The Third Level

Theme:

‘The Third Level’ is a story that weaves together a psychological journey of the
narrator into past, present and moves towards future. There is always a natural
human tendency to constantly move between the past, the present and the future.
Past, present and future are strategically and organically interconnected.

Man is mortal and has many good and bad aspects of life like love, profit, loss, good,
bad, etc. All these aspects tend to affect the human mind. Then existential worries
act like a catalyst for making the human mind constantly move between the past, the
present and the future. ‘The Third Level’ is a study of human mind caught in this
cycle of time.

When people in the present time want to escape the problems and stress of life, they
feel that life, fifty or sixty years ago, was relaxed and they wanted to go back to that
time for peace and happiness.

Summary – It is a story about a 31-year-old man name, Charley. Besides, this is a

psychological story that refers to the subway at the grand central railway station
which takes passengers to Galesburg. In addition, this subway becomes the
interconnection between the narrator’s harsh reality and fantasy.

He has experimented with this theme in his various short stories among which lies
‘The Third Level’. The Theme of the story: The narrative oscillates twice between the
past and the present, therefore, the prime theme of the story is time travel.

The third level is a medium of escape through which man yearns to be away from
life’s harsh realities. Modem life is devoid of peace and tranquility so man in his
quest to seek solace escapes to a place where his aim is to seek the realization of
his dreams and unfulfilled wishes of his subconscious mind.

Vocabulary:

1. Arched- curved
2. Bumping- knock or run into something
3. Ducked- lower the head or body quickly
4. Fussing- show unnecessary or excessive concern about something
5. Gabardine- a smooth, durable, twill-woven worsted or cotton cloth
6. Locomotive- a powered railway vehicle used for pulling trains
7. Snapped- break suddenly and completely
8. Spittoons- a metal or earthenware pot typically having a funnel-shaped top,
used for spitting into
 9. Stack- a pile of objects, typically one that is neatly arranged
10. Suburban- residential
11. Timetables- a schedule showing the departure and arrival times of trains,
buses or aircraft
12. Vest- a garment worn on the upper part of the body
13. Waking dream- an involuntary dream occuring while a person is awake
14. Wander- walk; roam

What does third level mean?

The third level signifies an escape from the modern world that is “full of insecurity,
fear, war, worry and all the rest of it….” The period of 1890s represents a peaceful
life not possible in the present era. From this level, the protagonist wants to travel to
Galesburg, Illinois, with his wife Louisa.

Characters:

Charley: A 31 year old daily commuter accidentally arrives at the third level

Of Grand Central Station and experiences a whole new world.

Louisa: She is the wife of Charley who was worried about her husband’s
psychological condition.

Sam: Charley’s psychiatrist and friend who serves as a proof for the existence of the
Third Level at the Grand Central Station.

conclusion of the third level

All in all, The Third Level brings us to the conclusion that people find it hard to make
peace with unpleasant things they come across in life. The story further makes the
reader realize that the past and future are real illusions. They exist in the present,
which is all there is.
Character Sketch of Charley in The Third Level

Charley: The protagonist of the story, Charley is a true representative of modern

man. He is a victim of stress, insecurity and fear and wants to run away from reality.
He is an escapist and wants to escape from the world of harsh realities. He is fond of
stamp collection, a hobby, which he takes up to make his leisure hours more
productive and fulfilling experience. But his psychiatrist friend calls it a temporary
refuge from reality.
He yearns to lead a good simple life of his grandfather’s time, when things were
pretty nice and peaceful. He quests for the fabulous ordinariness of a bygone age
that was free from modern razzle-dazzle, sophistication and material comforts but
exudes peace and tranquillity. He wants to go to Galesburg, Illinois, in the year 1894
when the First World War was twenty years off and the Second World War still forty
years ahead.

He is an imaginative person. Hence on the wings of his imagination, he takes a flight

to the non-existent world – the third level at Central Station. But after finding it once,
he and his wife fail to find it again. In short, Charley is the true representative of the
modern man who is torn between the pulls and pressures of a hectic modem life and
wants to escape since he is not happy.

