The Third Level by Jack Finney

 

The Third Level by Jack Finney

Reading with Insight

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

Answer: There was no third level at Grand Central Station and it could be confirmed from the presidents of the nearby railroads. But one evening Charley experienced the presence of the third level at the Grand Central Station.

Charley’s psychiatrist friend explained that Charley’s visit to the third level was a waking dream wish fulfillment. He said that he was unhappy. That surprised Charley’s wife. The psychiatrist explained that he meant the modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and all the rest of it, and that Charley just wanted to escape.

Charley did not agree with all this. But we see he made desperate efforts to escape to the third level. He wished to spend a peaceful life at Galesburg, Illinois of 1890s. He had spent his childhood days there. He used to talk about the comforts of that life with his friends.

So, we can say that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley from the worries of the modern life.

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

Answer: Sam’s letter to Charley makes the story ‘The Third Level’ a little bit tricky.

Sam’s letter to Charley proves that Sam has found and reached the third level. He has been staying there in Galesburg for last two weeks and enjoying the peaceful life there. He invites both Charley and his wife Louisa and motivates them to search the third level. So, we can say that Sam was also a victim of worldly worries and seeking the escape.

3. ‘The modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and stress.’ What are the ways in which we attempt to overcome them?

Answer: No doubt the modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and stress. People try to overcome them by adopting different ways. Some people they face all these problems with guts and know it very well that it is the reality of modern life. One can spend quality time with the family members to reduce the stress. Practicing yoga also helps to cope up with the anxiety caused by modern life style. Having a hobby helps to spend our leisure time in a productive manner. Some people prefer spiritual healing to overcome the stress of modern life. Prayer is also helpful in providing peace of mind. Playing an indoor or outdoor game can keep one away from worries of life. Exercise not only promotes physical health but also improves mental health. Going for an outing or tour can help people to forget the problems of modern life.

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

Answer: At least we have two examples in the story ‘The Third Level’ that show an intersection of time and space. Charley’s escape to the third level of 1894 is the first example in the story that shows an intersection of time and space. Charley experiences a third level at the Grand Central Station. He dreams of visiting this platform and feels everything looking like of 1890s. Everyone in the station was dressed like eighteen-ninety-something. knew.

To make sure that he was in 1894, he walked over to a newsboy and glanced at the stack of papers and read the date on a paper June 11, 1894.

Sam’s letter to Charley also reveals that he has escaped to Galesburg, Illinois of 1894 and enjoying the life there.

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

Answer: There have been many innovations termed as illogical but turned out to be very useful later on. Producing artificial light to see in the darkness of the night might have been termed apparent illogical by the contemporaries of Thomas Alva Edison. But he proved them all wrong by inventing electric bulb. Invention of Telephone, Airplane, Railways etc. were called impossible but now we enjoy the comforts of these services.

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?

Answer: Philately; the hobby of stamp collection; is a way of keeping the past alive. People often tend to turn nostalgic to refresh the memories of the past. Some people like to see photo albums and talk about each and every photograph to revive the memories attached to those photos. Watching old movies and listening to old songs are also ways of remembering the by-gone days.

It’s the common tendency of human beings to travel or to constantly move between the past, the present and the future. We live in present but through the gift of memory we go years back and through the power of imagination, we try to step into future also. This shifting is controlled by our conscious and unconscious parts of mind and thus we find satisfaction and enjoy and survive in this world in the present.

7. You have read ‘Adventure’ by Jayant Narlikar in Hornbill Class XI. Compare the interweaving of fantasy and reality in the two stories.

Answer: ‘Adventure’ by Jayant Narlikar and ‘The Third Level’ by Jack Finney both the stories belong to the science-fiction genre of fiction. Science fiction (sometimes shortened to sci-fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universes, and extraterrestrial life.

Prf. Gaitonde in ‘Adventure’ by Jayant Narlikar thinks about the consequences of the third battle of Panipat if the Marathas had won the battle. He meets a minor accident and during his state of unconsciousness he experiences a different world.

In ‘the third level’, Charley and Sam both escape from the present situations and experience a different world. Both the stories are the interweaving of fantasy and reality, facing past and present experiences of the characters and define their mental condition and imaginations.