THE THIRD LEVEL

By :- AKSHAY SHARMA
 THE THIRD LEVEL
INTRODUCTION

➢ The third level represents a break from the “full of insecurity, fear, war,
worry and all the rest of it” modern world. The 1890s depict a tranquil lifestyle
that is not feasible in the present. The main character wants to take his wife
Louisa to Galesburg, Illinois, from this point on. While his psychiatrist friend
refers to it as a “waking-dream wish fulfilment,” for him, it is a part of reality.
 THE THIRD LEVEL
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Walter Braden "Jack" Finney (October 2, 1911 – November 14,

1995) was an American writer. His best-known works are science
fiction and thrillers, including The Body Snatchers and Time and
Again. The former was the basis for the 1956 film Invasion of the
Body Snatchers and its remakes
 THE THIRD LEVEL
SUMMARY

The Third Level is a short story that shows us how trauma can manifest inside us and take a
psychological toll. The main character Charley is a thirty-one-year-old man who earns his
living by working at an office just like most other people. He is the narrator of the story and
starts by telling us about the presence of a third level at the Grand Central Station in New
York. But his psychiatrist judges it as waking-dream wish fulfilment. The psychiatrist stated
this because the narrator was not happy with his life – he was trying to find refuge from his
troubles by imagining the existence of a third level.

One day, Charley was caught up with some work, and he had to stay late in the evening. He
wanted to reach home as quickly as possible. Therefore, he decided to take the subway
instead of the bus. He walked into a third level at the Grand Central Station – a station which
is supposed to have only two levels. He found the third level weird as the infrastructure and
people seemed to be from a different era. He finally found out from a newspaper that it was
the year 1894. He remembered this era before the First and Second World wars. He went to
the ticket counter to book two tickets to Galesburg, Illinois but the clerk at the ticket counter
accused him of using fake money and threatened to turn him in to the police. The narrator
ran away from the station the same way he came inside.
 THE THIRD LEVEL
SUMMARY

The next day, Charley withdrew almost all his money – three hundred dollars and bought old-
style currency worth the same. He wanted to return to 1894 in Galesburg and settle down
with his wife Louisa, but he could never find the third level again. When his wife learned
about all this, she got very worried and asked him not to look for the third level again. The
narrator returned to his hobby of collecting stamps. At that time, he realised that the third
level did exist. His friend Sam, whom he had always told stories about Galesburg during his
childhood, had disappeared. The narrator assumed that Sam might have gone to Galesburg in
1984.

One night as Charley was going through his stamps, he noticed a letter among one of his
oldest first-day covers. It had the address of his grandfather in Galesburg, Illinois, and it was
dated 18th July 1894. But he opened the envelope to find it was actually a letter to him from
Sam telling him about how things were in 1894 and how he was enjoying those moments.
Sam asked the narrator to keep searching for the third level because it was worth it. The
narrator went to the stamp and coin store to find that Sam had bought eight hundred dollars
worth of old-style currency. He figured that Sam might have settled down comfortably with
this kind of money in 1894 with an investment in the food and grain business because he
would not have been able to pursue his actual profession, which was that of a psychiatrist.
 THE THIRD LEVEL
SHORT QUESTIONS

Q1 What did Charley find at the Grand Central Station?

Ans. At the third level, Charley saw the people wearing old-fashioned dress, an old
locomotive, newspaper dated June 11, 1894, brass spittoons, flickering gas same lights and
many other things related to that era.

Q2 “I’ve taken the obvious step.” Explain.

Ans. Nobody believed in Charley’s statement about the existence of The Third Level. His wife
was alarmed and brought him to the psychiatrist. Charley himself needed to meet the
psychiatrist. It was an ‘obvious step’.

Q3 What was Charley’s vision about Galesburg town?

Ans. Charley thought that Galesburg was still a wonderful town. In that century in 1894,
people used to sit in their lawns, having sufficient time to talk to each other, smoking cigars
and women waving palm leaf fans on very long summer evenings. Overall, it was a peaceful
and friendly place.
 THE THIRD LEVEL
SHORT QUESTIONS

Q4 Why did Charley return from the third level?

Ans. With the wings of imagination Charley returned to collect enough money to buy two
tickets to Galesburg town for himself and his wife Louisa. The clerk did not accept the
currency which Charley had so he went back to get the old currency.

Q5 When and how did Charley find the letter of Sam?