1. Answer each of the following questions in about 30-40 words:

Question 1.
What does the third level refer to? What is the significance of the third level? (2001;
2004, Delhi)
Answer:
The third level is a medium of escape through which man yearns to be away from
life’s harsh realities. Modem life is devoid of peace and tranquility so man in his
quest to seek solace escapes to a place where his aim is to seek the realization of
his dreams and unfulfilled wishes of his subconscious mind.

Question 2.
What convinced Charley that he had reached the third level at Grand Central Station
and not the second level? (2010 Delhi)
Answer:
The general layout of the third level was different from that of the second level. It had
comparatively smaller rooms, fewer ticket windows and lesser train gates. The
infor¬mation booth in the centre was made of wood and looked old. The place with
its brass spittoons did not look very bright. So Charley was convinced it was not the
second level.

Question 3.
How does Charley, the narrator describe the third level at Grand Central Station?
(2013 Delhi)
Answer:
Charley says that the rooms on the third level were smaller than that of the second
level. There were fewer ticket windows and train gates and the information booth in
the centre was wood and old looking. There were open- flame gaslights and brass
spittoons on the floor. Everyone at the station was dressed in nineteenth century
dresses.
Question 4.
How did Charley make sure that he was not in the present time?
Answer:
To make sure that he was not in the present time, Charley did a reality check. He
looked at the newspapers which were on sale at a kiosk and found a copy of the
newspaper ‘The World’, which carried the main story on President Cleveland. Then
he confirmed from the Public Library files that the newspaper he had seen was dated
11th June, 1894.

Question 5.
How did Charley often get lost on the Grand Central Station?
Answer:
The Grand Central Station was growing like a tree pushing out endless corridors,
doorways and stairs like roots. It had intricate and tangled pathways. The network of
passages was so complicated that instead of reaching his destination, one did tend
to move up and down to look for entries and exits. So, Charley often got lost on this
station.

Question 6.
Why did Charley suspect that Sam had gone to Galesburg?
Answer:
When Sam disappeared all of a sudden and no one knew about his whereabouts,
Charley suspected he had gone to Galesburg as Sam was a city boy and liked
Galesburg very much. Then Charley found an envelope mailed to Sam by his
grandfather from his home in Galesburg and so it confirmed that Sam was indeed in
Galesburg.

Question 7.
How does Charley describe Galesburg as it used to be in 1894?
Answer:
Charley describes Galesburg as a quiet, simple and peaceful place with big old
frame houses, huge lawns and tremendous trees. The summer evenings were rather
long and people sat out on their lawns in a peaceful world, men smoking cigars and
women waving palm-leaf fans.

Question 8.
What did Charley learn about Sam from the stamp and coin store?
Answer:
From the stamp and coin store Charley gets to know that Sam had bought old style
currency worth eight hundred dollars. This money was sufficient to set him up in a
little hay, feed and grain business in Galesburg.

Question 9.
How did Sam reach Galesburg? What did he advise Charley to do?
Answer:
Sam was fascinated by Charley’s description of Galesburg. He was so burdened by
the tensions and stress of modem life that he thought of escaping to the peaceful
world of Galesburg. His advice to Charley is that, he (Charley) and his wife, Louisa
should come over to Galesburg through the medium of the ‘third level’.

Question 10.
Why did the booking clerk refuse to accept the money?
Answer:
The booking clerk refuses to accept the money because the notes Charley had given
him were of old style. He did not pay in the currency notes that were in circulation in
1894. So the clerk stared at him and told him, “That ain’t money, Mister”. He thought
Charley was trying to cheat him and even threatened to get him arrested.

Question 11.
Why did Charley rush back from the third level?
Answer:
When Charley took out the modem currency to pay for the two tickets to Galesburg,
the ticket clerk accused him of trying to cheat him. He threatened to hand Charley
over to the police. Charley was frightened and he decided to rush back from the third
level, lest he was arrested and put into prison.

