Deep Water – William Douglas

 Decision to Learn Swimming

o At the age of ten or eleven, Douglas decided to learn to swim.

o The Yakima River was dangerous; his mother often warned him about
drownings there.
o He chose the Y.M.C.A. pool in Yakima as it was considered safe —
shallow at one end, nine feet deep at the other, with a gradual slope.
 Early Fear of Water

o Had an aversion to water since childhood.

o At age three or four, while at a beach in California with his father, he

was knocked down by waves and nearly drowned.
o His father laughed, but the terror of water’s overpowering force
stayed with him.
 Learning Attempts

o Bought water wings and practiced at the pool.

o Watched and imitated other boys, gradually gaining confidence.

o Began to feel somewhat at ease after a few days of practice.

 The Misadventure

o One day, he was sitting alone by the pool when a big, muscular boy
(about 18 years old) entered.

o The boy jokingly shouted, “Hi Skinny! How’d you like to be ducked?”
o He picked Douglas up and threw him into the deep end.

 Struggle in the Water

o Douglas sank straight down, frightened but trying to stay calm.

o Planned: push himself up from the bottom, reach the surface, lie flat,
and paddle to safety.
o However, the nine feet felt like ninety. His lungs nearly burst before
touching bottom.
o Tried to spring upwards but rose slowly; saw only yellowish water and
grew panicky.

o His mouth didn’t clear the surface; he swallowed water and choked.
 Panic and Terror
 o Tried again to reach the surface, but legs felt paralysed and rigid.

o Struggled desperately, struck at the water, grew dizzy, and suffocated.

o Terror gripped him: stark, uncontrollable fear where even screams
were frozen.

o Remembered his plan again, pushed up from the bottom, but found
only water all around.

o Terror increased; body shook and trembled; he couldn’t move arms or

legs.
 Final Moments Before Unconsciousness

o Once more, his eyes and nose came close to the surface, but he
sucked in only water.
o On the third time down, all effort ceased.

o Felt a sense of peace and drowsiness, as if being carried gently in

tender arms.
o Slipped into oblivion (unconsciousness), believing life’s curtain had
fallen.
 Rescue and Aftermath

o Next memory: lying beside the pool, vomiting.

o The boy who had pushed him said, “I was only fooling.”

o Others remarked he had nearly died.

o Went home weak, trembling, crying, unable to eat.

o The fear haunted him for days; avoided water completely.

 Lingering Fear
o In later years, whenever he entered water (Tieton River, Bumping
River, Warm Lake, etc.), the same terror returned.

o His legs would freeze, heart would race, and icy horror gripped him.
o The fear ruined his fishing, boating, and swimming trips for years.

 Determination to Overcome Fear

o Finally, one October, he decided to get an instructor.

o The instructor used a belt-and-pulley system — Douglas swam back

and forth while being held by a rope.
 o Each time he was let loose, some panic returned. Took three months
before tension eased.

o Learned to exhale underwater and inhale above water.

o Practised leg-kicking for weeks until legs responded.
o Gradually, piece by piece, he was built into a complete swimmer.

 Testing Himself

o By April, he could swim the length of the pool.

o Still doubted himself, so kept practising till July.

o At Lake Wentworth (New Hampshire), swam two miles to Stamp Act

Island.

o Terror returned once in the middle of the lake, but he laughed it off and
swam on.
o At Warm Lake, swam across to the other side and back, finally sure
that he had conquered fear.

 Deeper Meaning

o Understood that “In death there is peace; the terror lies only in the fear
of death.”

o Remembered Roosevelt’s words: “All we have to fear is fear itself.”

o Having experienced near-death and terror, his will to live grew
stronger.

o Felt a sense of freedom and triumph after overcoming his greatest

fear.

The Interview – Detailed Notes

Part I

Q1. What are some of the positive views on interviews?

 Interviews are regarded as one of the most important ways of

communication in journalism.

 Some critics describe the interview as a source of truth and even as an art
form.

 It is said to provide the most vivid impressions of a person’s life.

 Denis Brian emphasized its value: “Almost everything of moment reaches us

through one man asking questions of another.”
 It allows the public to get direct insight into the thoughts, personality, and
experiences of celebrities and intellectuals.

 In modern society, interviews hold influence, authenticity, and authority

because they bridge the gap between the subject and the audience.

Q2. Why do most celebrity writers despise being interviewed?

 Many writers feel that interviews invade their privacy.

 They believe it often diminishes their personality by exposing them too

much to the public.
 Some consider it a form of moral and intellectual assault.

