CBSE Class 12 English The Third Level Assignment

1. The children probably don't know, or they don't care, the hugely popular WWF wrestling matches are actually all staged acts. The Hulks, the Undertaker or whatever else they are called-never really punch or kick as hard as they might appear doing on the show. It's all a show, a thrilling show.

2. So, you can't really blame children for getting hooked. But does that necessarily mean the show is entirely responsible for beating 12-year-old Subin Kumar got from his WWF inspired friends? Can viewing or watching violence on TV actually promote aggressive behaviour in children?

3. Media experts and social scientists have been wrestling with this question for decades and thousands of studies have been done on it. And most of them reached the same conclusionmedia violence is responsible for aggressive behavior in children.

4. Research has found that the more violence children watch on television, the more likely they may act in aggressive ways towards others. Also, they become less sensitive to others pain and are less likely to help a victim of violence.

5. A study of violence on Indian television and its impact on children commissioned by UNESCO accused the idiot box of "bombarding young minds with all kinds of violent images, cutting across channels, programmes and viewing times."

6. Not only studies, but also incidents go to prove that children who watch violent episodes show increased likelihood of behaving aggressively.

7. There have been reports from all over the country of children hurting themselves while trying to ape the superman feats of Shaktiman, the superhero of Indian TV. Then there was the six-year-old child of Lucknow who leapt off the balcony of his second floor flat trying to imitate a bungee jumping drop shown in a soft drinks commercial.

8. There's no doubt that media is a powerful teacher and contributes greatly to the way we act and behave. In some cases like these, the effects are immediate and in others there is a "sleeper effect", where the results show up much later.

9. Experts say it's incorrect to blame the media squarely. How would you explain the aggressive behavior of a child who has never been exposed to television or any other media? So, while there is mounting evidence to link media violence and actual violence, most of it does not prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship. Because no one so far has been able to prove why and how TV affects some people and not the others. "we also have to take into account individual differences and vulnerabilities as human behavior is result of many factors," points out Dr. Vasantha R. Patri, a counsellor, adding, "violence viewing is only one of the myriad influences on a growing child."

10. Patri says there exists a population of risk individuals whose anger, aggression and antisocial tendencies are already quite high for whatever reason. Other factors like individual predisposition of the child, parental attitudes and reaction to aggression are probably equally important. In fact, she says that in most cases media is only the fourth most important influence in child's life-with parents, teachers and peers being the first three.

11. Patri points out that the growing "here-and-now" culture in which kids are getting used to immediate gratification is leading to an intolerant society on the whole. "Children are not taught how to handle failure and conflict," she says. "As a result, they resort to aggression."

12. But media critics refuse to buy it. They insist the content of media needs to be monitored and care be taken to reduce violence if not remove it. But even if all the gore and violence is completely removed from the media, will it make a significant difference in aggressive behavior of children? And then how do you justify the facts that studies have shown that viewing violence on TV also provides an opportunity to discharge the pent-up, aggressive feelings of anger, hostility and frustration.

13. "The problem is not with the media, but the lack of media education," points out Patri. "No one teaches the children how to assess the reality status of TV programmes." Good parenting, she says, is perhaps the greatest defence against the negative effects of violent images on TV.

14. Experts say it's time that parents and teachers took a long, hard look at themselves in the mirror. Say's Patri, "Most parents treat TV as a baby-sitter when it suits them. And when something goes wrong, they turn around and blame TV for it!"

Summary
The story revolves round a 31 year old man named Charley, who experienced something weird. One day after work coming from the Subway, he reached the third level of the Grand Central station (which does not actually exist). He discussed the entire experience with his psychiatrist friend Sam. Charley thought he experienced time travel and had reached somewhere in the eighteen-nineties, a time before the world saw two of its most deadly wars. As soon as he realised what time he is in, he immediately decided to buy two tickets to Galesburg, Illinois; one for himself and the other for his wife. Unfortunately, the currency used in that century was different. Thus, the next day he withdrew all his savings and got them converted even if it meant bearing losses. He went looking for the third level but failed to find it. It worried his wife and the psychiatrist Sam who told him that he is day dreaming in order to take refuge from reality and miseries of the modern world which is full of worry. Charley thus resorts to his stamp collection in order to distract himself when suddenly one day he finds a letter from his friend Sam who had gone missing recently. Sam wrote that he always wanted to believe in the idea of third level and now that he is there himself, he encourages Charley and Louisa never to stop looking for it.