Ans. One night while fussing with his stamp collection, Charley found, among his oldest first-
day covers, the letter of Sam with a six cent stamp mailed to his Granddad. It had been in his
collection.

Q6 What did the ticket clerk say to Charley? (CBSE 2010)

Ans. The ticket-clerk scolded Charley that that was not the real currency which he was
having. Additionally, he warned Charley that if he was trying to skin him, he would not go
very far. He would be prisoned.
 THE THIRD LEVEL
SHORT QUESTIONS

Q7 “But now we are both looking.” What does this refer to? Explain.
Ans. The above mentioned words were said by Charley as he and his wife Louisa, both every
weekend started to search for the third level because they had the proof that Charley’s friend
Sam had disappeared. So, both Charley and Louisa were looking for the third level.

Q8 What does the third level refer to? (CBSE 2001, 2004)
Ans. The third level refers to the subway of the Grand Central Station in New York. Though
this Third level was not present there physically, Charley claimed it to be present there.

Q9 Would Charley ever go back to the ticket counter on the third level to buy tickets to
Galesburg for himself and his wife?
Ans. 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 he would never find that third level again
possibly.
 THE THIRD LEVEL
SHORT QUESTIONS

Q10 Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why? (CBSE 2005, 2008)
Ans. Yes. The third level was a medium of escape for Charley because he might be unhappy and fearful
from worldly worries. He explained that he meant the modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war,
worry and all the rest of it and he just wanted to escape from that. Perhaps Charley was not able to
handle the stress.

Q11 What do you infer from Sam’s letter to Charley?

Ans. Sam’s letter to Charley proves that Sam had found and reached the third level. He had been staying
there in Galesburg since the last two weeks watching various activities and explaining to Charley. He
invites both Charley and his wife Louisa and motivates them to continue their search for the third level.
So, we can say that Sam was also a victim of worldly worries and sought the escape, like Charley.

Q12 “The modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and stress. What are the ways in which we
attempt to overcome them?
Ans. No doubt, the modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war worry and stress. To overcome them,
people start to adopt their own ways. As some people start to imagine and develop their own unreal
world whereas some people start to use alcoholic products and destroy their lives. These all ways are
just escapement and not the solution.
 THE THIRD LEVEL
SHORT QUESTIONS

Q13 What would you describe as your “waking-dream wish fulfilment”? Explain.
Ans. Charley quoted this statement. A waking dream wish fulfilment is what we wish to
happen or see. It’s not the reality. He told this to Sam, his psychiatrist. While talking about
the third level, Charley quoted this statement. He is an Escapist. He couldn’t bear all the
tensions happening around him. He said this out of his imagination.

Q14 Why do you think Charley withdrew nearly all the money he had from the bank to buy
old-style currency?
Ans. Charley had got his three hundred dollars out of the bank and got them changed into
old-style currency so that he could go back to the third level and buy the tickets to Galesburg.

Q15 How would you evaluate Sam’s character? Elucidate any two qualities, and substantiate
with evidence from the text.
Ans. Sam is a fiercely devoted friend to Charlie. Sam considers emigrating to the tranquil
World of Galesburg in order to escape the pulls and stresses of modern life. He writes a letter
from The Third Level of Grand Central after locating it, telling Charlie to keep looking for The
Third Level.
 THE THIRD LEVEL
LONG QUESTIONS

Q1 Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why?

Ans. Actually, Grand Central Station did not have a third level. Charley stated that while
travelling back to his house, he just made an imaginary trip to the third level in order to
escape the unsettling reality of this planet. He would frequently explore relocating to
Galesburg, which had already been established in 1894 and was thought to be a peaceful
community at the time.
He himself had aspirations of going there and pictured himself living in that era. Whenever
he got back to his regular life, he couldn’t stop thinking about that realm. In this way, we can
claim that the third level was unquestionably a medium of escapement for Charley because
his friend Sam’s disappearance forced him to believe in it and subsequently he and his wife
Louisa both started to search the third level. Even though it was just in his head, it made him
feel better.
 THE THIRD LEVEL
LONG QUESTIONS

Q2 Why did Charley again want to go to the third level?

OR
How did ‘The World’ help Charley to confirm his doubts regarding the existence of a third
level?

