The Third Level

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Q1. What, according to the psychiatrist, was Charley’s problem?
Ans. Charley told the psychiatrist about his belief in the existence of the third level at the
Grand Central Station but was told that it was only a waking- dream wish fulfilment. The
psychiatrist also added that Charley was unhappy because of the insecurity, fear, war, worry
and that he just wanted to escape just like everyone else.

Q2. What did the psychiatrist think about Charley’s stamp collection? Why did Charley
not agree with him?
Ans. The psychiatrist thought that Charley’s stamp collecting was a temporary refuge from
reality. Charley did not agree with him because his grandfather for whom things were nice and
peaceful and who did not need refuge from reality also collected stamps.

Q3. How does Charley describe himself?

Ans. Charley describes himself as just an ordinary guy, thirty-one years old. He wore a tan
gabardine suit and a straw hat with a fancy band. He was just like other men he passed on the
road and he was not trying to escape from anything.

Q4. Why does Charley feel that Grand Central is growing like a tree? (SP)
Ans. Charley had been the station for long
• But each time he bumped into new doorways, stairs and corridors
• Once had entered a long tunnel and came out near Roosevelt hotel.

Q5. What idea did Charley have about the tunnel and why didn’t he tell the psychiatrist
about it?
Ans. Charley felt there was a tunnel that nobody knew about, which was feeling its way
under the city at that moment too, on its way to Times Square, and maybe another to Central
Park. Grand Central, he felt, was like an exit, a way of escape and perhaps that’s how he got
into the tunnel. He didn’t want to tell the psychiatrist, for he would not have believed him and
would have wanted to treat him.
.
Q6. How did Charley make sure that he had actually travelled in the past?
Ans. Charley went to the news stand and looked at the Newspaper, he saw that it was ‘The
World’, a Newspaper that was no longer published. He later discovered through Public Library
files it was printed on June11,1894

Q7. Describe Galesburg, as it existed in the year 1894?

Ans. Galesburg was a wonderful town with big old frame houses, huge lawns, and
tremendous trees whose branches met overhead and roofed over the streets. In 1894, summer
evenings were twice as long, and people sat on their lawns, the men smoking.

Q8. What preparations did Charley make to go to Galesburg?

Ans. Drew 300 dollars out of bank and purchased and purchased old style currency.

Q9. In which context did Charley say, “eggs were thirteen cents a dozen in 1894”?
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.
For his three hundred dollars he had got only two hundred dollars old-style currency but he
didn’t mind that. The only consolation was that in the year 1894, the two hundred dollars would
have more value, as things were much cheaper than they were now.

Q10. What made Louisa, Charley’s wife, believe that the third level was a reality?
Ans. Louisa, like Charley’s friends, believed whatever explanations the psychiatrist friend
had given. But later, when she received a mail from Sam himself from the old Galesburg,
Louisa believed that Charley was true to his claims and even began to search for the third level.

Q11. What is a first day cover?

Ans. When a new stamp is issued, stamp collectors buy some and use them to mail envelopes
to themselves on the very first day of sale; and the postmark proves the date. They’re never
opened; they just put blank paper in the envelope. The envelope is called a first-day cover.

Q12. Who had sent the first day cover and what was written on it?
Ans. Sam had sent the first day cover. Sam wrote that he had discovered the Third level and
had reached Galesburg. He found Galesburg peaceful and friendly. He advised Charley to keep
looking for third level and reach Galesburg.

Q13. How did Charley happen to reach the Third Level of Grand Central Station, New
York?
Ans. One day Charley worked for more time at office. So, he was late for home. So, he took
the subway from the Grand Central to reach the second level of it. From there he was to catch
a train. He started walking quickly. He reached the second level. But, all of a sudden, he lost
his way there. He entered a corridor that had a left turn. It was also slanting somewhat
downwards. It was like a tunnel. He met no one on the way. There was dead silence. Even he
could hear the sound of his own footsteps. Then the corridor took a sharp left turn. After coming
down a flight of stairs he reached the third level of the Grand Central Station.

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

Q1. Describe the Grand Central Station at the third level?
Ans. Grand Central Station at the third level looked very different. There were Fewer ticket
windows and train gates. Information booth was in the centre, it was made of wood and was
very old looking man in the booth wore green eye shade and long sleeve protectors. The lights
were dim and flickering as they were open flame gaslights. There were brass spittoons on the
floor.

Men wore Derby hats a black four button suit with tiny lapels and he had a big, black
handlebar moustache. Men had beards, sideburns and fancy moustaches. Women wore
dresses with leg of mutton sleeves. He caught a glimpse of a very small Currier &Ives
Locomotive with a funnel shaped stack. He also saw a copy of the “The World’, a Newspaper
which hadn’t been published for years.