• "-The Third Level' is a story that weaves together a psychological journey of the narrator into past, present and moves towards future.
• -Charley- 31 year old, an American narrates his unusual experience of having been to the third level.
• -He discovers brass spittoons, flickering gas lights, everyone dressed, like 1890􂀙s with old fashioned beards, side burns, fancy moustaches, engine with funnel shaped stack,
newspaper - The World, few ticket windows etc in the third level.
• -Charley goes to get the ticket for Galesburg - Illinois- Wonderful town, big houses, huge lawns, plenty of trees, people with lots of leisure time and surprises when the clerk says
that it is not currency and he will be put behind the bars.
• Wife worried -takes him to his Psychiatrist friend
• -He refuses to believe -says it a waking wish dream fulfillment as he could not face the modern world which is full of fear, insecurity, war, worry, stamp collection a refuge from
reality.
• Charley desperate to go to Galesburg & so exchanges new for old currency. But could never find the third level.
• Sam's disappearance has something to do with Galesburg as he was fond of the place.
• One day while going through his stamp collection, he finds an envelope, containing a letter of July 18, 1894 written by Sam, who is living at Galesburg, assertions the Third level.
• Charley finds that Sam had bought old currency worth eight hundred dollars.
• Sam was Charley's psychiatrist.

THE THIRD LEVEL

Charlie : 31 year old, office goer, claims visiting the third level
❑ Description of the Third level
– Small room, few ticket windows and train gates, wooden and old looking information booth.
– Men had beards, side burns, fancy moustaches
– Women wore skirts, high buttoned shoes and leg of muttons sleeves.
– A man looking at a pocket watch
– Old style locomotive with funnel shaped stack
– Open gaslights being used
– Brass spittoons on floor
– Wants to visit his home town, Galesburg
– Past is quiet and peaceful
– Tries to buy two tickets to Galesburg (one ticket for his wife Louisa)
– Clerk grows suspicious as Charlie doesn’t have old style currency.
– Back to present day world
❑ People’s reaction to Charlie’s experience
– Presidents of NY rail roads swear on the existence of two levels.
– Psychiatrist friend Sam refuses to believe
– Interprets it as an escape from insecurity fear, war and worry of the modern world.
– Louisa too disbelieves Charlie
❑ Charlie’s determination to find the Third Level
– Withdraws money, buys old currency worth 300 dollars.
– Fails to find the Third Level
– Louisa and Psychiatrist worried.
❑ Unexpected Ending
– Sam disappears
– Charlie finds a first day cover, never seen before
– Note from Sam dated 18th July 1894 from Galesburg
– Sam asks Charlie and Loulsa to come to Gelesburg and enjoy quiet and peaceful life.
– Charlie discovers Sam had bought old currency worth 800 dollars.
– Enough to help him start hay and grain business in 1894 at Galesburg.

M.C.Qs.

Question. Who is the writer of the story “The Third Level”?
(a) Jack Finney
(b) Franz Jinney
(c) Krack Finney
(d) Frank Finney
Answer : A

Question. Who is the central character of the story?
(a) Marley
(b) Charley
(c) Harley
(d) Darley
Answer : B

Question. What does Charley not admit?
(a) that the Earth is round
(b) that the sun rises in the East
(c) that the Grand Central Station is in New York
(d) that the Grand Central station has only two levels
Answer : D

Question. What happened when Charley reach when once he got into a mile-long tunnel?
(a) he reached a park
(b) he remained there
(c) he came up in the lobby of a hotel
(d) he reached a school
Answer : C

Question. “If you are ‘trying to skin me’…..”. Choose the correct meaning of ‘trying to skin’:
(a) Try to cheat or swindle
(b) Try to conceal
(c) Try to show off
(d) Try to disclose
Answer: A

Question. Why are the lights dim at the third level?
(a) Because the source of light was open-flame gaslight
(b) Because of voltage fluctuation
(c) Because of overcrowding
(d) Because Charley had a weak eye-sight
Answer: A

Question. What does the third level symbolize here?
(a) The ultimate desire for peace and happiness
(b) The third floor of the railway station
(c) The higher levels of meditation
(d) The deep level of understanding
Answer: A

Question. What concern does this piece of science fiction raise?
(a) That excessive materialism leads to loss of peace and a lot of fear
(b) Past is always charming and beautiful
(c) Future is unpredictable
(d) None of these
Answer: A

