DEEP WATER

BY:WILLIAM DOUGLAS

Douglas was a leading advocate of individual rights. He was a judge at the Supreme court
of USA, retired in 1975 with a term lasting thirty-six years and remains the longest-serving
Justice in the history of the court.

The following excerpt is taken from Of Men and Mountains by William O. Douglas.

DEEP WATER SUMMARY

• The story has been taken from the author’s autobiography- ‘Of Men
and Mountains’. It is saga of perseverance(determination) and courage.

• In this piece he tells about his fear of water and how he conquered it by
determination and will power.
• As a child, when he was 3 or 4 years old, he would go to the beach in California
with his father. He would get scared by the might of the huge waves which swept
over him and it instilled a fear in his sub – conscious mind.
• A few years later, in his eagerness to learn swimming, he joined a swimming pool
where an incident further increased his terror. He was pushed into the pool by
another boy and experienced death closely.
• Many years after that incident, he stayed away from water but the desire to go
fishing and swimming in nature was strong enough to motivate him to overcome
his fear.
• He learned swimming with the help of an instructor who ensured that William knew
swimming well enough to be able to swim in huge lakes and waterfalls also.
• Still, when he would swim, the fear from his childhood experiences, embedded in
his sub-conscious mind would grip him over and over again. He wanted to conquer
that fear.
• He faced it sarcastically, thinking that now, as he knew how to swim, what harm
could it do to him. He challenged his fear in the face of it and finally it would vanish.
• It was a baseless fear instilled in his sub-conscious mind. This experience was
valuable for him. He had experienced terror and death. He overcame it and finally
conquered it.
• William realized that death is peaceful and it is the fear of death that is terrorizing.
His will to live life grew intensely as he had overcome his fear and started living
fearlessly.

IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER:

 1.Developed aversion to water
(i) 3 to 4 years old: father took him to the beach in California.
(ii) waves knocked him down.
(iii) swept over him.
(iv) fear of water sets in

2. Yakima River :

(i) dangerous
(ii) mother-warned him against it.
(iii) kept fresh in his mind - each drowning in the river.

3. Misadventure at Y.M.C.A.(safe pool)

(i) Y.M.C.A. pool-shallow end is 2-3 feet deep; 9 feet at the deep end
(ii) An 18 yr old bully tossed him into the deep end
(iii) Douglas' plan (strategy)-when he hits the bottom of the pool-he would jump
& come to the surface.
(iv) went 9 feet down
(v) failed to rise, suffocated, lungs ached, head throbbed. fear-stricken
(vi) became unconscious, nearly died.

4. Effect/Impact of Fear :
(i) ruined his fishing trips
(ii) deprived him of the joy of canoeing , boating & swimming

5. HIRED AN INSTRUCTOR TO OVERCOME FEAR OF WATER :

(i) practised 5 days a week-1hour each day
(ii) used belt & rope to teach swimming
(iii) Taught to exhale under water & inhale above water
(iv) Taught Limb coordination
(v) Taught different strokes-crawl stroke, breast stroke, side stroke &
back stroke

6. TESTED HIMSELF :
(i) Went to Lake Wentworth in Hampshire-swam 2 miles to Stamp Act Island
(ii) Went up to Meade Glacier to swim in warm lake near Gilbert Peak.

MINDMAP OF DEEP WATER

CHARACTER SKETCH OF DOUGLAS
• adventurous by nature

.• had a zest for life.

• courageous/bold.
• indomitable spirit-to overcome his fear

.• not frightened by crisis-accepted it as a challenge

. SOLVED QUESTIONS
Deep Water Question and Answers

Q1. How does Douglas make clear to the reader the sense of panic that gripped
him as he almost drowned? Describe the details that have made the description
vivid.
A. William describes his experience where he had a close brush with death at the
Y.M.C.A. Swimming pool. As it a first-person account, he has described it deeply.
The emotional, mental and physical struggle and the paralyzing fear of drowning
have been discussed in detail.
William retained his intelligence and had a plan to come to the surface. He tried it
but I did not work and after a few trials to save his life, death dawned upon him. All
these details make the description vivid.

Q2. How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?

A. William Douglas was not able to come out of his fear. So, he hired a swimming
instructor. Once he had learned swimming, he wanted to check if he had overcome
the fear as well. He would swim in lakes and found the fear to return in small
phases. William was no longer scared as he knew that he could swim. Hence, he
overcame the fear.