Q2. What was reaction of the Clerk at the Ticket counter? Why?
Ans. After Charley discovered that he was on the Third level ,he decided go to Galesburg
with his wife Louisa and turned to purchase two tickets from the ticket counter the clerk at
the ticket counter glanced at his fancy hatband curiously .However when Charley counted
the money and handed over the currency notes to the clerk ,he started staring at Charley
openly .He felt that Charley was trying to give him fake currency as the currency used in 1894
were old style bills half as big as the notes that Charley was using, he even threatened to turn
him to the authorities Charley did not relish the prospect of going to jail therefore he turned
and got out of the Third level as fast as possible.

Q3. Why is the fact that Sam has moved to the third level ironical?
Ans. -Sam believed that only two levels existed.
-He explained Charley’s experience as ‘Waking – dream wish fulfilment .
-He believed 3rd level was a medium to escape foam tension of modern life.
-But later, Sam himself found the 3rd level and got settled there.
-Earlier he believed there was not third level at all but ironically, he himself became a
resident of
Galesburg. He even urged charley to keep finding it.

Q4. Imagination is a ‘temporary refuge from reality’ Explain.

Ans.
-Believed it was a waking dream, perhaps wish fulfilment.
-Felt that like many men in the modern world Charley too was unhappy.
-Modern world is full of trials and tribulations, worries and insecurities.
-Felt Charley wanted to escape this world.
-People indulge in some sort of hobby to escape the stark harsh realities.
-Even stamp collecting was a kind of temporary escape.
-Charley refuted his contention- said people do not wander about due to stress.
-Besides his grandfather had also collected stamps in the good old peaceful days of
eighteen- nineties and did not need to escape as life was quite stress free in those days.

Q5. Elaborate the theme of the story

Ans. Value Points- The story primarily focuses on the atrocities of the modern world – full
of insecurity, stress, fear, war & hatred – one feels caged – by modern advancement – leads to
tension and worries – leading people to look for means of an escape. In the story Charlie –
creates the third level to seek refuge – cases his pressure – provide sweet power to relax.

Extra Important Question and Answers

Q. How many levels are there in the Grand Central Station? How did Charley reach the
third level of the Grand Central Station?

Ans. Grand Central Station, New York, has only two levels. One evening, Charley reached
the station and then walked down to the second level to catch an early train to his home.
While he was on the second level, he strangely happened to notice a doorway down. He
followed the steps and reached the third level which was never heard or seen by anyone. In
the third level Charley saw a hundred-year-old world and people.

Q. What is the role of the stamp – collection in the story?

Ans. The stamps collection is the logic behind the story. It was Charley’s favourite pastime.
In fact, this collection was passed on to Charley from his diseased grandfather. The most
important fact about his collection is that this was the only thing that connected the old world
and the new: the same thing but existing in two different worlds. This collection turned out to
be useful for Sam, the psychiatrist friend when he attempted to convey to Charley the truth
regarding the existence of the third level. It was by keeping his first day cover in Charley’s
grandfather’s collection that Sam could make the same available to Charley.

Q. How did Charley ascertain that he had reached the 1894 world?

Ans. The World was a popular newspaper which stopped its publication before 1894. Having
reached the third level of the Grand Central Station, Charley noticed that The World and the
date, June 11, 1894 and confirmed that he was back in 1894. In the beginning, when he
reached the third level, Charley was confused. Whatever he saw in the third level told him
that he had travelled back to the past. This was confirmed when he saw The World. The lead
story said something about President Cleveland and it was printed June 11, 1894.

Q. Why did Charley run away from the third level?

Ans. Charley was greatly amazed when he reached the hundred year old third level and was
planning to buy two rail tickets to Galesburg where he had spent his childhood. But when he
took out his money to pay the fare, the clerk found out that his notes were fake and thought
that Charley was attempting to fool him. He warned him that he would call the police. Seeing
that there was nothing good about police and jail in the hundred year old Galeburg, Charley
ran away.

Q. What was Sam’s answer to Charley’s dilemma?

Ans.

Charley met his psychiatrist friend Sam and told him about this experience. The psychiatrist
interpreted it as a mental disorder. Indicating his hobby of stamp collection and this sort of
experience, the psychiatrist explained his abnormality to be escaping from the struggles of
life by fantasizing. Soon his friends and wife began to consider Charley as a mental patient.
But how! Charley was not abnormal. He was a happy man who loved his wife and friends
and stamps. But the rest of the world believed that Charley was looking for an exit to escape
his reality.

Q. Why was Charley not able to get to Galesburg?

Ans. Next day Charley went to a particular shop that sold old currency. He paid more for less
old money and ran to the railway station. He hoped to buy train tickets this time to go to his
old village. He reached the first level, went down to the second and searched for the door to
the third level. Alas! The door had vanished. He searched and searched but could not find it
again.