Question. What happens when one day Charley is in a hurry to catch the train?
(a) he misses the train
(b) he reaches the third level
(c) he reaches heaven
(d) he reaches a village
Answer : B

Question. What is the information booth at the third level made of?
(a) wood
(b) concrete
(c) steel
(d) cloth
Answer : A

Question. What does Charley realize when he finds everyone wearing old fashioned clothes?
(a) people are old fashioned
(b) they are actors
(c) he reached the past
(d) he has reached Africa
Answer : C

Question. How does Charley make sure that he has reached the past?
(a) he sees the sign boards
(b) he asks a passenger
(c) the policeman tells him
(d) he sees the date on the current newspaper
Answer : D

Question. When Charley knows that he has slipped into the past, where does he want to go?
(a) to Chicago
(b) to Iceland
(c) to New York
(d) to Galesburg, Illinois
Answer : D

Question. When did Charley live in Galesburg?
(a) in his childhood
(b) when he worked in an office
(c) in his college days
(d) in his old age
Answer : A

Question. Charley wants to purchase tickets for.......
(a) Galesburg
(b) America
(c) New York
(d) The US
Answer : A

Question. Why does the booking clerk threaten to get Charley arrested?
(a) he thinks Charley is a thief
(b) he thinks Charley is a robber
(c) Charley tried to rob him
(d) he thought that the notes offered by Charley were fake
Answer : D

Question. How does Charley come back to the present?
(a) the booking clerk pushes him
(b) he falls on the platform
(c) he rushes from the booking window
(d) his wife calls him
Answer : C

Question. To whom does Charley talk about the third level?
(a) a policeman
(b) his psychiatrist friend
(c) Sam Weiner
(d) both (b) & (c)
Answer : D

Question. What does Charley’s psychiatrist friend think about Charley when he talks about the third level?
(a) Charley is sad
(b) Charley is mad
(c) Charley is befooling him
(d) Charley has been day-dreaming
Answer : D

Question. Why does Charley buy old currency notes?
(a) he is fond of collecting old notes
(b) he likes such notes
(c) he wants to use the notes in the third level
(d) he wants to give notes to one of his friends
Answer : C

Question. In which year of the past does Charley want to go?
(a) 1894
(b) 1857
(c) 1917
(d) 1760
Answer : A

Question. One of Charley’s friends disappears, what is his name?
(a) Sam Weiner
(b) Wam Seiner
(c) Doe Weiner
(d) Sam Sandburg
Answer : A

Question. How does Charley come to know that Sam Weiner has slipped into the past?
(a) from his wife
(b) from the police
(c) from another friend
(d) from an old day postage cover
Answer : D

Question. In his letter what does Sam Weiner urge Charley to do?
(a) to remain in present
(b) to find the third level and come there with his wife
(c) to report the matter to the police
(d) to run away
Answer : B

Question. Who is Sam Weiner?
(a) Charley’s friend
(b) a psychiatrist friend
(c) Charley’s brother
(d) both (a) & (b)
Answer : D

Question. What is the name of Charley’s wife?
(a) Darwin
(b) Pursia
(c) Louisa
(d) Jessica
Answer : C

Question. How old was Charley?
(a) 30 years
(b) 31 years
(c) 32 years
(d) 34 years
Answer : B

Question. What is the meaning of “waking dream wish fulfilment”?
(a) a pleasant wish that one wants to happen
(b) a pleasant wish that takes one to the future
(c) a pleasant wish which inspires to work
(d)a pleasant wish that makes one forget past
Answer : A

Question. What is the theme of the lesson?
(a) human tendency of escapism from the harsh reality of the present
(b) time travelling
(c) self destruction for the benefits of others
(d) destiny overpowers one’s action
Answer : A

Question. What is the significance of 1894 in the lesson?
(a) it was the author's birth year
(b) author's parents were alive at that time
(c) author's childhood time
(d) representing a peaceful romantic time
Answer : D

Question. Who was Sam in “The Third Level”?
(a) a doctor
(b) a friend of main character
(c) a psychiatrist
(d) all of the above
Answer : D

Question. Why did Charley visit Sam?
(a) to consult him for the third level incident at the Grand Central Station
(b) to invite him for his birthday party
(c) to invite him to accompany at Galesburg
(d) to guide him in Galesburg
Answer : A

Question. What unusual thing did the narrator see at the Grand Central Station?
(a) tree
(b) motor car
(c) third level
(d) all of the above
Answer : C

