Third Level

The Third Level by Jack Finney

(Walter Braden renamed after his father’s death)

Theme - The escapism from harsh realities of modern life because modern life is full of war, worry, fear and anxiety.The Third Level" is escapism, the human desire to flee from the stress and complications of modern life. The story also explores nostalgia for a simpler past.

The  Message "The Third Level" is the human desire to escape the stress and anxieties of modern life by seeking refuge in a simpler, peaceful past.

Q1.What was Sam's reaction when Charley mentioned the discovery of the third level to him?

Ans. When Charley mentioned the discovery of the third level to Sam, he said it was a waking-dream wish fulfilment. Sam said Charley was unhappy of his present life, he wanted to escape this reality.

Q2.Where did Charley stray when he got lost at the Grand Central?

Ans. When Charley got lost, once he got into a tunnel about a mile long and came out in the lobby of the Roosevelt Hotel. Another time he came up in an office building on 

forty-sixth street, three blocks 

away.

Q3.What did Sam say in his letter to Charley?

Ans. Sam said the following things in his letter to Charley

(i) I believe you were right.

(ii) I found the third level.

(iii) I have been here for two weeks

(iv) The atmosphere of Galesburg is musical and peaceful.

(v) Keep looking till you find the third level and come here with Louisa.

Q4. Sam's letter to Charley is a fine blend of reality and fantasy. Comment.

Ans. Sam's letter, dated 18 July, 1894 written from Galesburg. Illinois is a proof of his having reached the third level. On diagnosing Charley's claim to have visited the third level. He explains it as a mere means or escape from the real world. But at the same time Sam, himself feels insecure in his heart of hearts and yearns for such an escape. Slowly he starts believing in the existence of the third level and carried out an intensive search for it.

Q5. What does the third level symbolise?

Ans. The third level symbolises man's desire to escape into the world of imagination. It reflects for his guest the 'fabulous ordinariness of a bygone age that was free from the modern sophistication and material comforts but exuded peace and tranquility.

Q.6. Why was Charlie fascinated with Galesburg ?

Ans. Galesburg was a wonderful town in the year 1894 Its big old frame houses, huge lawns, and big trees whose branches fell over the streets, fascinated Charlie. The sight of women waving palm-leaf fans, with the fire-files all around, attracted Charlie.

Q7. What would Sam have done in Galesbury for his living? Why ?

Ans. To earn his living in Galesbury, Sam would have set up a little hay, feed and grain business which he liked so much. He could not carry on his old business of a psychiatrist because there was no need of a psychiatrist in Galesbury.

Q8. How did Charley 'reach' the third level of the Grand Central Station? Ans. Once the writer got lost on the second level. A doorway led him to a corridor he had never seen before. It went turning left and slanting downward. Then the tunnel turned sharply left. Here he went down a few steps. He found that he had come on the third level of the Grand Central Station.

Q9. What does 'The Third Lever refer to in the story ?

Ans. The Grand Central Station of New York has a subway from where trains run under the ground to different stations. It was known to have two levels of subway No one had ever heard of any third level there. In this story, the mystery of there being a third level has been dealt with.

Q10. What convinced Charley that he had reached the third level at Grand Central Station and not the second level?

Ans. Charley saw people dressed in the old style of 1890's Tickets had to be bought using the currency of that very period. The locomotives were also of the old style. All this convinced Charley that he had reached the third level at Grand Central Station 

Q11. How did The World help Charley to confirm his doubts regarding the existence of a third level ?

Ans. The newspaper, The World', had not been published for years The copy of the newspaper in the hands of a newsboy was a June 11, 1894 edition. This all helped Charley to confirm his doubts regarding the existence of a third level at the Grand Central Station .

 Q12 Why did the booking clerk refuse to accept the money offered by Charley ?

(Or) What happened when the writer asked the clerk for two tickets for Galesburg?

The clerk counted out the money. But when he looked at the bills in the writer's hand, he refused to accept them. They accepted only the old-style bills on the third level. Those bills looked much bigger and different from the ones that the writer had. They were the ones used in 1894.

Q.13. Describe Charley's experience at the third level.

Ans. Charlie saw that on the third level, there were fewer ticket windows. The rooms were also smaller. The lights were dim. They flickered because they were open-flame gaslights. There were brass spittoons on the floor.

Everyone in the station was dressed like 1890-something. Men had beards, side whiskers and fancy mustaches. A very small locomotive stood there. It had a funnel-shaped chimney. A newsboy had copies of a newspaper (The World) that had not been published for years. It was a June 11, 1894 edition.  old-style

Q14What is a first-day cover?

Ans. There is a practice among stamp collectors that when a new stamp is issued, they buy some stamps. Then they use these stamps to mail envelopes to themselves on the first day of sale. The postmark on the envelope proves the date. The envelope is called the first-day cover.These are never opened. People just put blank papers in them.

 Q15. When and how did Charley find the letter ?

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

Q16.Character sketch of Charley 

Charley is a young man. He lives in New York.He was married to Louisa.Charley 's hobby was Stamp Collection. He was suffering from fear and insecurity of the world.

He was looking for an escape from the world.He went to Grand Central Station for peaceful space.That station took him to the third level of station to the past 1894 year.

When he shared this to his wife, she felt angry at it.She asked him to see his Psychiatrist friend Sam.

Charley, the main character in "The Third Level" by Jack Finney, is an average 31-year-old man, representing the typical person in the mid-20th century. His finding of the third level in Grand Central Station is both interesting and meaningful, showing his deep journey into his own mind. Charley is curious and longs for a time in history that was simpler and calmer. This longing is a big part of the story.

He loves to explore, which we see when he bravely checks out the strange third level. This shows his deeper wish to escape from the stressful modern world. Charley also collects stamps, which hints at his love for details and history. His time on the third level shows his desire for the past and his discomfort with the present day challenges. Charley is a thinker and careful in how he approaches the mystery of the third level. He looks for proof and tries to make sense of his experience, which makes him a believable and interesting main character.

Louisa

Louisa, Charley s wife, is practical and down-to-earth. She worries about Charlev's obsession with the third level, showing ner realistic view of the world. She balances out Charley's fascination with theunusual third level by being sceptical and careful. Louisa's character is important because she keeps the story tied to reality. Her reactions to Charley show the importance of staying grounded, even when faced with something strange. Over time she becomes supportive of Charley's search for the third Jevel This change in her attitude shows that people can learn to understand and support each other, even in odd situations. Her shift from doubt to support adds depth to the story, showing how relationships can adapt to new challenges.

Sam Weiner

Sam Weiner, Charley's friend who is a psychiatrist, starts off as a character who doesn't believe in the third level. He uses his Knowledge of the mind to explain that the third level is Just Charley's imagination, a way for him to escape from the stress of modern life. However, as the story goes on, Sam's character changes in a surprising way. His disappearance and POSSIble travel to the third level challenge our understanding of him. He goes from a sceptic to someone who might actually believe in the third level This change maker Sam's character more complex and interesting. Sam's role in the story is to look at the difference between what's real and what's not. His change from not believing to possibly accepting the third level shows how powerful the wish to escape is for everyone, even those who rely on facts and logic. His character helps to deepen the story's look at human emotions and our desire for a simpler life.