Read and Find Out (Page no.
1)
Question 1. What does the third level refer to?
Answer:
The third level refers to the subway of the Grand Central Station that takes passengers
to Galesburg, Illinois. The third level on the station was a medium of escape for Charley,
the narrator from the harsh realities of modern life. It provided him a base where he
could interweave fantasy and reality.
Read and Find Out (Page no. 5)
Question 2. Would Charley ever go back to the ticket-counter on the third level to
buy tickets to Galesburg for himself and his wife?
Answer:
No, Charley would never go back to the ticket-counter on the third level to buy tickets to
Galesburg for himself and his wife because third level was his imagination.
Reading with Insight
Question 1.Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley?
Why?
Answer:
Yes, I think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley. Life in modern
world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worries and stress. Man has to confront them all the
times. The harsh realities of life make living quite unpleasant and even unbearable. So
he wants to escape into a wishful world. Charley talks to his psychiatrist friend about the
third level at the Grand Central Station. His friend calls it “a walking-dream wish
fulfillment”. Charley possesses an escapist tendency. Even his stamp collecting is a
‘temporary refuge from reality’.
Question 2. What do you infer from Sam’s letter to Charley?
Answer:
The way Charley came across Sam’s letter was surrounded in mystery. Among his
oldest first-day covers, he found an envelope. The envelope containing the letter bore
the address of his grandfather. It was written on July 18, 1894. The postmark showed
the Picture of President Garfield. Generally the first day covers have blank papers in
them, but this one contained a letter. The letter was addressed to Charley. In the letter
Sam had informed Charley that he was living on the third level. He had also told Charley
and his wife to keep looking for the third level. Clearly, the letter was a product of
Charley’s imagination.
Question 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:
We can overcome the anxieties and insecurities bred by our inevitable existence in the
modern world by getting involved in some practical and beneficial activities. Cultivating
hobbies, spending time with family and friends, going on trips and excursions, pursuing
meditation and exercises help us live a balanced and healthy life. Reading good books
is equivalent to having good friends with great insight. They not only enrich us with the
vast store of knowledge but also help us to learn from other’s experience and stay
rooted to some basic qualities of humanity. Joining hobby classes or gym, attending
social events like birthdays and weddings, going for outdoor games, interacting
meaningfully through social-networking sites and writing diaries etc can also help us
relieve our worries and stay focussed and disciplined in life. Simple activities like
listening to music, playing with pets, an occasional dinner out, watching cinema or plays
or going to places like parks etc can go a long way in helping us get rid of stress,
boredom and insecurities.
Question 4. Do you see an intersection of time and space in the story?
Answer:
Yes, there are certain instances in the story that show an intersection of time and
space. Firstly, the first two levels of Grand Central Station were located in the present
time while the third level existed in the 1890s. Secondly, Charley and his wife, Louisa,
live in the present time yet he rushes to get old currency to buy two tickets to go to the
Galesburg of 1894. Further, the old architecture of the platform at the third level is
different from the modern platforms of the first two levels. Besides, the archaic manner
of dressing by the people, and the newspaper, The World, dated June 11, 1984 also
overlaps with Charley’s real time world and existence. Lastly, the letter that was mailed
to Charley’s grandfather on 18th July, 1894 highlights the intersection of time and space
as the sender (Charley’s friend Sam) and receiver (Charley himself) belong to the
present time.
Question 5. Apparent illogicality sometimes turns out to be a futuristic
projection? Discuss.
Answer:
It is true that apparent illogicality sometimes turns out to be a futuristic projection.
Before the Wright Brothers invented the first aeroplane, nobody could have dared to
believe that man could fly. Before Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, it
would have been impossible to believe in long-distance talks happening in the real-time
interface. Moreover, there are examples of inventions, like that of inventing a modern-
day sewing machine with a needle that has hole on its wrong end, which were
conceived in dreams but now are part of our everyday reality.
All this emphasises that fantasies of one point of time that seem illogical may turn out to
be revolutionary things that change the future of the mankind. Similarly, it would not be
far-fetched to think about railway stations fitted with time-machine devices that would
make travel from one era to another just a matter of time.
Question 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:
Besides philately, there are numerous other ways to help keep the past alive. Collecting
historical artefacts, paintings and inscriptions in a museum, collecting and reading
books (including autobiographies, bio-sketches, letters and diary entries) written in
different eras, collecting and viewing documentaries and other videos are all a few ways
of revisiting history. Besides, we can keep our culture and traditions alive when we
follow the rituals in ceremonies, treasure memories in the form of videos, photographs
and audio collections. Also, reviving old monuments, buildings and other artefacts may
prove a huge learning opportunity to those visiting such places, and promote tourism at
the same time.
The capacity to oscillate between the past, present and future is a great intellectual gift.
This human tendency enables him to plan for the future in the present by reaping
benefits from the past. Consider a very simple example of adopting a study technique
for board exams. Considering the past result (of class test or half yearly exams) a
student makes a strategy plan to address the weak areas more and score better in the
future. Thus, such a tendency helps in ensuring acceptance of the impact of important
decisions taken at any point of time and learning from them.
Question 7. You have read ‘Adventure’ by Jayant Narlikar in Hornbill Class XI.
Compare the interweaving of fantasy and reality in the two stories.
Answer:
In ‘Adventure’ Jayant Narlikar expressed that many world exist simultaneously though
they appear to be separated by time. He expressed that the other world also existed
and prospered with the world we are aware of. On the other hand, In the third level,
Charley a young new york commuter wandering Grand Central Station by accident finds
a gateway that leads to a real past of 1894Seizing the oppurtunity Charley attempts to
escape the rat race by buying a one way ticket to his childhood town of Galesburg. Not
having proper currency for that period, he forced to postpone his plan to escape to the
past.
Justification of title:
The title "Third Level" in the context of the story serves to symbolize both physical and
metaphorical levels. Physically, it represents an unexpected third level in a subway
station, suggesting hidden depths and realms beyond what is commonly known or
understood. Metaphorically, it alludes to a higher level of consciousness or perception,
where the protagonist finds himself transported to a different time period. Additionally, it
hints at the idea of seeking an alternative reality or escape from the pressures of
contemporary life, which the protagonist finds on this mysterious platform. Thus, the title
"Third Level" serves to encapsulate the story's themes of discovery, escapism, and the
search for a deeper meaning beyond the surface of everyday existence
Central idea :
The central idea of "Third Level" revolves around escapism and the allure of an
idealized past. The protagonist discovers a mysterious third level in a subway station
that transports him to a bygone era, offering an escape from the stresses and
uncertainties of modern life. Through the protagonist's journey, the story explores
themes of nostalgia, longing, and the human desire to seek refuge in simpler, seemingly
happier times. It prompts reflection on the impact of technology, progress, and societal
changes on individuals' sense of belonging and identity, ultimately questioning the
nature of reality and the pursuit of happiness.