 Examples:
o V. S. Naipaul → Claimed interviews could wound people and cause
them to lose part of their self.
o Lewis Carroll → Had a horror of interviews, avoided public contact,
and shunned attention.
o Rudyard Kipling → Condemned interviews as “immoral,” comparing
them to an assault or crime.

o Saul Bellow → Said that being interviewed felt like having

“thumbprints on his windpipe,” indicating suffocation and loss of
freedom.
 Hence, celebrity writers despise interviews because they see them as threats
to individuality, creativity, and personal space.

Q3. What is the belief in some primitive cultures about being photographed?
  In certain primitive cultures, people believed that being photographed could
steal their soul or essence.

 They thought a photograph could capture a part of their identity or life force,
leaving them incomplete.
 Similarly, some people feel that giving interviews makes them lose a part of
themselves because their inner thoughts and privacy are exposed to
strangers.
 This comparison highlights how interviews can be seen as a form of
intrusion or theft of identity.

Q4. What do you understand by the expression “thumbprints on his

windpipe”?

 This expression was used by Saul Bellow to describe his experience of being
interviewed.
 The metaphor conveys a sense of pressure, restriction, and suffocation.

 It suggests that interviews made him feel choked, uncomfortable, and

unable to express himself freely.

 The image of thumbprints on the windpipe reflects the oppressive nature of

questioning that reduces one’s independence.

 In short, it means a suffocating, painful experience where the interviewee

feels trapped.

Q5. Who, in today’s world, is our chief source of information about

personalities?

 In modern times, interviewers are considered the main source of information

about public figures.
 They act as a bridge between celebrities and the general public.

 Through their questions and published conversations, they shape how the
world perceives personalities.
 Therefore, the interviewer holds a powerful and influential position, as they
are responsible for creating impressions of writers, actors, leaders, and other
figures in society.

Part II – Umberto Eco’s Interview (by Mukund Padmanabhan)

Eco’s Work and Philosophy

 Eco appeared to do many things at once: academic writing, novels, essays,

children’s books, and newspaper columns.
 He explained that all his work came from the same ethical and
philosophical interests.

 He organized his life by making use of “empty spaces” or interstices (gaps

in his schedule).

 For example, while waiting for an elevator, he would write instead of wasting
time.
His Writing Style

 Eco’s scholarly work was unique because he wrote in a narrative style.

 Instead of presenting only results, he shared the process of research: false

starts, mistakes, and discoveries.
 This approach made his academic work more engaging, personal, and
lively.

 It also distinguished him from other scholars, whose writing was usually dry
and impersonal.

On Identity
 Despite worldwide fame, Eco considered himself primarily a university
professor.

 He said: “I write novels on Sundays.”

 His novels gave him a much wider audience, but he still identified with
academia and teaching.
On Writing Novels

 Eco began writing novels only at the age of 50.

 He clarified that this was not due to frustration with academic life.

 He simply felt like writing stories one day, and The Name of the Rose was
born.
Success of The Name of the Rose

 It was a serious, complex novel with layers of detective fiction, theology,

philosophy, and history.
 Despite its depth, it sold over 10–15 million copies worldwide.
  Eco was not surprised; he believed people also enjoy difficult and
intellectual books, not just light or trash reading.

 His American publisher had predicted only 3,000 copies would sell since
Americans were unfamiliar with medieval Europe.

 Yet, the book became a bestseller — its timing, style, and subject matter
attracted a huge audience.
 Eco admitted the exact reason for its success remains a mystery, but it
showed that readers are capable of appreciating complex literature.

A Roadside Stand Explanation

POEM :

The little old house was out with a little new shed
In front at the edge of the road where the traffic sped,
A roadside stand that too pathetically pled,
It would not be fair to say for a dole of bread,
But for some of the money, the cash, whose flow supports
The flower of cities from sinking and withering faint.
The polished traffic passed with a mind ahead,
Or if ever aside a moment, then out of sorts
At having the landscape marred with the artless paint
Word Meaning:
Pathetically: In a way that arouses pity, especially by displaying sadness
Dole of Bread: a tiny portion of bread
Marred: Spoilt

Explanation of the poem passage above: There was a small house with a new
shed outside it. The road was busy with cars and other vehicles moving here and
there. The shed was built to display items on sale and the owner expected the
passing vehicles to stop by and buy the things or at least have a look at them. The
condition of the shed aroused one’s pity because it displayed the sad feelings of the
owner who was desperate to earn some money. They did not seek any favour or
piece of bread from the city people but wanted some money because the flow of
money helps everyone to use it and benefit from it. Just like the money with the city
people helps them lead a better life, similarly, if it will flow from their pockets into the
pockets of the shed owner, it will benefit his life too. The cars that pass by are
sparkling but they never notice the shed. They are thinking of their destination only. If
by chance they do stop at the shed, they just complain that the shabby paint of the
huts and sheds there has spoiled the beauty of the landscape.

