack Finney describes that the Grand Central is growing
like a tree. He finds new corridors and staircases coming out in front of him.
He compares them to the roots of a tree, which are often invisible.
Ans. Everything was quite different at the third level for
Charley. The rooms were smaller. There were fewer ticket windows. The lights
were dim and flickering because they were open-flame gaslights. There were
brass spittoons on the floors.
Ans. The people Charley saw in his reverie
were dressed in the old style of the year 1890 or something. They wore derby
hats and four buttoned suits with small lapels. Men had beard, side-whiskers and
mustaches.
Ans. Charley was unable to purchase tickets
from the window because he had modern currency. It was invalid because old
style bills were accepted at the booking window. The next day Charley managed
to get old style bills to purchase two tickets.
Ans. When a new stamp is issued, the stamp
collectors buy some. They use them on envelopes, write their own addresses and
post them into the mailbox. They also put a blank paper inside the envelopes.
It is done on the first day of the sale of the new stamps. They keep the
date-stamped envelope in record.
Q.6. How did the psychiatrist friend react to his description of the third level at the Grand Central Station?
Ans. His friend, Sam did not believe it and
said that it was the product of his imagination only. He called it a waking
dream wish fulfillment. He also added that Charley’s stamp collecting hobby was
a medium of his escape from reality.
Ans. The writer defends himself from the
allegation of escaping from the real world. He admits that it is a temporary
refuge from reality. He adds that his grandfather was also in the habit of collecting
stamps. Life was peaceful and without many problems. There was no need of
escaping from real life in those days.
Ans. The envelope mailed to Charley’s
grandfather was showing July 18, 1894. A note was also written by Sam,
admitting his arrival at Glasberg through the third level. He also invited
Charley and his wife Louisa to reach there.
Ans. The third level was really a medium of
escape for Charley, who was also a victim of stressful life of the modern age.
People get themselves lost in the world of their imagination by various means
of escape. Stamp collecting is one of them.
Long Answer-type Qs. (Notes Prepared by Shish
Pal Chauhan)
Q1. How often did Charlie get lost at the
Grand Central Station?
Ans. One day Charley worked for more time at
office. So, he was late for home. So, he took the subway from the Grand Central
to reach the second level of it. From there he was to catch a train. He started
walking quickly. He reached the second level. But all of a sudden, he lost his
way there. He entered a corridor that had a left turn. It was also slanting
somewhat downwards. It was like a tunnel. He met no one on the way. There was
dead silence. Even he could hear the sound of his own footsteps. Then
the corridor took a sharp left turn. After coming down a flight of stairs he
reached the third level of the Grand Central Station.
Ans. Everything was quite different at the
third level for Charley. The room was smaller. There were fewer ticket windows.
The lights were dim and flickering because they were open-flame gaslights.
There were brass spittoons on the floors. Everything there at the third level
was old and belonged to the eighteen-ninety-something. Nothing was there which
could be called belonging to the modern times. The furniture at the third level
was of ancient time. A man was using an old type of watch which he kept
in his vest pocket. The dresses of the men and women were also of very old
style. He also saw an old type of engine. It was a locomotive with a funnel shaped
chimney. Old-style bills were accepted there. He could not purchase tickets as
he had modern type of bill.
This world is full of fear, insecurities,
stress and wars. Charley is also the product of the same kind of world. He must
have been a victim of stress and anxiety. So, he developed a
habit of slipping into the world of escape, the third level. He must have had
a dormant (hidden) desire of such a platform from where one could go anywhere
in the U.S.A. That was the reason he wished to purchase two tickets for Galesburg. So, one day, that wish was fulfilled in his waking dream.
There are many ways to combat (fight) these
types of stress. People can do creative writing and lose themselves in
imagination. They can enjoy the beauties of nature. They can make several
hobbies like listening to music, dancing, painting and gardening. But they
should not become habitual of non-desirable habits like drinking wine and
taking drugs or intoxicants.