Question. Why was the narrator at the third level?
(a) as a wish to visit Galesburg
(b) wanted to meet his friends
(c) wanted to take a break from office
(d) as a result of stress and anxiety in his mind
Answer : D

Question. How did Charley reach the third level?
(a) he takes a subway or corridor
(b) in a super fast train
(c) in Jet ways
(d) in an engine
Answer : A

Question. What was the third level?
(a) a third room at the station
(b) a third storey at the station
(c) an imagination of narrator's mind
(d) none of the above
Answer : C

Question. What did Charley see at the third level?
(a) flickering gas lights and people with funny moustaches
(b) brass spittoons
(c) man looking at his gold watch
(d) all of the above
Answer : D

Question. What is the “First Day Cover”?
(a) first birthday gift pack
(b) envelope with a stamp posted on the day of its release
(c) both (a) &(b)
(d) first cover of the book
Answer : B

Question. What did Charley find in stamp collection?
(a) address of an old friend
(b) letter of a teacher
(c) a first day cover
(d) all of the above
Answer : C

Question. What convinced Charley that he was in the past in 1894?
(a) 'The World' newspaper
(b) the calendar in the library
(c) the stamp on his ticket
(d) all of the above
Answer : A

Question. Who signed the letter?
(a) Charley
(b) Sam
(c) Louisa
(d) none of the above
Answer : B

Question. What Sam had to pay while purchasing old currency?
(a) 1000$
(b) 900$
(c) 800$
(d) 700$
Answer : C

Question. A man pulled out a ………………. from his pocket .
(a) a gold watch
(b) a derby hat
(c) a handkerchief
(d) a pen
Answer : A

Question. The area was lit up with …………………………..
(a) gas lamps
(b) bulbs
(c) candles
(d) fire places
Answer : A

Question. There were spittoons made of …………………….
(a) steel
(b) wood
(c) brass
(d) iron
Answer : C

Question. A newspaper said it was the year
(a) 1859
(b) 1894
(c) 1589
(d) 1855
Answer : B

Question. Sam reached the old Galesburg and settled himself as a ………………..
(a) musician
(b) psychiatrist
(c) doctor
(d) trader
Answer : D

Question. The ticket clerk suspected Charley for ..........
(a) tendering old currency
(b) tendering real currency
(c) tendering fake currency
(d) both (a) & (c)
Answer : C

Question. Charley was quite an ordinary man from …………………………..
(a) Chicago
(b) New York
(c) Seattle
(d) Galesburg
Answer : B

 

SHORT QUESTIONS

Question. Was the Third level a medium of escape for Charley? Why/Why not?
Answer: Yes, Charlie was engulfed in the trials and tribulations of life so he created the third level himself to seek refuge in it. It eased his tensions and pressures and provided him a platform to relax.

Question. Why is Grand Central compared to a tree?
Answer: Grand Central was compared to a tree because it was pushing out new corridors and staircases like roots. There may be a tunnel under the city up to Times Square and another to Central Park.
Nobody knows about them. For many people it has been a exit, a way of escape through the years.
So it is possible that it may have the tunnel Charlie got into.

Question. How did Charlie realize that he had reached the third level?
Answer: Charlie saw brass spittoons, flickering gas lights, everyone dressed like in the1890's with mutton sleeves side burns and moustaches. The engine was with a funnel shaped stack. The newspaper was dated June 11 1894.There were fewer ticket windows. This made him realize that he was on the third level.

Question. Why did he wish to escape to Galesburg?
Answer: He wished to escape to Galesburg because it was a wonderful town with big houses, huge lawns, plenty of trees. The summer evenings were twice as long and people had lots of leisure time to sit out on the lawns. It was a peaceful world.

Question. What is First Day Cover?
Answer: At the time when a new stamp is issued, stamp collectors buy some of them and use them in order to mail envelops to themselves and the postmark proves the date. The envelope is called the First Day Cover.

Question. What is referred to as 'the obvious step'?
Answer: The obvious step refers for consulting a psychiatrist. As a fact there are only two levels & it does not seem wise to visit non-existing third level. Therefore it was very apparent to consult an expert.

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

Question. Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Elaborate.
Answer: 
-Harsh reality-too oppressive at times-Stress, strain, fierce competition, fear of failure causes insecurity-Charley declares -ordinary guy-but not able to cope with the modern world -Wish to visit Galesburg of 1890 -old frame houses, huge lawns, beautiful trees -People sitting on lawns relaxed-calm and peaceful--Exchanging new currency for old currency, Roping in his wife and Sam into his third world, saying that Sam also bought old currency, the letter from Sam in his first day cover are all his figment of imagination.-It was a medium of escape - could not face the challenges -modern world.