POEM :

Of signs that with N turned wrong and S turned wrong

Offered for sale wild berries in wooden quarts,
Or crook-necked golden squash with silver warts,
Or beauty rest in a beautiful mountain scene,
You have the money, but if you want to be mean,
Why keep your money (this crossly) and go along.
The hurt to the scenery wouldn’t be my complaint
Word Meaning:
Squash: here, a fruit
Warts: A small growth on the outer surface
Crossly: In an annoyed or angry way

Explanation of the poem passage above: Here the poet says that as the people
living in these sheds are poor their surroundings are not well-maintained. The
signboards indicating directions of north and south are pointing towards the wrong
directions. The sheds have farm produce on sale – wild berries, golden squash fruit
with silver coloured marks on it, kept in wooden baskets. The place is beautiful and
people should stop here and enjoy the mountain scenery. If they have money then
they should buy some things but if they are selfish then they should keep their
money with themselves and not stop there. The poet says that he does not complain
that the sheds have spoiled the scenery of the place.

POEM :

So much as the trusting sorrow of what is unsaid:

Here far from the city we make our roadside stand
And ask for some city money to feel in hand
To try if it will not make our being expand,
And give us the life of the moving-pictures’ promise
That the party in power is said to be keeping from us.

Explanation of the poem passage above: The poet says that these people who
have opened the shed are keeping faith in a promise which was never done to them.
Here, the promise is their expectation that the cars passing by will stop at the shed
and buy some stuff from them. They have built this shed far from the city and they
expect that the city people will flow some money out of their pockets into the hands
of the shed owner. The shed owner wants to feel the money on his hands. Just like
they see in pictures that the one who works hard achieves quick success and
money, they have laid their trust on these ideas and expect to get some money. Frost
adds that the political party in power has stopped the flow of cash from the city
dwellers to the rural people.

POEM :

It is in the news that all these pitiful kin

Are to be bought out and mercifully gathered in
To live in villages, next to the theatre and the store,
Where they won’t have to think for themselves anymore,
While greedy good-doers, beneficent beasts of prey,
Swarm over their lives enforcing benefits
That are calculated to soothe them out of their wits,
And by teaching them how to sleep they sleep all day,
Destroy their sleeping at night the ancient way.
Word Meaning:
Kin: one’s family and relations
Beneficent: generous or doing good
Beasts of Prey: an animal killing other animal
Out of their wits: their perplexed or terrified state
Explanation of the poem passage above: It is in news that soon all these sheds
and huts will be bought by the government and these people will be relocated to the
villages. Near their houses there will be movie theatre and grocery store. They will
be so happy there that they will not worry about their future. The poet says greedy
good-doers and beneficient beasts i.e. such people who show to be doing good
deeds but are actually greedy and are animals of prey who show that they are
benefitting the other persons but in reality, they destroy them. The rich people and
politicians are described as greedy good-doers and beneficient beasts because they
show that they are helping the poor shed owners but in reality nothing like that is
done. Actually, they are encircling their lives and forcefully giving them such benefits
which have been well planned and will put these poor people in a confusion. These
people cannot decide what is good for them and what is harmful. These selfish
people tell to the poor that now they can relax but in reality, they themselves sleep all
day long. Also, they destroy their sleep at night too as has been happening since the
past.

POEM :

Sometimes I feel myself I can hardly bear

The thought of so much childish longing in vain,
The sadness that lurks near the open window there,
That waits all day in almost open prayer
For the squeal of brakes, the sound of a stopping car,
Of all the thousand selfish cars that pass,
Just one to inquire what a farmer’s prices are.
And one did stop, but only to plow up grass
In using the yard to back and turn around;
Word Meaning:
In vain: without success or a result
Lurk: be or remain hidden so as to wait in ambush for someone or something
Plow : move in a fast and uncontrolled manner

Explanation of the poem passage above: The poet says that this kiddish desire in
the hearts of these shed owners is useless. He cannot tolerate their sadness which
they go through when they open the window of the shed, waiting for a car to stop
and buy something. They wait there the whole day and it seems that they are doing
a prayer seeking a buyer for their goods. They pray for the vehicles to step on the
brakes and want to hear a car stop by. There are many cars carrying selfish people
but hopefully, some may stop by just to ask the prices of the produce grown by the
farmers there. One car did stop there but just to disturb the grass when they back
their car and turn around.
POEM :
And another to ask the way to where it was bound;
And another to ask could they sell it a gallon of gas
They couldn’t (this crossly); they had none, didn’t it see?
No, in country money, the country scale of gain,
The requisite lift of spirit has never been found,
Or so the voice of the country seems to complain,
I can’t help owning the great relief it would be
To put these people at one stroke out of their pain.
And then next day as I come back into the sane,
I wonder how I should like you to come to me
And offer to put me gently out of my pain.
Word Meaning:
Requisite: required / needed
Sane: sensible / realistic