2. Answer each of the following questions in about 125-150 words.

Question 12.
How did Charley reach the third level of Grand Central? How was it different from the
other levels?
Answer:
One night Charley worked till late at the office. Then he was in a hurry to get back to
his apartment. So he decided to take the subway from Grand Central. He went down
the steps and came to the first level. Then he walked down to the second level from
where the suburban trains left. He ducked into an arched doorway that headed to the
subway. Then he got lost. Knowing that he was going wrong he continued to walk
downward. The tunnel turned a sharp left and then taking a short flight of stairs he
came out on the third level at the Grand Central Station. Here he saw many unusual
things. There were very few ticket windows and train gates that were old-looking and
made of wood. Dim gaslights flickered and men wore derby hats and four-button
suits. It was a rather strange world of sideburns, beards and fancy moustaches.

Question 13.
Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why?

Answer:
The fears, anxieties and insecurities of the modem world are taking a toll on man’s
mind. He feels helpless and frustrated and seeks temporary respite from life’s harsh
realities. Charley too was unable to cope up with his fastpaced and stressful life so
his flight to the third level was undoubtedly a medium of escape for him. It is nothing
but a creation of Charley’s own mind. He wants to escape from the modern world’s
insecurity, fear, worries and stress and so seeks an exit, a medium to get away into
the world of dreams and fancies.
Question 14.
What made Charley believe that the was actually standing at the third level?

Answer:
One night Charley worked late at the office. He was in a hurry to get to his
apartment. So he decided to take the subway from Grand Central. He ducked into an
arched doorway and then he got lost. He walked down the steps to the second level,
turned left and kept on walking. He came out on the third level at the Grand Central
Station. This was a different, old and romantic world. So he was convinced that he
was actually standing at the third level. There were fewer ticket windows there which
were made of wood and were old-looking. There were open flame gaslights. He saw
people with beards, sideburns and fancy moustaches. Then he caught a glimpse of
an old locomotive and also saw an 1894 issue of ‘The World’ newspaper. Perhaps
Charley is under pressure to escape from the harsh world of realities. He would like
to escape to the peaceful world of 1894.

Question 15.
What kind of people did Charley ‘See’ at the third level? Answer:
Having worked late at the office Charley decided to take a train back home. So he
came to Grand Central Station and from the second level he got lost while ducking
into an arched doorway and found himself inside a tunnel. This tunnel took him to
another light of stairs and he found himself on the third level of the station. As
compared to the second level, the third level had smaller rooms, fewer ticket
windows and train gates. Everyone there was dressed in ‘eighteen-ninety-
something’. Charley came across men and women wearing 19th century dresses.
Men sported fancy moustaches, beards and sideburns. Tiny lapels, four-button suits,
derby hats and pocket gold watches seemed to be in vogue. Women were wearing
fancy cut sleeves, long skirts and high-buttoned shoes. Charley was confused to see
people sporting old-fashioned clothes and hair styles at the third level.

Question 16.
How does Charley make his description of the third level very realistic?

Answer:
To make his description of the third level very realistic, Charley describes its minute
details, vividly comparing it to the second level of the Grand Central station. He says
the rooms here were smaller. There were fewer ticket windows and train gates, and
the information booth was wooden and old-looking. He also gives a detailed
description about the people he saw at the third level and their dresses. He says the
people wore nineteenth century dresses; many men had beards, sideburns and
fancy moustaches. He also buys tickets to Galesburg, Illinois thus making the reader
believe that he was actually at the third level.

Question 17.
What is being inferred from Sam’s letter to Charley?
Answer:
Sam’s letter to Charley is dated 18th July, 1894. It is written from Galesburg, Illinois.
In response to Charley’s claim of having visited the third level, Sam who is equally
insecure wishes the entire episode is true, as he too believes in the existence of the
third level. There are some inferences made by the letter. The introductory part of
the letter confirms Charley’s belief in the existence of the third level. It also suggests
that those who find the third level can travel across to Galesburg and enjoy the
festivities, songs, music and peaceful world of the 1890s. So the author uses Sam’s
letter as a unique combination of the real and fantasy world.

