CBSE Class 12 English Vistas Notes

VISTAS

THE THIRD LEVEL by JACK FINNEY

VIDEO SUMMARY

SUMMARY OF THE LESSON:

• ‘-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.

SHORT QUESTIONS

1. Was the Third level a medium of escape for Charley?

Suggested Answer / Value Points-

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.

2. Why is Grand Central compared to a tree?

Suggested Answer / Value Points 

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.

How did Charlie realize that he had reached the third level?

Suggested Answer / Value Points-

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.

3. Why did he wish to escape to Galesburg?

Suggested Answer / Value Points-  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.

4. What is First Day Cover? 

Suggested Answer / Value Points- 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.

5. What is referred to as ‘the obvious step’? Suggested Answer / Value Points-

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.

QUESTIONS FOR PRACTICE

1. Who was Charley? What was his problem?

2. “That ain’t money , mister.” When did the ticket-clerk utter these words?

3. Who was Sam? What did he tell Charley?

4. How did Charley contradict the psychiatrist’s opinion?

5. What surprised Charley one day?

6. What had Sam written in his letter to Charley?

7. Why couldn’t Sam go back to his old business in Galesburg?

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

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

Value Points:

-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.

QUESTIONS FOR PRACTICE

1. Comment on the ending of the story.

2. Do you think the title ‘The Third Level’ is appropriate?

3. Bring out the contrast between the world Charlie lived in and the one that he stray into.

4. What devices does Jack Finney use to portray Charley’s transition from reality to fantasy seem probable and plausible?

THE TIGER KING BY KALKI

GIST OF THE LESSON

• The Maharaja Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bhadur was called “Tiger King”.

• When he was just 10 days old he asked intelligent questions to the astrologers and was told that he would be killed by a tiger. He uttered “Let tigers beware!”

• No other miracle took place, the child grew like any other Royal child drinking white cow’s milk, taught by an English tutor, looked after by an English nanny and watched English films.

• When he was 20, he was crowned as king. It was then the prediction of his death by the tiger reached the Maharaja’s ear and he in turn to safe guard himself killed a tiger and being thrilled he told the astrologer who replied that he can kill 99 tigers but should be careful with the 100th.

• From then on he started killing tiger and none was allowed to hunt tigers. A highranking British officer visited the state that was fond of hunting tiger and his wish was declined.

• The officer requested for getting a photograph with a tiger killed by Maharaja and this request was rejected.

• So to please the officer’s wife he sent 50 diamond rings expecting that she would take 1 or 2 instead she kept all the rings costing 3 lakh rupees and sent ‘thanks’ to the Maharaja. But his state was secured.

• In 10 years he killed 70 tiger and didn’t find any in Pratibandapuram so he decided to marry a girl from royal state which had more tigers to complete his target.

• Whenever he visited his in-laws he killed 5-6 tigers. So he killed 99 tigers and was feverishly anxious to kill the 100thbut couldn’t find.

• News about the presence of a tiger near a village proved disappointing.

• Now the Dewan was warned of his danger so he visited ‘People’s Park in Madras’ and brought an old tiger and placed it in the forest and informed the Maharaja.

• The Maharaja took great care and shot the tiger and left the place with great triumph.

• The bullet did not hit the tiger but out of fear the tiger had collapsed. Now the staff killed the tiger and brought it in grand procession.

• It was the 3rd birthday of the Maharaja’s son and he wanted to buy a present from the toyshop. He bought a wooden tiger which was poorly carved.

• While the Maharaja was playing with the prince a tiny sliver of the wooden tiger pierced his right hand which later on caused his death. Thus the hundredth tiger takes his final revenge upon the “Tiger King”.

Question and Answer:

1. What was the miracle that took place in the royal palace?
When the Maharaja was a 10 day old infant spoke and asked intelligent questions about his death. After knowing that he would be killed by a tiger he uttered saying “Let tigers beware.”

2. How was the Tiger King brought up?
As a child the Tiger King was brought up by an English nanny and tutored in English by an Englishman. He was given the milk of an English cow. Like many other Indian crown princes he watched only English movies.

3. What did the State astrologer say he would do ‘if the hundredth tiger were also killed’?
The State astrologer was so sure of his prediction that he announced that he would cut off his ceremonial tuft, crop his hair short and become an insurance agent in case the king was able to kill the 100th tiger, too. He was sure that the Maharaja’s death would be caused by the 100th tiger.

4. What did the high-ranking British officer wish to do? Was his wish fulfilled?
The high-ranking British officer wanted to kill a tiger. When he was denied the permission for hunting, he sent a word to the king that he would be happy if he was allowed to get photographed with the dead body of a tiger killed by the king. However, his wish remained unfulfilled.

5. How did the Maharaja manage to save his throne?
The Maharaja had annoyed the visiting senior British officer over the issue of tiger- hunting and ‘stood in danger of losing his kingdom itself’. So, the Maharaja and the Dewan decided to placate and pacify the officer through bribe by sending gifts of expensive diamond rings to the ‘duraisani”, the wife of the British officer. Thus he managed to save his throne.

6. How did the ‘duraisani’ behave on receiving the gifts?
Some fifty samples of expensive diamond rings were sent to the duraisani and it was expected that she would select on or two and return the rest. But the lady proved to be greedy as she retained all of them and merely sent a letter of thanks.

7. Why did the Maharaja’s tiger killing mission come to a sudden still?
Within ten years Maharaja’s tiger hunting had resulted in the killing of seventy tigers. However his tiger killing mission came to a sudden standstill because the tiger population became extinct in the forest of Pratibandapuram.

8. Why did the Maharaja suddenly decide to marry? Whom did he wish to marry?
The Maharaja suddenly decided to marry because firstly, he was of marriageable age and secondly, he wanted to kill thirty more tigers in his father-in-law’s state in order to complete the tally of hundred tigers .For this reason he wished to marry a girl in the royal family of a state with a large tiger population.

9. Why did Maharaja order the dewan to double the tax?
The Maharaja called the dewan and ordered him to immediately double the tax of the villagers who had informed him of a tiger in the forest because despite his best efforts he was unable to locate the beast. This infuriated the Maharaja.

10. What did the Maharaja buy as a birthday gift for his son?
The Maharaja wished to give his son a very special gift on his birthday and he bought a wooden toy tiger as a perfect birthday gift for his son.

11. How did the king’s arm become seriously infected?
The king’s arm had got infected from a prick caused by one of the slivers on the wooden tiger. In one day, the infection got flared in the Maharaja’s right hand and in four days it developed into a suppurating sore which spread all over the arm. Though he was operated yet he died.

Long answer type question

1. How did the Tiger King meet his end? What is ironical about his death?
The wooden toy tiger the king had got as a birthday present for his son had been carved by an unskilled carpenter. It had a rough surface with tiny slivers of wood standing up like quills all over it. One of those slivers pierced the Maharaja’s right hand and although the king pulled it, his arm got infected. In four days, it developed into a suppurating sore and spread all over the arm. The king died while being operated upon.

The king’s death is ironical but not surprising for the reader who is, in fact, looking forward to it. Having ‘killed’ the 100th tiger, the king is jubilant for he has fulfilled his vow and disproved the prediction of the royal astrologer. He is now at ease for he thinks he cannot die of a tiger’s attack. No wonder, he orders the ‘dead’ tiger to be taken in a procession through the town and gets a tomb erected over it. All this while he does not know that the 100th victim was not killed by him but by other hunters. That is indee

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