Short Summary & QA-The Third Level

VISTAS (SUPPLEMENTARY READER)

CHAPTER-1

THE THIRD LEVEL by Jack Finney

Short Summary of the Chapter:

• ‘The Third Level’ is a story that weaves together a psychological journey of the narrator into past, present and moves towards future.
• Charley- 31 year old, an American narrates his unusual experience of having been to the third level.
• He discovers brass spittoons, flickering gas lights, everyone dressed, like 1890’s with old fashioned beards, side burns, fancy moustaches, engine with funnel shaped stack, newspaper.
• The World, few ticket windows etc.  in the third level.
• Charley goes to get the ticket for Galesburg - Illinois- Wonderful town, big houses, huge lawns, plenty of trees, people with lots of leisure time and surprises when the clerk says that it is not currency and he will be put behind the bars.
• Wife worried -takes him to his Psychiatrist friend.
• He refuses to believe -says it a waking wish dream fulfilment as he could not face the modern world which is full of fear, insecurity, war, worry, stamp collection a refuge from reality.
• Charley desperate to go to Galesburg & so exchanges new for old currency. But could never find the third level.
• Sam’s disappearance has something to do with Galesburg as he was fond of the place.
• One day while going through his stamp collection, he finds an envelope, containing a letter of July 18, 1894 written by Sam, who is living at Galesburg, assertions the Third level.
• Charley finds that Sam had bought old currency worth eight hundred dollars.
• Sam was Charley’s psychiatrist.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS: (SOLVED)

1.  Was the Third level a medium of escape for Charley? Why/Why not?
Ans. Yes, Charlie was engulfed in the trials and tribulations of life so he created the third level himself to seek refuge in it. It eased his tensions and pressures and provided him a platform to relax.

2.   Why is Grand Central compared to a tree?
Ans. Grand Central was compared to a tree because it was pushing out new corridors and staircases like roots. There may be a tunnel under the city up to Times Square and another to Central Park. Nobody knows about them. For many people it has been an exit, a way of escape through the years. So it is possible that it may have the tunnel Charlie got into.

3.   How did Charlie realize that he had reached the third level?
Ans. Charlie saw brass spittoons, flickering gas lights, everyone dressed like in the1890’s with mutton sleeves side burns and moustaches. The engine was with a funnel shaped stack. The newspaper was dated June 11 1894.There were fewer ticket windows. This made him realize that he was on the third level.

4.  Why did he wish to escape to Galesburg?
Ans. He wished to escape to Galesburg because it was a wonderful town with big houses, huge lawns, plenty of trees. The summer evenings were twice as long and people had lots of leisure time to sit out on the lawns. It was a peaceful world.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS: (UNSOLVED) for practice

1. What is First Day Cover?

2. What is referred to as ‘the obvious step’?

3. What does the third level refer to?

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