Q3. Why does Douglas as an adult recount a childhood experience of terror and
his conquering of it? What larger meaning does he draw from this experience?
A. William Douglas gives a detailed description of his childhood experience so that
the reader gets familiar with the kind of fear that he had as a child.
When he quotes Roosevelt ““All we have to fear is fear itself” he tries to draw a
larger meaning from this experience. He wants to highlight the fact that life became
meaningful and the desire to live grew intense once he had conquered his fear.

Board questions
Q1: Answer the following question in 120 – 150 words: (10)
[CBSE paper, 2012]
How did Douglas develop an aversion to water?
OR
Q2: Answer the following question in 120 – 150 words: (6)
[CBSE paper, 2015]
What happened at the YMCA swimming pool which instilled fear of water in
Douglas’ mind?
A: Since the age of three or four, when the author accompanied his father to the
beach, he realized that he disliked water. He would get frightened by the power of
the waves which threw him, swept over and he was buried in water.
Later, at the age of ten – eleven years, he decided to learn swimming. He joined
swimming classes at a swimming pool at the Y.M.C.A. He felt that the swimming
pool was safe. Also, the pair of water wings would help him stay on the surface but
more, they instilled a sense of confidence in him. It was just when he had started
feeling comfortable that an incident took place. A big boy picked up the author and
threw him in the pool at the deep end. He got water in his mouth and sank to the
bottom. He was frightened but kept his mind working and devised a way out but
things did not turn out as planned. His lungs felt as if they would burst, he was
overpowered by fear, reached out, as if to grab something, but could only get his
hands on the water. He got suffocated due to lack of air, could not scream, moved
his arms desperately but all his efforts failed and he once again sank to the bottom
of the pool. An unexplainable terror seized him. His limbs were lifeless, rigid due
to fear and he could not even scream, the only sign of life was his heart beat. He
sucked in water and then suddenly all his efforts to save himself stopped. He was
relaxed, peaceful, fearless and sleepy, almost dead.
It was due to these experiences that the author developed an aversion to water.

Q3: Answer in 30 – 40 words: (3)

[CBSE paper, 2013]
How did the instructor turn Douglas into a swimmer?
A: The instructor made him practice swimming step by step and gradually, piece
by piece, turned him into a swimmer. When he had perfected each piece, he put
them together into an integrated whole.

Q4: Answer the following question in 120 – 150 words: (6)

 [CBSE paper, 2015]
Describe the efforts made by Douglas to overcome his fear of water.
A: Douglas was in the tight grip of a fear of swimming in water bodies and finally
decided to get rid of it. He hired an instructor who taught him swimming piece by
piece and when he had learnt it all, he combined all the pieces together and made
Douglas a swimmer. Still, he was not confident, and the terror would seize him
time and again. Douglas wanted to get rid of all the fear, he wanted to conquer it.
So, he went to various lakes, dived and swam across them. He reverted
sarcastically to the tiny vestiges of fear that would grip him time and again until all
of it vanished away. Douglas realized that fear was merely a crop of the mind and
once he had conquered it, he felt released, free to walk arduous terrains, climb
peaks and brush aside fear. Douglas had faced stark terror and then by conquering
it his desire to live life grew intensely.

Q5: Answer the following question in 30 – 40 words: (3)

[CBSE paper, 2016]
How did his experience at the YMCA swimming pool affect Douglas?
A: Douglas’ experience of drowning and almost being dead instilled a fear of water
in him. He shook and cried, couldn’t eat, for days a haunting fear engulfed him,
the slightest exertion upset him. He never went back to the pool, feared water and
avoided it whenever he could.
Q.1. Answer the following questions in 30-40 words:
(i) How did the fear of water ruin Douglas' leisure activities?
Value Points:

EFFECT/IMPACT of FEAR: ruined his fishing trips• deprived him of the joy of
canoeing, boating• & swimming.
Q2. Answer the following question in 120-150 words:
Solved Question: Q.1."All we have to fear is fear itself." Elucidate.
Value points: Douglas quotes Roosevelt-"All we have to fear is fear itself."

• instead of running away from fear-we must fight it - Douglas justifies the
statement by
• recounting his YMCA experience and how it impacted his adult life. fear of water
would raise its ugly head every time he was near water -trouble Douglas.
• He decided to deal with his fear by hiring an instructor to teach swimming.
• alone at pool-tiny vestiges (remains) of terror return occasionally. challenge fear

-• went to Lake Wentworth-laughed

• & challenged fear removed residual fear-went to Warm Lake-swam across to the
other shore&back.

