Lesson: DEEP WATER : WILLIAM DOUGLAS

FEAR VS PHOBIA
(Fear is a normal and healthy part of life. In fact, fear plays an important role in
keeping us from entering harmful situations and helping us decide when to get
out of situations that are not necessarily the best.
Under normal circumstances, fear can be managed through reason and logic,
even in situations that cause us to be fearful. It does not take over our lives or
cause us to become irrational.
A phobia, however, twists the normal fear response into something that is
persistent and difficult or even impossible to control without some kind of
clinical intervention. So while a phobia does involve fear—of an object,
situation, or concept—a fear typically does not rise to the level of a phobia. A
mental health professional can help determine if your symptoms meet the
criteria for diagnosing a phobia.
Normal Response to Fear
It is easy to become afraid of almost anything. Fear is generally, although not
always, based on a negative experience with the object or circumstance in
question. For example, if you were attacked by a dog as a child, you may still be
afraid of dogs today. Sometimes fear is learned from someone else, such as a
child who has a fear of spiders because of their mother's reactions.
Whatever the object of fear, you may become distressed or uncomfortable when
you confront that object. If you are afraid of flying, for example, you may
become jittery or anxious when you board an airplane. You may self-medicate,
perhaps by indulging in a preflight drink, but you are able to manage your
symptoms and get on with your life. You may prefer to travel by car or train but
will fly when it is necessary or practical.
Phobic Response
If you have a diagnosable phobia of a specific object or situation, your response
will be more extreme.4 Using the fear of flying example, if you are able to
board the plane at all, you will sweat, shake, cry, or have other serious
physiological responses. You will likely be miserable during the entire flight, as
every bit of turbulence renews your panic.)
If your phobia is more severe, you will simply be unable to board a flight at all.
Theme of the Lesson:
This lesson is taken from William Douglas’ autobiographical book “Of Men and
Mountains,” which deals with the subject of conquering fear. He talks about
how he finally overcame his early phobia of the sea. The incident in the
swimming pool where a bully nearly drowned him as a youngster and the
boyhood experience of being knocked down by the waves at the California
beach contributed to a dread of water that haunted him even as an adult. He
ultimately made the decision to face his anxiety because he was unable to enjoy
swimming, fishing, or boating like others. His further attempts to get over the
fear, demonstrate his guts and willpower. Therefore, the message being sent to
us is that one must get above their fear.
Gist of Deep Water:

 William Douglas with a great passion for water wants to learn

swimming.
 He had a childhood fear of water because of a particular incident.
 At the age of 3 or 4, when he was surfing on a beach in California,
he was knocked by a huge wave. This set a fear for water within
the boy.
 After a few years when he longed to swim in the “Yakima River”,
his mother told him that the river was dangerous and treacherous.
 The YMCA pool was considered to be the safest place for
swimming by William Douglas because it was only nine feet deep
and was tiled at the bottom. He started swimming in the YMCA
pool by copying other boys.
 Douglas swallowed water and went straight down to the bottom of
the pool.
 It seemed a long way down. Those nine feet were more like ninety,
and before he touched the bottom his lungs were ready to burst.
 While going down he planned to make a big jump upwards but
came up slowly. Tried to shout but could not. Then his eyes and
nose came out of the water — but not his mouth.
 As he went down the pool second time, tried to bring his legs up,
but they hung as dead weights, paralysed and rigid. A great force
was pulling him under he tried to jump upwards but it was a waste
of energy.
 He screamed but his voice did not go out of the water. Once again,
William started going down towards the bottom of the pool.
 Terror held him deeper and deeper.
  During the third trial, he sucked water instead of air. The
yellowish light was going out. T all effort ceased- relaxed.
 legs felt like limp and a blackness swept over his brain. It wiped
out fear; it wiped out terror. There was no more panic. It was quiet
and peaceful.
 So he ceased all efforts and he became unconscious.
 He crossed to oblivion.
 When revived he found himself vomiting beside the pool.
 He was in grip of fear of water and it deprived him of the joys of
canoeing, boating swimming and fishing.
 Hired an instructor to learn swimming.
 The instructor taught him swimming piece by piece.
 He went to different lakes to swim and found tiny vestiges of fear
still gripped him.
 He challenged the fear and swam.
 Swimming up and down the Warm Lake he finally overcame his
fear of water.
 He realized that in death there is peace and there is terror only in
fear of death.