Explanation of the poem passage above: Some stop by to ask directions of their
destination. Some cars stop by to buy fuel for their cars. Poet gets annoyed and says
that do they not have any idea that these poor people cannot afford to sell fuel. He
adds that the kind of work these villagers do and the kind of things they sell, it cannot
lead to the required upliftment. The resources are too less to help them get rid of
their problem. Their situation demands such a solution which would be a relief to put
them out of their problems in one go. The next day, the poet thinks that when he is
realistic then he expects the rich to visit and help them get rid of their problem in one
go, perhaps with death.

Figures of Speech
Transferred Epithet: (a) Polished traffic (b) Selfish cars

Personification: 1) A roadside stand that too pathetically pled

Metaphor: Trusting Sorrow

Oxymoron & Alliteration: ‘Greedy good-doers’ and ‘beneficent beasts’ of prey.

Memories of Childhood

This chapter brings together two autobiographical accounts from women writers
belonging to marginalized communities. Both narrate their childhood memories of
humiliation and resistance in oppressive systems — one in America, the other in
India.

Part I – The Cutting of My Long Hair (Zitkala-Sa)

Main Memories

1. Arrival at the Boarding School

o First day in the “land of apples” (white man’s school) was cold, noisy,
and alien.

o Loud metallic bell, clattering shoes, unfamiliar English voices created

confusion and fear.
 o She was stripped of her blanket and moccasins, made to wear stiff
shoes and tight dresses.

o Felt ashamed and out of place watching other Indian girls already
shorn and in uniform.
2. Embarrassment at Dining Table

o Didn’t know the eating rituals.

o Sat down early, got up again, felt watched, embarrassed.

o Was so frightened that she cried instead of eating.

3. Warning from Friend

o Friend Judewin told her the paleface women were planning to cut
their long hair.

o In her culture, short hair was for mourners, and shingled hair for
cowards or captives.

o Zitkala-Sa rebelled: “I will struggle first!”

4. Hiding and Resistance

o She tried to hide under a bed in a dark room.

o Searched, found, dragged out despite kicking and scratching.

o Tied to a chair, hair forcibly cut.

5. Emotional Trauma

o Felt her spirit broken.

o Compared herself to a wooden puppet and “an animal driven by a

herder.”

o Long hair symbolized identity, dignity, and cultural pride — its loss
meant loss of freedom.

Themes

 Suppression of Native American identity and culture.

 Forcible assimilation into white society.

 Loss of dignity and personal freedom.

 Resistance vs submission.

Part II – We Too are Human Beings (Bama)

Main Memories

1. Childhood Walk from School

o As a child, she dawdled home, enjoying the sights of street

performers, shops, games, food stalls, political speeches, puppet
shows, etc.

o Innocent wonder and joy filled her memory.

2. Comic Yet Painful Incident

o Saw an elder of her community carrying a snack packet strangely —

holding it by a string without touching it.

o She found it funny and laughed, imagining the snacks might fall.
o But her brother Annan explained:

 The elder could not touch the packet because they were
“untouchables.”

 If they touched food meant for upper castes, it was considered

polluted.

o The elder had to deliver it bowing and reverently to the landlord.

3. Child’s Realisation

o The incident made her feel sad, provoked, and angry.

o Questioned why they had to serve those who despised them.

o Thought: “We too are human beings. Why should we bow?”

4. Brother’s Advice

o Annan explained: their caste ensured discrimination, indignity, and

humiliation.
o Only education and progress could break this cycle.

o Urged her to study hard and excel so people would respect her.

5. Impact

o His words had a deep effect.

o She devoted herself to studies with passion.

o Soon topped her class, gained recognition, and began to break social
barriers.
Themes
  Caste-based discrimination in Indian society.

 Humiliation and oppression of Dalits.

 Education as a tool of empowerment.

 Assertion of dignity: “We too are human beings.”

Overall Significance

 Both stories are about childhood memories of humiliation — one due to

racial discrimination in America, the other due to caste discrimination in
India.

 Both narrators felt anger, rebellion, and pain, but also hope and
empowerment.

 Common themes:
o Loss of dignity in childhood.

o Resistance against oppression.

o Education and self-determination as liberation.