• shouted with joy-when he experienced no fear. Overcame his fear by

determination, strong will-power, perseverance.
• Question.1. Which two incidents in Douglas’ early life made him scared of
water? (Compartment 2014)
Answer. When Douglas was three or four years old, his father took him to a
beach in California. There he was knocked down by strong waves, was almost
buried under water, and got breathless. Though he hung on to his father, he was
quite frightened. Secondly, when Douglas was ten or eleven, a big bully of a boy
tossed him into the deep end of the YMCA pool. He could not come to the surface,
in spite of all his efforts, and became panicky. These two incidents made Douglas
scared of water.

• Question.2.Why did Douglas prefer to go to YMCA swimming pool to learn

swimming?
(Compartment 2014)
or
Which factors made Douglas to decide in favour of YMCA pool? (All India
2011)
Answer. According to Douglas, the YMCA pool was safer compared to the
Yakima River. The river was quite deep and there were several cases of drowning
reported about it. As against the uncertain depth of the river, the pool was only
two or three feet deep at the shallow end. Though its depth was about nine feet
at the deeper end, yet the drop was gradual, and Douglas could rely on it.

• Question.3.What did Douglas feel and do when he was pushed into the
swimming pool?
(Compartment 2014)
or
What were the series of emotions and fears that Douglas experienced when
he was thrown into the pool? (Foreign 2011)
Answer. When Douglas was thrown into the pool, he did not lose heart and
planned to push himself up with all his force. He thought that once he came to the
surface, he would paddle to the edge of the pool. Thrice, he tried to come to the
surface, but unfortunately his strategy did not work and terror gripped him. His
lungs were ready to burst; he was breathless and instead of air, sucked water.
• Question.4.How did his swimming instructor ‘build a swimmer’ out of
Douglas? (Compartment 2014)
or
How did the instructor turn Douglas into a swimmer? (Delhi 2013)
Answer. The instructor adopted a systematic method to turn Douglas into a
swimmer. He first made Douglas shed his initial fear of water by making him cross
a pool suspended by a rope attached to a pulley. The instructor held the other
end of the rope and relaxed and tightened it from time to time. Then he taught the
narrator to breathe while swimming, and finally the leg movements and other
strokes.

• Question.5. How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror?
(All India 2013)
Answer. After the instructor had trained Douglas in the art of swimming, Douglas
was still not sure of himself. He felt tiny vestiges of the fear now and then. So, he
went to Lake Wentworth and swam. Once when terror returned, he challenged it
and did not let it overcome him. Finally, Douglas went to the Warm Lake. There
he swam and the fear didn’t return to haunt him again.

• Question.6. What efforts did Douglas make to get over his fear of water?
(Delhi 2012)
Answer. After several individual attempts to overcome his fear, Douglas finally
engaged an instructor. The instructor built a swimmer out of him. But Douglas
was not sure. To confirm that the terror would not strike him when he was
swimming alone, Douglas decided to go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire.
At last, he made his terror fly away by swimming across the Warm Lake.

• Question.7. Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water?
(DeM20ii, 2009)
Answer. The misadventure of having a near-drowning experience left a deep
mark on Douglas’ mind.
The phobia of water hampered all his joys of enjoying different water sports like
fishing,
canoeing, boating and swimming. He did not want to live with this handicap and
so was determined to overcome his fear of water.

• Question.8. What did Douglas experience when he went down to the bottom
of the pool for the
first time? (Delhi 2011,2010)
Answer. When the author was going down to the bottom of the pool for the first
time, those nine feet felt almost like ninety feet. His lungs were ready to burst, but
somehow he summoned all his strength and sprang upwards, hoping to reach the
surface, but he didn’t pop up to the surface like a cork, as he had imagined. When
he opened his eyes he saw nothing but water, his hands too grabbed only water.
• Question.9. Why did Douglas go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire?
(Delhi 2011)
Answer. Douglas was not satisfied with his practice so he decided to go to Lake
Wentworth. There when he was swimming in themiddle of the lake, only once did
the terror return, but he finally overcame it, and it made him feel better.

