PrepCBSE

The Third Level

Author: Jack Finney, American author.

1. Charley (Protagonist)-
   (31 years old), he wanted an escape from world full of insecurity, stress and war. He has a hobby of stamp collection. He wished he was born during his grandfather's time. He wish he could live in Galesburg, Illinous during 1894


2. Louisa- Charley's wife


3. Sam- psychiatrist friend of Charley

Chapter Explanation:

1. How author explained the reality in the beginning?
   The presidents of the New York central, New Haven and Hartford railroads will swear in a stack of timetables that there are only two levels. He himself accept that there were only two levels.


2. "Waking dream wish fulfilment", means
   In our reality we may see something that is not there but it is what we want to see and happen


3. Everybody wanted to escape modern world as it is full of insecurity, worry, fear, war, and all the rest of it.


4. Charley's Stamp collecting hobby was a temporary refuge from reality.


5. What happened with him in grand central?
   One summer night he was working late at office, he was in hurry to reach home, he took subway from Grand Central because it is faster than bus. He went down to second level where suburban trains leave from, he ducked into an arched doorway heading to subway and he got lost. He has crossed the subway several times each time he went to some another doorway. That is why, Sometimes, he thinks that Grand Central is growing like a tree, pushing out new corridors and staircases like roots.


6. Empty sound of his own footsteps was all he could hear. The moment when he was on third level, he thought the it was second level, but he realised small difference, smaller rooms, fewer ticket windows and train gates, wooden and old lookinginformation booth, there were open flame gaslights, brass spittoons, a man was wearing a derby hat, a black four-button suit with tiny lapels and had a big black handlebar mustache a women wearing a dress with leg-of-mutton sleeves & skirts to the top of her high-buttoned shoes, the locomotive was a small currier & Ives locomotive with a funnel-shaped stack. Also found the world newspaper dated 11 June, 1894. He went to ticket counter for tickets, the clerk was staring at him, the money was old-style he left that place the way he came from.


7. He never found the third level again, as it was just his imagination. Later his friend Sam was disappeared according to charley he went to Galesburg. As he was unable to find Galesburg, he went back to stamp collecting, in trunk of his grandfather he found a letter form Sam, that he written to charley. But now this acts as proof that Sam reached Galesburg.


8. This tells that each and every was in search of escape form reality even Charley'spsychiatrist friend.