Extract Based Questions:

1. I told him the third level at Grand Central Station, and he said it was a waking dream wish fulfilment. He said I was unhappy. That made my wife kind of mad, but he explained that he meant the modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and all the rest of it, and that I just want to escape. Well, who doesn’t? Everybody I know wants to escape, but they don’t wander down into any third level at Grand Central Station.

Question. Why did Charley alone find the Third Level at Grand Central Station?
(a) Because it was just a thought that became a way of escape for him
(b) Because he worked hard to discover it
(c) Because his grandfather gave him an idea about the way to it
(d) Because the president of New York Centre share some information with Charley about it

Answer: A

Question. Why does everybody want to escape these days?
(a) Because the modern world is full of insecurity and worries
(b) Because these days things are changing too fast and demands humans to work like machines
(c) Both a & b
(d) Because everybody likes to go on adventures into past

Answer: C

Question. Was there really any Third Level at the Grand Central Station?
(a) Yes because Charley has mentioned it
(b) No because it was Charley’s imagination
(c) Yes it was there in 1894
(d) No because Sam could not find it

Answer: B

Question. What is meant by “waking dream wish fulfilment”?
(a) Fulfilment of the wish to wake up from dream
(b) Fulfilment of the wish to dream while still awake
(c) Fulfilment of the dream seen while still awake
(d) Fulfilment of the wish in dream only

Answer: C

2. My stamp collecting, for example; that’s a ‘temporary refuge from reality’. Well, maybe, but my grandfather didn’t need any refuge from reality; things were pretty nice and peaceful in his day, from all I hear, and he started my collection. It’s a nice collection too, blocks of four of practically every U.S. issue, first-day covers, and so on. President Roosevelt collected stamps too, you know.

Question. What is a first day cover?
(a) An envelope with a letter written to the first man
(b) An envelope with a blank slip in it
(c) A new cover used for the first time
(d) None of these

Answer: B

Question. How was stamp collecting a temporary refuge for Charley?
(a) It was a way of keeping the past alive when the present became too burdensome
(b) He used to travel over wide territories through stamps
(c) He obtained travel concessions through stamps
(d) It was a special inheritance for him

Answer: A

Question. The study of postage and stamp collection is known as—
(a) Philanthropy
(b) Philately
(c) Philology
(d) Anthropology

Answer: B

Question. Why did not Charley’s grandfather need any refuge?
(a) Things were easy and peaceful in his times
(b) He was the President of the USA
(c) He used to collect stamps
(d) Charely used to accompany his grandfather everywhere

Answer: A

3. I caught a glimpse of a locomotive, a very small Currier& Ives locomotive with a funnel-shaped stack. And then I knew. To make sure I walked over to the newsboy and glanced at the stack of papers at his feet. It was the World; and the World hasn’t been published for years.

Question. What is “The World”?
(a) A magazine
(b) A research Journal
(c) A Newspaper
(d) A Geography book

Answer: C

Question. Why did Charley go to a newsboy?
(a) To buy a newspaper
(b) To look at the pile of papers
(c) To confirm that he was in a different world
(d) To buy tickets

Answer: C

Question. “And then I knew”. What did he realise?
(a) He was in the world of 20th century
(b) He was in Galesburg
(c) He was in the world of 19th century
(d) He had gotten on the right train

Answer: C

Question. How did Charley describe this different world?
(a) Men had handlebar moustaches, side burns and beards
(b) There were brass spittoons
(c) There were open-flamed gaslights
(d0 All of these

Answer: D

4. But I have never again found the corridor that leads to the third level at Grand Central Station, although
I’ve tried often enough. Louisa was pretty worried when I told her all this, and didn’t want me to look for the third level any more, and after a while I stopped: I went back to my stamps. But now we are both looking, every weekend, because now we have proof that the third level is still there.