• Question.10.When Douglas realised that he was sinking, how did he plan to

save himself?
(Delhi 2010)
Answer. When a big boy threw Douglas into the water, he went straight down.
He was completely frightened. Still, he did not lose his wits and thought of a
strategy to make a big jump when his feet touched the bottom, so that he could
reach the surface. He even thought that he would lie flat on the surface and finally
paddle to the edge of the pool.

• Question.11. What sort of terror seized Douglas as he went down the water
with a yellow glow?
How could he feel that he was still alive ? (Delhi 2010)
Answer. When Douglas found himself deep down into the water with a yellow
glow, stark terror gripped him. The terror ripped him apart and he had no control
over it. He felt paralysed, stiff and rigid with fear. Even the screams in his throat
were frozen. It was only his throbbing heart that made him realise that he was still
alive.

• . Question 12.“Well Mr. Terror, don’t try to scare me.” Why did Douglas utter
these words?
• When Douglas was alone in pool, his old fear came back & tried to scare him. But
he had made his mind that he would not give up until he succeeded. So he was
not afraid of any fear that confronted him on the way.

• Long Answer Type Questions (6 Marks, 120-150 words)

• Question.1. “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? (Foreign 2014)
Answer. The incident which nearly killed Douglas occurred when he was ten or
eleven years old. He had decided to learn swimming at the YMCA pool, and thus
get rid of his fear of water. One . morning, when he was alone at the pool, waiting
for others, a big bully of a boy tossed him into the deep end of the pool. Though
he had planned a strategy to save himself as he went down, his plan did not work.
He went down to the bottom and became panicky. Thrice he struggled hard to
come to the surface, but failed each time. He was almost drowned in the pool. He
lost his consciousness and felt that he would die. Though he was ultimately
saved, this misadventure developed in him a strong aversion to water.
• Question.2. 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? (Foreign 2014)
Answer. Douglas had experienced both the sensation of dying and the terror that
the fear of death can cause. Strong will, hard determination, courage and toil as
well as honest labour won over all his terrors and fears. The will to live brushed
aside all his fears.
In reality all our fears are only psychological, and can be easily won over, if we
can control our mind. This realisation makes Douglas resolve to learn swimming
by engaging an instructor. This instructor, piece by piece, built Douglas into a
swimmer. However, his first step was to drive away Douglas’ fear of water, before
training him in swimming techniques. When Douglas tried and swam the length
of the pool up and down, small traces of his old terror of water would return. So,
he went to Lake Wentworth, dived at Triggs Island and swam two miles across
the lake to Stamp Act Island. Finally, he was certain that he had conquered his
fear of water.

• Question.3. Desire, determination and diligence lead to success. Explain

the value of these qualities in the light of Douglas’ experience in ‘Deep
Water.’ (Compartment2014)
Answer. The terror of water followed Douglas wherever he went. To get rid of it,
he made a strong determination. He decided to overcome his fear through his
“will.” He engaged an instructor who would perfect him in swimming. The
instructor first helped him drive away his fear, and then gave him many exercises
besides teaching him to exhale and inhale in water.
The practice went on for months together, during which his fear came back to
haunt him, but his desire and firm will made him persist in his- efforts. It was only
through sheer determination and diligence that Douglas could not only counter
his terror, but also become an expert swimmer.
He swam across and back lakes to ensure that his fear of water did not return.
He had now completely lost his fear. His desire, determination and diligence
succeeded in banishing his fear of water.

• Question.4. How did Douglas develop an aversion to water? (Ddhi20i2)

or
“…….there was terror in my heart at the overpowering force of the waves.”
When did Douglas start fearing water? Which experience had further
strengthened its hold on his mind and personality? (All India 2010)
Answer. Douglas developed an aversion to water in his early childhood, When
he was three or four years old, his father took him to a beach in California. The
waves knocked him down and swept over him. He was buried in water. He was
frightened but his father was laughing. Perhaps this was the moment his fear of
water took root inside his mind.
Further, when Douglas was ten or eleven years old, he decided to learn to swim
and went to the YMCA pool. Here an incident took place that finally established
 his aversion to water as a big fear. One day when Douglas was alone at the pool
sitting on the edge and waiting for others to come, a big boy of 18 years of age
threw him into the deep end of the pool.What followed was a nightmarish
experience for him. Douglas tried very, hard and applied all his knowledge to
come to the surface of the water but to no avail. Somehow, he was saved. Thus
after this fearful incident, his fear of water got implanted in his heart and mind
permanently.