Q. How did Sam reach Galesburg? How did he settle down there?

Ans. Sam was smarter than Charley. From Charley’s experience, he learnt that one can get
into the third level only once. He also believed that once out of the third level, one could
never get back. Keeping this in mind, Sam first got old currency from the shop and then went
to the railway station. He found the door to the third level as claimed by Charley, purchased
ticket and reached the 1894 Galesburg, Charley’s village. Having reached there, Sam settled
himself in hay business.

Q. How did Sam’s mail reach Charley?

Ans. When Sam reached the third level and landed in Galesburg, he became part of a
hundred-year-old world, the year 1894 a world devoid of the modern media of
communication. He had to depend only on postal system but there was no link between his
old world and Charley’s present world. In order to send a mail to Charley, Sam sent it to
Charley’s grandfather who still existed in the third level and the grandfather kept the mail in
his stamp collection and consequently Charley received the mail.

Q. What was Charley’s strange experience at the Grand Central Station?

Ans. One night, while in a hurry to catch a subway train from the Grand Central Station,
Charley took a path, which led him to the third level of Grand Central Station. On arriving
here, he encountered something, which appeared outright strange to him. The information
booth was made of wood, the lights were open flame gaslight and therefore dim. There where
old-fashioned railway engines, men and women in old fashioned clothes, carrying old
fashioned accessories, such as the gold pocket watch. There were brass spittoons on the
floors. By now Charley had an inkling that the path had brought him to the past. In order to
confirm his doubt, he decided to check the newspaper. The newspaper was ‘The world’ and
the date on it read June, 11, 1894. Publication of the same had been stopped hundred years
ago. When Charley went to buy two tickets to Galesberg, Illinois, the clerk refused to sell
him tickets because he did not recognise the new currency, which Charley was offering.

Q. Do you think Charley was really a worried man as his psychiatrist friend and others
believed?

Ans. No, Charley was a happy man. Even though the modern man is generally unhappy and
worried, Charley appears to be quite a normal man. The day when he found out the third
level, Charley was in a hurry to reach home, to meet his wife. A man who longs to get home
and happy with his wife is a happy man. Moreover, Charley had a good collection of stamps
which he enjoyed in his free time. Yes, Charley seems to be a worried man, an escapist and a
maniac dreamer also. Charley belonged to the post World War time, 1984 and anxiety and
insecurity were a part of everyone’s psyche. Everyone wanted to escape to a peaceful place
but there was probably none. Charley, being a similar escapist, found peace by escaping into
his world of stamps and unknown places in his imagination.

The Third Level Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Q1. What was the psychiatrist’s reaction when Charley told him about ‘The Third
Level’?
Answer: The psychiatrist told him that it was a walking-dream wish fulfillment. He also
told that Charley was unhappy.
Q2. What is the world filled up with?
Answer: The world is filled up with insecurity, fear, war. worry and a lot of tensions. On
the other hand, there is joy, satisfaction, security and positivity in the world also.

Q3. What, according to the author is ‘Stamp Collecting?

Answer: According to the author, stamp collecting is a ‘temporary refuge from reality’. It’s
an escapement from worldly worries.

Q4. What happened with Charley at Grand Central Station?

Answer: At Grand Central Station, Charley entered into a subway to get the train to his
home but he was misdirected and entered into another way that was, according to him ‘The
Third Level’.

Q5. What did Charley find there?

Answer: 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 century.

Q6. What do you understand by escapement?

Answer: Escapement, in this sense means the saving of oneself from worldly worries like
insecurity, fear, war, worry and a lot.

Q7. I’ve taken the obvious step’. Explain.

Answer: Nobody believed on Charley’s statement about ‘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’.

Q8. What was Charley’s vision about Galesburg town?

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

Q9. Why did Charley return from the third level?

Answer: With the wings of imagination, Charley returned to collect enough money to buy
two tickets to Galesburg town for himself and his wife Louisa. (As the clerk was not
accepting the currency which Charley was having related to the modem world.)

Q10. When and how did Charley find the letter of Sam?
Answer: 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 earlier
into his collection.

Q11. How much old currency did Sam buy?

Answer: Sam bought the old currency worth eight hundred dollars.

Q12. What business did Sam want to do?

Answer: Sam wanted to do the business of hay, feed and grain.
Q13. What did the ticket clerk say to Charley?
Answer: 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.

Q14. ‘But now we are both looking….’ What does this refer to? Explain.
Answer: The above mentioned words were said by Charley as he and his wife Louisa, both
every weekend started to search the third level because they had the proof. Charleys friend
Sam was disappeared. So, they both Charley Louisa was looking for the third level.

Q15. What does the third level refer to?