Q1- Who is the author of The Third Level?

A)George Orwell
B) Agatha Christie
C) James Joyce
D) Jack Finney

Q2- What was Jack's full name?

A) Walter Braden Jack Finey
B) Stephen Jone Jack
C) Ray Douglas Bradbury
D) None

Q3- Why was the author renamed?

A) to change his name
B) Priest's suggestion
C) to honor his mother
D) as an honor to his father

Q4- What are the author's best known works?

A) English and Science fiction
B) Science and history fiction
C) Science fiction and nature
D) Science fiction and thrillers

Q5- What is the meaning of 'Waking dream wish fulfillment"?

A) a pleasant wish that makes one forget the present
B) a pleasant wish that takes one to the future
C) A pleasant wish which inspires to work
D) a pleasant wish that makes one forget the present
Q6- What is the theme of the lesson?
A) human tendency of escapism because of the harsh realities of the present
B) time travelling
C) theory of escapism
D) a dialogue between a patient and a psychiatrist

Q7- How does the story begin?

A) in a jovial manner
B) in an aggressive manner
C) on a happy note
D) in a serious manner

Q8- What does the Third level signify?

A) a human tendency to escape from the harsh realities of the present to past
happy times
B) A third way on Grand Central station
C) A third gate on Grand Central Station
D) None

Q9- What is 'Waking dream wish fulfillment" according to the psychiatrist in the
lesson?
A) Charles finding of a Third level at Grand Central Stationand realization of his
wish to visit Galesberg Illinois
B) Charles escapism
C) Charles escapism from realities
D) None

Q10- Who was Charles' wife?

A) a woman
B) a woman with bright top
C) A woman at The Third Level
D) Louisa

Q11- What is Sam's letter to Charles represent?

A) A blend
B) an acceptance to visit
C) a proof of his fantasy
D) a blend of reality with fantasy

Q12- What is Sam's letter testimony to in the lesson proving?

A) his acceptance to travel
B) his refusal to travel
C) Sam accompanying Charles
D) Charles' tendency of escapism from the realities

Q13- In what way do we try to overcome the insecurities of the present harsh times
A) by engaging ourselves in practical activities
B) by talking to friends and family
C) reading good books
D) All these

Q14- What is the significance of 1894 in the lesson?

A) it was past
B) Authors' parents were alive
C) Author's childhood time
D) representing a peaceful , romantic living time

Q15- Who was sam in The Third Level?

A) a doctor
B) a friend
C) a psychiatrist and a friend of Charley
D) None

Q16- Why did Charley visit Sam?

A) To consult the incident of Third level incident at Grand Central Station
B) To invite him
C) to invite him to accompany at Galesberg
D) To guide him in Galesberg

Q17- Does the Third Level really exist at Grand Station?

A) Yes
B) yes, there were 3 levels
C) No, there were only two levels at the station
D) None

Q18- What unusual thing the narrator sees at the Grand Central Sation?
A) Trees
B) motorcars
C) Third Level
D) All these

Q19- Why was the narrator seeing this Third Level?

A) as a wish to visit Galesberg
B) wanted to meet his friends
C) wanted to take a break from office
D) As a result of stress and anxiety in his mind

Q20- What does the Psychiatrist explain to Charlie?

A) Third level is a beautiful place
B) Third level is worthseeing
C) Third level is well maintained
D) That it was the result of stress and anxiety of his mind

Q21- How did Charlie reach the Third Level?

A) In his fantasy he takes a subway or a corridor faster than a bus
B) in a superfast train
C) in jetways
D) in an escalator

Q22- What was the Third Level?

A) a third tier on the station
B) a third storey on the station
C) an imaginary discovery of the narrator's mind
D) none

Q23- What did Charley see at the Third Level?

A) flickering gas lights and people with funny mustaches
B) brass spittoons
C) men wearing a tan gabardine suit and a straw
D) All these

Q24- Why was Louisa,Charley's wife worried?