Question. “But now we are both looking”. Who does ‘we’ refer to?
(a) Charley and Sam
(b) Charley, Sam and Louisa
(c) Charley and Louisa
(d) Charley and his grandfather

Answer: C

Question. What confirmed Charley that third level really existed?
(a) Now even Sam had disappeared and Charley had a proof thereof
(b) Sam was inquiring about the third level
(c) Archaeologist had discovered again
(d) Louisa had been to that level too

Answer: A

Question. Why couldn’t Charley find the third level again?
(a) He forgot the way
(b) because now he wanted two tickets to Illinois and for this to happen the real third level was required to exist
(c) his wife didn’t support him in finding this
(d) Now, he was happy with the present, so no longer looked for it

Answer: B

Question. Why was Loiusa worried?
(a) because the quest for third level was an indicator of Charley’s escapism
(b) because Charley couldn’t find the third level again
(c) because people declared Charley ‘mad’
(d) because he was not keeping well any longer

Answer: A

Question. Statement I: Charley saw people in old-styled clothing and also saw a very small Currier & Ives locomotive with a funnel-shaped stack.
Statement II: He concluded that he was in the 21st century
(a) I is the cause of II
(b) II is the cause of I
(c) I is true but II is false
(d) Both I and II are true

Answer: C

Question. Statement I: Human beings constantly keep moving between past, present and future.
Statement II: Dissatisfaction with the present makes humans keep looking back upon past and fantasizing about future.
(a) I is true but II I false
(b) II is true but I is false
(c) Both I and II are directly related
(d) Both I and II are false

Answer: C

Question. Statement I: Charley needed an escape from reality.
Statement II: He was unhappy with the present.
(a) II is the cause and I is the effect
(b) Both I and II are false
(c) I is the effect of II
(d) Both I and II are true but unrelated

Answer: A

Question. Statement I: Grand Central Station was growing like a tree.
Statement II: Charley was adding new corridors and levels to it by his imaginative powers.
(a) I is true but II is false
(b) II is true but I is false
(c) Both I and II are false
(d) Both I and II are true

Answer: D

Short Answer Type Questions:

Question. What is a first day cover?
Answer: When a new stamp is issued, on the first day, people mail a blank paper to themselves and then retain that unopened letter with the date on the postmark. Such an envelope is known as a ‘first day cover’.

Question. Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why? /How did Charley’s psychiatrist friend interpret his unique experience?
Answer: Yes, the third level was a medium of escape for Charley from the unhappy modern world that is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and the like. He could never find it again at the Grand Central Station. Charley did not agree with his psychiatrist friend when the latter called his experience of visiting the third level ‘a waking-dream wish fulfillment.’ His friend tried in vain to make him realise that his hallucinations are a result of his strong desire to escape to the peaceful times of the 1890s.

Long Answer Type Questions:

Question. What do you infer from Sam’s letter to Charley?
Answer: The letter was addressed to Charley but mailed to his grandfather in Galesburg, Illinois. It was mailed in 1894 and now appears in his grandfather’s collection. The letter was suddenly found among the first-day covers where it had never been seen earlier. Moreover, the contents of the letter are exactly what Charley thought about Galesburg of 1890s. Sam's letter to Charley is a mystery that blends together the worlds of reality and fantasy, and thus, needs further exploring.
There are two perspectives from which one can look at the letter. At one level, it proves that Sam has reached Galesburg of 1984. However, if we look at a deeper level, we can infer that the letter is just another instance of his hallucination or dreams of escapism. It is possible that while Charley was looking at the old first-cover letter, he was carried away to a different world where the letter was sent to Charley by Sam. The letter reflects Sam’s undeterred urge that forces him to keep looking for the third level.

Question. What does the third level refer to?
Answer: The Grand Central Station of New York has subways on two levels from where the commuters take trains to different destinations. No third level was ever built. However, the protagonist of the story, Charley, believes in the existence of a third level, operating in a time-frame of 1890s. The third level signifies an escape from the modern world that is “full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and all the rest of it....” The period of 1890s represents a peaceful life not possible in the present era. From this level, the protagonist wants to travel to Galesburg, Illinois, with his wife Louisa. For him, it is a part of reality while his psychiatrist friend calls it a “waking-dream wish fulfilment.”

Question. Would Charley ever go back to the ticket-counter on the third level to buy tickets to Galesburg for himself and his wife?
Answer: After reading the story we get to know that Charley was interested in travelling to Galesburg with his wife Louisa. However, he couldn’t locate the third level again. The first time round, he found the third level by accident. When he reached the ticket-counter, he realised that the currency he had with him was not useful as it belonged to a different period. He went back to convert his three hundred dollars into the “old-style currency” that could enable him to buy two tickets to Galesburg. However, when he returned to the Grand Central, he could not find the corridor leading to the third level. He couldn’t go back looking for the third level as his wife was too worried about him. Moreover, he himself had stopped looking for it after sometime.