THE THIRD LEVEL (Vistas)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jack Finney (October 2, 1911 - November 14, 1995) was an American author. His best-known works are science fiction and thrillers, including The Body Snatchers and Time and Again. The former was the basis for the 1956 movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers and its remakes.

1. What discovery did Charley make? How?

It was common knowledge that there were only two levels at Grand Central Station- the New York Central and the New York. But Charley was convinced of a third level at the Grand Central Station. 

In fact, he had often lost his way, though he been in and out Grand Central hundreds of times, because there were so many doorways, stairs and corridors. He felt that Grand Central was growing like a tree, pushing out the new corridors and staircases like roots. 

Once, walking down a corridor that seemed to be angling left and slanting downward, he reached a short flight of stairs beyond which he reached the third level at Grand Central Station. After some time had elapsed in confusion, he realized that he was in Galesburg and it was June 11, 1894. 

2. What did Charley’s friends and doctor say about the third level? How did his wife react? What was Charley’s reaction to them?

Charley's psychiatrist friend had believed that Charley had got the whims of third level as waking dream wish fulfilment. He had been only day-dreaming. Side by side he revealed that the third level was still there. 

When Charley's wife heard that Charley was unhappy, she got angry as she thought he was unhappy on account of her; but then Sam explained to her he meant insecurity, fear, war, and worry of the modern world. 

3. Why was Charley’s wife angry?
When Charley told his psychiatrist friend, Sam, about the third level, he explained it was a waking dream, a wish-fulfilment. He said that Charley was unhappy. This infuriated his wife.

4. What was the cause of concern and worry for Charley’s wife?

When the narrator told Louisa about his wish she got pretty worried. She was a loving and a caring wife. She got alarmed at Charley's claim of having been to the third level. His exchanging the currency for old currency it was a cause of concern for her. 

5. What did Sam advice Charley?

Sam was fascinated by Charley's description of Galesburg. He was so burdened by the tensions and stress of modem life that he thought of escaping to the peaceful world of Galesburg. His advice to Charley is that, he (Charley) and his wife, Louisa should come over to Galesburg through the medium of the 'third level'. 

6. What does the third level refer to?

The third level refers to the subway of the Grand Central Station that takes passengers to Galesburg, Illinois. The third level on the station was a medium of escape for Charley the narrator, from the harsh realities of modern life. It provided him a base where he could interweave fantasy and reality. 

7. Would Charley ever go back to the ticket-counter on the third level to buy tickets to Galesburg for himself and his wife?

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 the third level was his imagination. 

8. Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why?

The third level refers to the subway of the Grand Central Station that takes passengers to Galesburg, Illinois. The third level on the station was a medium of escape for Charley the narrator, from the harsh realities of modern life. It provided him a base where he could interweave fantasy and reality. 

9. Why did Charley run back form the third level?

When Charley took out the modem currency to pay for the two tickets to Galesburg, the ticket clerk accused him of trying to cheat him. He threatened to hand Charley over to the police. Charley was frightened and he decided to rush back from the third level, lest he was arrested and put into prison. 

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

Sam's letter from the third level-Galesburg, July 18, 1894-to Charley read that initially, he had only hoped that Charley was right about the third level but now, he believed It. He had found the third level and had been there for two weeks. The third level was peaceful, hospitable, and welcoming. He wanted Charley and Louisa to join him there and wanted them to keep looking till they found it. The letter brought out the difference between the tranquil pre-World War era and the tension- ridden world of the present. Then there was warmth, hospitality, and simple pleasures. The clean carefree environment reflected the mood of the people. It was like paradise as compared to the insecure and worrisome life that one led later. Despite the material advantage, one would gladly exchange the current life for that life. 

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

Yes, there are certain instances in the story that show an intersection of time and space. Firstly, the first two levels of Grand Central Station were located in the present time while the third level existed in the 1890s. 

Secondly, Charley and his wife, Louisa, live in the present time yet he rushes to get old currency to buy two tickets to go to the Galesburg of 1894. Further, the old architecture of the platform at the third level is different from the modern platforms of the first two levels. Besides, the archaic manner of dressing by the people, and the newspaper. The world, dated June 11, 1984 also overlaps with Charley's real time world and existence. Lastly, the letter that was mailed to Charley's grandfather on 18th July, 1894 highlights the intersection of time and space as the sender (Charley's friend Sam) and receiver (Charley himself) belong to the present time. 

12. Apparent illogicality sometimes turns out to be a futuristic projection? Discuss.
What appears to be illogical today often turns out to be a reality tomorrow. This has mostly been the trend with scientific inventions. For example, the camera, gravity, sun, moon, stars etc. The thought of humans being able to fly was once an illogical thought that the Wright Brothers had. It later turned out to be a reality in the form of airplanes and parachutes. Similarly, the baseless thought of talking to people over long distances by Graham Bell made him invent the telephone. The mobile phone is yet another version of taking the telephone to the next level. All these inventions were seeded in absurd imaginations. Time, effort, patience, hard work and resources make illogical thoughts get converted to real-time inventions.

13. 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?

Philately is an art of collecting stamps that transports us into the real past. It is one of the effective and common ways to keep the past alive. People cultivate hobbies like collecting coins , newspapers and cartoon clippings etc. 

Yes, it is very strange that we often retrospect about the past that has been and the future that we anticipate but strangely live in the present. Well, certainly we all are always in the present, because there is nowhere else to be, but that doesn’t mean our thoughts are in the present . We as humans, are the rarest of all species as we not only forget the bad from the past, quickly breeze through the present, and falsely make up the future. The result frequently is guilt about our imperfect past, anxiety about a future that doesn’t exist, and impatience with the present. 

Though it is the present which can help us to live our lives today fully alive, happy and content, it is our past that gives us direction and the hope of a happier future motivates us to keep striving. 

14. You have read ‘Adventure’ by Jayant Narlikar in Hornbill Class XI. Compare the interweaving of fantasy and reality in the two stories.

In 'Adventure' Jayant Narlikar expressed that many world exist simultaneously though they appear to be separated by time. He expressed that the other world also existed and prospered with the world we are aware of. On the other hand, in the third level, Charley a young New York commuter wandering Grand Central Station by accident finds a gateway that leads to a real past of 1894. Seizing the opportunity Charley attempts to escape the rat race by buying a one way ticket to his childhood town of Galesburg. Not having proper currency for that period, he was forced to postpone his plan to escape to the past.