A) Knowing the incident of Third Level
B) for not getting tickets
C) tickets were delayed
D) Sam was scaring

Q25- Why does Charley want to visit Galesberg?

A) to escape from the troublesome world
B) to enjoy
C) to see the beautiful landscape
D) to meet his old friends

Q26- Why do you think the Third Level was an escape for Charley?
A) Because it existed at the third storey
B) Because Sam knew about it
C) Because he shared it with Sam
D) Because it existed only in his fantasy and not in reality

Q27- What is First Day Cover?

A) A new stamp gets the Postmark and date
B) A gift
C) A gift wrapper
D) A gift wrapped in a beautiful wrapper

Q28- How does the story interweave fantasy and reality?

A) For Charle's tendency to treat harsh realities with his imaginary Third Level
B) It presents imagination
C) imagination happens on Central Station
D) None

Q29- What specific difference did Charley notice at the Third Level of Central
Station?
A) Everything was weird
B) Everything was old styled and smaller in size
C) everything was too big
D) everything was shining

Q30- Where was Charley ducked on Central Station?

A) into a room
B) into an office
C) into an arched door heading for subway
D) into a store

Q31- What was the strangest thing at The Third Level?

A) Beards
B) Mustaches
C) dresses
D) The corridor that led him into the past.

Q32- Where was Charley often lost?

A) from a train
B) from the footpath
C) from an escalator
D) from a subway faster than bus at The Central Station

Q33- What did Charley find in his stamp collection?

A) old addresses
B) hair styles
C) old letters
D) First day cover

Q34- What happens when Charley enters the Grand Central Station?
A) He finds a huge tree like Station
B) new staircases,corridors and tunnels
C) tree keeps spreading its roots throwing rooms and windows
D) All of these
Q35- What convinced Charly that he had reached the Third Level Grand Central
Station and not the second level?
A) A different world of gas lights and brass spittoons
B) beards and mustaches of 1894
C) newspaper with a date June11, 1894
D) All of these

Q36- Who had sent that 'First Day cover and when?
A) Sam's father
B) Sam's uncle
C) Sam's friend
D) Sam a psychiatrist in 1894

Q37- Whose signatures were there on the letter?

A) Charle's teacher
B) Charle's friend
C) Sam
D) None

Q38- What did the letter state?

A) That everything is okay
B) that Sam is joining them
C) Third level do exist and Charle was advised to keep looking at this worthseeing
place
D) None

Q39- What was Sam invited for according to the letter?

A) for a party
B) for a tea party
C) for a bachelor's party
D) for a lemonade party

Q40- What kind of appearances people had at Third level and why did the clerk
refuse to accept money?
A) funny and clerk refused to accept money because it was currency of modern
times
B) weird and notes were big
C) weird and notes were torn
D) weird and notes were wet

ANSWER KEY

1 D 11 D 21 A 31 D

2 A 12 D 22 C 32 D

3 C 13 D 23 D 33 D

4 D 14 D 24 A 34 D

5 A 15 C 25 A 35 D

6 A 16 A 26 D 36 D

7 D 17 C 27 A 37 C

8 A 18 C 28 A 38 C

9 A 19 D 29 B 39 D

10 D 20 D 30 C 40 A

Question 1.
What was Sam invited for according to the letter?
(a) for a party
(b) for a tea party
(c) for a bachelor’s party
(d) for a lemonade party

Answer

Question 2.
Whose signatures were there on the letter?
(a) Charle’s teacher
(b) Charle’s friend
(c) Sam
(d) None

Answer
Question 3.
What convinced Charly that he had reached the Third Level Grand Central Station
and not the second level?
(a) A different world of gas lights and brass spittoons
(b) beards and mustaches of 1894
(c) newspaper with a date June 11, 1894
(d) All of these

Answer

Question 4.
What did Charley find in his stamp collection?
(a) old addresses
(b) hair styles
(c) old letters
(d) First day cover

Answer

Question 5.
What was the strangest thing at The Third Level?
(a) Beards
(b) Mustaches
(c) dresses
(d) The corridor that led him into the past.