Ans. Since Galesburg had been in Charley’s thoughts since the beginning as a peaceful place,
he had found and noticed a significant difference once he had visited the third level in his
imaginations. However, when Charley arrived at the ticket window, he discovered that he
was unable to purchase tickets or complete any transactions due to the lack of currency of
those days. Once he realised it, he went back to the actual world to get some old-fashioned
money from the exchange before going back to the third floor and Galesburg to settle down.
He originally intended to get two tickets to Galesburg for himself and his wife since he was
certain that there, people lived carefree lives with plenty of time for one another. With the
money he had with him, he could easily subsist there because everything was so inexpensive.
Thus, even though the third level didn’t actually exist—it was just in Charley’s head—he
wanted to go back there for his escape and satisfaction.
 THE THIRD LEVEL
LONG QUESTIONS

Q3 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?

Ans. Many people use stamp collecting, the study of postage stamps, postal routes, postal
history, etc. as a way to keep memories of the past fresh. Other than this, there are many
other ways to preserve our past, including museums, historical structures & monuments,
items used by people in the past, photographs, and old literature; we travel into our past.
This is termed as philately.
Humans frequently have a tendency to wander back and forth between the past, present,
and future. Although we actually exist in the present, thanks to God’s gift of memory, we can
travel back in time and attempt to look into the future. We find fulfilment, enjoy life, and
manage to survive in the present because our conscious and unconscious minds are in
control of this shifting.
 THE THIRD LEVEL
LONG QUESTIONS

Q4 Do you see an intersection of time and space in the story?

Ans. Absolutely, the story shows how time and space intertwine. As an escapist, Charley
travels from the present to the past. It is practically impossible for someone to have reached
the final century in 1894, yet thanks to his imagination, he was sent to the third level and
ended up in Galesburg, Illinois. That appears to be psychological, and Sam, his psychiatrist
friend, also slips to the third level and becomes a victim of the contemporary worldly
concerns. Science fiction author Jack Finney discusses the intersection of time and space in a
highly rational way and establishes its plausibility through escapement.
 THE THIRD LEVEL
LONG QUESTIONS

Q5 Apparent illogicality sometimes turns out to be a futuristic projection? Discuss.

Ans. Sometimes what seems to be nonsensical turns out to be a futuristic vision, much like
the majority of what we see around us. were once in someone’s head and seemed
impossible, but subsequently turned out to be possible. It’s now achievable thanks to
science. Such occurrences are caused by our unconscious mind.
With the help of these factors combined, we are occasionally able to create or learn
incredible truths and things that were completely unknown to the world until their physical
manifestation. Hence, impossibility appears at first but quickly enters the view due to correct
projection, shocking the general populace.
 THE THIRD LEVEL
CHARACTERS

Character Sketch of Charley

Charlie was a nervous person. His hobby was collecting stamps. He was a
young man, yet he was afraid to live in the violent society. He desired to visit
a peaceful and idyllic place. Charley is an optimist who constantly sees the
positive aspects of situations. He regularly expresses his desire to escape the
ordinary reality of his daily existence and is also a dreamer. His fascination
with time travel has led him to think that the Third Level of Grand Central
Station serves as a gateway to the past. Charley is an adventurous person
who welcomes a challenge. Sam is reluctant at first, but Charley persuades
him to go with him to explore the Third Level.
 THE THIRD LEVEL
CHARACTERS

Character Sketch of Louisa

Louisa is a practical, level-headed, and rational person. Louisa helps her

husband stay grounded by reminding him of his responsibilities in the outside
world. She is also portrayed as being a loving and understanding wife to her
anxious husband. Louisa first has doubts about the Third Level and believes it
is just a figment of her husband’s imagination. She hears him out, makes an
effort to comprehend his anxieties, and implores him to get help from a
professional. She is kind to him and encourages him as he makes baby strides
towards recovery.
 THE THIRD LEVEL
CHARACTERS

Character Sketch of Sam

Sam was a psychiatrist. He was Charley’s friend as well. Sam is a practical

and sensible individual who enjoys his life. He retains his composure and is
resistant to Charley’s imaginative ideas. However, out of curiosity and a
desire to disprove Charley, Sam ultimately decides to go with him.
He spoke with several psychic patients every day, who shared their problems
and fears with him. Sam’s life has become burdened as a result of this. He
also began looking for a sojourn. After hearing about the suffering of those
with mental illnesses, he yearned to leave the miserable life he had come to
lead. Sam prevents himself from enjoying the full potential of life by his
reluctance to take chances and investigate new ideas.
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