Answer: The third level refers to the subway of the Grand Central Station in New York.
Though this ‘Third level’ was not present there physically, but Charley claimed it to be
present there.

Q16. 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 he would never find that third level
again possibly.

Q17. Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why?
Answer: Yes, The third level was a medium of escape for Charley because he might be
unhappy and fearful form 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
and this happens when any person is unable to face and fight such abstract aggressors.

Q18. What do you infer from Sam’s letter to Charley?

Answer: Sam’s letter to Charley proves that Sam has found and reached to the third level.
He is staying there in Galesburg since last two weeks and watching various activities and
explains to Charley. He invites both Charley and his wife Louisa and motivates them. to
continue their search of the third level. So, we can say that Sam was also a victim of worldly
worries and seeking the escapement, like Charley.

Q19. “The modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and stress”. What are the
ways in which we attempt to overcome them?
Answer: No doubt, the modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war worry and stress. And
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 only escapement and not the solution.

Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1. Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley?
Why?
Answer: Actually, the third level did not exist at the Grand Central Station. It was
confirmed by the station master. Charley, during returning his home only imagined about the
third level to escape himself from the dissonant truth of this world. He often used to think to
move to Galesburg which existed in 1894. It was considered that the people at that time were
without worldly tensions.
He himself also wanted to reach there and imagined his presence in that century. Once he
returned to the real life but was continuously thinking about that world. At the same time, his
friend Sam’s disappearance compelled him-fo believe about it and then again, he as well as
his wife Louisa, both started to search the third level. In this way, we can say that the third
level was surely a medium of escapement for Charley. Though it was an imagination, but
gave him more satisfaction.

Question 2. Why did Charley again wanted to go to the third level?

Answer: As once Charley had visited the third level in his imaginations, he found and
noticed a big difference and as Galesburg was in his thought since starting to find the peace,
he became totally satisfied but after reaching to the ticket-window, he came to know that he
was unable to buy tickets or to do any transaction due to lack of the currency of those days.
He realized it and returned to the real life to buy some old-time currency from the exchange
and then to return to the third level and Galesburg to stay there permanently.

He, actually wanted to buy two tickets to Galesburg for himself and his wife as he was sure
that in Galesburg, people live without worldly worries and have enough time to spend with
each other. Things were also very cheap and with the money with him, he would be able to
survive there easily. So, Charley wanted to return to the third level for his escapement and
satisfaction, though the third level actually did not exist, it was only his imagination.

Question 3. 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: Philately Stamp collecting, the study of postage stamps, postal routes, postal
history etc. is a way adopted by many persons to keep the past alive in their minds. Except
this way, various other ways keep our past alive as through museums, historical buildings &
monuments, things used by the past persons, photographs, old books; we travel into our past.

It’s the common tendency of human beings to travel or to constantly move between the past,
the present and the future. Actually, we live in present but through the gift of memory given
by God, we go years back and through the power of imagination, we try to step into future
also. This shifting is controlled by our conscious and unconscious both parts of mind and thus
we find satisfaction and enjoy and survive in this world in the present.

Question 4. You have read ‘Adventure’ by Jayant Narlikar in Hombill Class XI.
Compare the inter weaving of fantasy and reality in the two stories.
Answer: The lesson ‘Adventure’ written by ‘Jayant Narlikar’ describes about the past’s
happening and its major effect on history of the world. Professor Gaitonde made transition
from one world to another during his unique experience about battle of Panipat and the
professor went back to that time, supposing Maratha’s victory, thus he experienced a
different world.

In ‘the third level’, Charley and Sam both escaped from the present situations and
experienced a different world. Both the stories are the interweaving of fantasy and reality,
facing past and present experiences of the characters and define their mental condition and
imaginations.

Question 5. Do you see an intersection of time and space in the story?

Answer: Yes, an intersection of time and space is seen in the story. Charley, as an
escapist moves in past from present. He reaches in the last century in 1894, that is practically
impossible but due to his imagination he was shifted to the third level and found himself at
Galasburg, Illinois. That seems to be psychological and his psychiatrist friend Sam is also the
victim of modem worldly worries and he himself also shifts to the third level. The author
Jack Finney is a science fiction writer and presents the intersection of time and space both in
a very logical way and proves its possibility due to escapement.

Question 6. Apparent illogically sometimes turns out to be a futuristic projection?

Discuss.
Answer: Apparent illogicality sometimes turns out to be a futuristic projection as most
of the things we see around, once were in somebody’s thoughts and seemed to be impossible,
but later proved possible. Science has made it possible. Our unconscious mind is responsible
for such happenings.

With the combination of these, we sometimes able to invent or discover the amazing things
and facts that are totally unknown for the world till its physical appearance. ‘So, at its early
stage, impossibility arrives but soon, due to right projection, comes in the view and startles
the common mass.