Answer

Question 6.
What specific difference did Charley notice at the Third Level of Central Station?
(a) Everything was weird
(b) Everything was old styled and smaller in size
(c) everything was too big
(d) everything was shining

Answer

Question 7.
What is First Day Cover?
(a) A new stamp gets the Postmark and date
(b) A gift
(c) A gift wrapper
(d) A gift wrapped in a beautiful wrapper

Answer

Question 8.
Why does Charley want to visit Galesberg?
(a) to escape from the troublesome world
(b) to enjoy
(c) to see the beautiful landscape
(d) to meet his old friends

Answer

Question 9.
What did Charley see at the Third Level?
(a) flickering gas lights and people with funny mustaches
(b) brass spittoons
(c) men wearing a tan gabardine suit and a straw
(d) All these

Answer

Question 10.
What did Charley see at the Third Level?
(a) flickering gas lights and people with funny mustaches
(b) brass spittoons
(c) men wearing a tan gabardine suit and a straw
(d) All these

Answer

Question 11.
How did Charlie reach the Third Level?
(a) In his fantasy he takes a subway or a corridor faster than a bus
(b) in a superfast train
(c) in jetways
(d) in an escalator
Answer

Question 12.
Why was the narrator seeing this Third Level?
(a) as a wish to visit Galesberg
(b) wanted to meet his friends
(c) wanted to take a break from office
(d) As a result of stress and anxiety in his mind

Answer

Question 13.
Does the Third Level really exist at Grand Station?
(a) Yes
(b) yes, there were 3 levels
(c) No, there were only two levels at the station
(d) None

Answer

Question 14.
Who was sam in The Third Level?
(a) a doctor
(b) a friend
(c) a psychiatrist and a friend of Charley
(d) None

Answer

Question 15.
In what way do we try to overcome the insecurities of the present harsh times
(a) by engaging ourselves in practical activities
(b) by talking to friends and family
(c) reading good books
(d) All these

Answer
Question 16.
What is Sam’s letter to Charles represent?
(a) A blend
(b) an acceptance to visit
(c) a proof of his fantasy
(d) a blend of reality with fantasy

Answer

Question 17.
What is ‘Waking dream wish fulfillment” according to the psychiatrist in the lesson?
(a) Charles finding of a Third level at Grand Central Station and realization of his
wish to visit Galesberg Illinois
(b) Charles escapism
(c) Charles escapism from realities
(d) None

Answer

Question 18.
How does the story begin?
(a) in a jovial manner
(b) in an aggressive manner
(c) on a happy note
(d) in a serious manner

Answer

Question 19.
What is the meaning of ‘Waking dream wish fulfillment”?
(a) a pleasant wish that makes one forget the present
(b) a pleasant wish that takes one to the future
(c) A pleasant wish which inspires to work
(d) a pleasant wish that makes one forget the present

Answer

Question 20.
Why was the author renamed?
(a) to change his name
(b) Priest’s suggestion
(c) to honor his mother
(d) as an honor to his father

Answer

Question 21.
Who is the author of The Third Level?
(a)George Orwell
(b) Agatha Christie
(c) James Joyce
(d) Jack Finney

Answer

Question 22.
What kind of appearances people had at Third level and why did the clerk refuse to
accept money?
(a) funny and clerk refused to accept money because it was currency of modern
times
(b) weird and notes were big
(c) weird and notes were torn
(d) weird and notes were wet

Answer

Question 23.
What did the letter state?
(a) That everything is okay
(b) that Sam is joining them
(c) Third level do exist and Charle was advised to keep looking at this worth seeing
place
(d) None

Answer

Question 24.
Who had sent that ‘First Day cover and when?
(a) Sam’s father
(b) Sam’s uncle
(c) Sam’s friend
(d) Sam a psychiatrist in 1894

Answer

Question 25.
What happens when Charley enters the Grand Central Station?
(a) He finds a huge tree like Station
(b) new staircases, corridors and tunnels
(c) tree keeps spreading its roots throwing rooms and windows
(d) All of these

Answer