• Question.5. How did the instructor make Douglas a good swimmer? (All
India 2012)
Answer. To overcome his fear of water, Douglas finally decided to get an
instructor to learn swimming. The instructor started working with him five days a
week, an hour each day. The instructor put a belt around Douglas. A rope was
attached to the belt that went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable. The
instructor held on to the end of the rope and , along with Douglas went back and
forth, across the pool, hour after hour, day after day,week after week. On each
trip across the pool a bit of panic seized Douglas. It took almost three months
before the tension reduced.
Then the instructor taught him to put his face under the water and exhale and to
raise his nose and inhale. For weeks, his instructor made him kick with his legs.
Until, he was able to command his legs at his will.In this way, piece by piece, his
instructor made Douglas a swimmer. When Douglas perfected each piece, his
instructor put them together into an integrated one. As a result, in nearly six
months Douglas was able to swim, dive, crawl and so on.

• Q6. Describe the efforts made by Douglas to save himself from drowning
in the YMCA swimming pool.
• Answer : When his feet hit the bottom of the pool, Douglas summoned up all
his strength and made a great spring upwards thinking he would bob to the
surface like a cork. But when nothing like that happened, Douglas tried to yell but
no sound came out. Now a great force was pulling him under. He was paralysed
under water, stiff and rigid with fear. Then in the midst of the terror came a touch
of reason that he should remember to jump when he hit the bottom. As soon as
he felt the tiles under him he reached out his toes towards them and jumped again
with all his strength. Yet again the jump did not make any difference. The water
was still around him. Stark terror took an even deeper hold on him and he shook
and trembled with fright. He could not move his arms and legs. He tried to call for
help but nothing happened. Finally he ceased all his efforts and decided to relax
as blackness swept over his brain.

1. . What was the continual warning of the author’s mother and did he take
it seriously?
ANS – The continual warning of the author’s mother was that Yakima River
was dangerous. Yes, he took it seriously.

2. . Why did Douglas decide to join the YMCA pool?

ANS – YMCA pool was only 2 or 3 feet deep so Douglas thought it was
safe. He had got a pair of wings.

3. What does the author describe as the misadventure and how does he
end up?

ANS – The misadventure was his narrow escape from drowning in water in
the YMCA pool. He ends up lying on his stomach near the pool.

4. What did William Douglas plan while sinking to the bottom of the
swimming pool?

ANS – Douglas planned to hit the bottom hard with feet and then come
to the surface of the pool lie on it and paddle to the edge of the pool.

5. How did terror seize the narrator when he was going down and down
and tallow glow of water surrounded him?

ANS – The horror of death made him mad in the water. His head
appeared to burst and lungs started hurting. He was getting dizziness.
Legs and arms did not move.

6. . Where did the author find himself lying?

ANS – The author finds himself lying nearby the YMCA pool and he was
vomiting.

7. How does the fear of water ruin his fishing trips and other joys?

ANS – He could not go for bass, trout and salmon fishing. He could not
enjoy canoeing, boating or swimming.

8. . Why was William Douglas determined to conquer his fear of water?

ANS –William Douglas was determined to conquer his fear of water

because his life had become handicapped. He wanted to feel free and
enjoy his life.
 9. How did the author become a perfect swimmer?

ANS – The author hires a coach who is able to teach him swimming
perfectly. Coach uses a rope and a pulley to teach swimming. He taught
him how to exhale with face into the water. Thus the author learned to
swim.

Value Based Question : 6 Marks (120 – 150 Words)

Question 1 : The story ‘Deep Water’ has made you realise that with determination
and perseverance one can accomplish the impossible. Write a paragraph in about
100 words on how a positive attitude and courage will aid you to achieve success
in life.
Answer : Determination and perseverance is a combination of attributes and
abilities that drive people to set goals for themselves and then to take the initiative
to achieve these goals. Douglas was able to overcome his fear of water by the
values of positive attitude and courage. Initially he was afraid of water but his grit
and determination made him get an instructor to train him and overcome his fear.
Determination today leads to our success tomorrow. It is that innate quality in our
soul, which comes to surface when we face difficult tasks. It is a reflection of our
values taught to us by society and circumstances and enables us to overcome all
obstacles.

NOTE: SOME OF THE LENGTHY QUESTION ANSWERS ARE REPEATED. YOU

HAVE TO COMBINE THE BEST POINTS OF BOTH SUCH ANSWERS AND WRITE
THE FINAL ANSWER YOURSELF.