Previous Years’ Questions of Deep Water

1. What were Douglas’ initial thoughts when he was pushed into the pool ?
(2022)
2. Why did Douglas use the metaphor ‘Deep Water’ as the title to his
autobiographical account ? (2023)
3. What misadventure did Douglas experience at YMCA Swimming Pool?
(2013)
4. How did Douglas finally get rid of the fear he had of water? (Delhi 2009)
5. Why was Douglas keen to overcome his fear of water? (All India 2009)
6. When Douglas realised that he was sinking, how did he plan to save
himself? (Delhi 2010)
7. What did Douglas experience as he went down to the bottom of the pool
for the first time? (Delhi 2010)
8. Why did William Douglas develop aversion to the water when he was
three or four years old? (Comptt. Delhi 2010)
9. Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water? (Delhi 2011)
10.Which factors led Douglas to decide in favour of YMCA pool? (All India
2011)
 11.Why did Douglas go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire? How did he
make his terror flee? (All India 2012)
12.How did the instructor turn Douglas into a swimmer? (Delhi 2013)
13.Why did William Douglas use the YMCA pool and not Yakima river to
learn swimming? (Comptt. Delhi 2013)
14.What happened when ‘a big bruiser of a boy’ tossed Douglas into the
YMCA pool? How did Douglas plan to come out? (Comptt. Delhi 2013)
15.Why did Douglas’ mother recommend that he should learn swimming at
the YMCA swimming pool? (Delhi 2015)
16.What lesson did Douglas learn when he got rid of his fear of water?
(Comptt. Delhi 2015)

Long Answer Questions:

“I crossed to oblivion, and the curtain of life fell.” What was the incident which
nearly killed Douglas and developed in him a strong aversion to water?

Q2. Douglas fully realised the truth of Roosevelt’s statement, “All we have to
fear is fear itself.” How did this realisation help him brush aside his fear and
become an expert swimmer?

Q3. Desire, determination and diligence lead to success. Explain the value of
these qualities in the light of Douglas’ experience in ‘Deep Water.’

Extract Based Questions:

Q1. From the beginning, however, I had an aversion to the water when I was in
it. This started when I was three or four years old and father took me to the
beach in California. He and I stood together in the surf. I hung on to him, yet
the waves knocked me down and swept over me. I was buried in water. My
breath was gone. I was frightened. Father laughed, but there was terror in my
heart at the overpowering force of the waves.
a) Who is ‘ I’ here?
b) When did the aversion to water start?
c) Where did his father take him?

d) Why was the author frightened?

2. With that he picked me up and tossed me into the deep end. I landed in a
sitting position, swallowed water, and went at once to the bottom. I was
frightened, but not yet frightened out of my wits. On the way down I
planned: When my feet hit the bottom, I would make a big jump, come to
the surface, lie flat on it, and paddle to the edge of the pool.

1. Question: How did the narrator’s ability to plan while sinking show his
mindset? Answer in about 40 words.

2. Question: State True or False.

None of the terms (a)-(d) can be applied to the statement — “With that he
picked me up and tossed me into the deep end.”

(a) An exaggeration – making something seem bigger or more important than it

is

(b) A literal description – telling events exactly as they happened

(c) A metaphor – comparing two things without using “like” or “as”

(d) An analogy – comparing two things to explain something

(Answer: False.

Reason: The statement is a literal description of what happened, so terms (a),

(c), and (d) do not apply.)

3. Question: The narrator’s reaction to being tossed into the deep end suggests
he was _____.

(determined/ resolute/ persistent/ tenacious/ steadfast/ courageous/ undeterred/

focused/ unwavering/ committed or any other similar response.)

4. Question: What does the narrator’s plan while sinking reveal about him?