The Third Level
By - Jack Finney
By - Jack Finney
"The Third Level" by Jack Finney is a story about Charley, a 31-year-old man living in New York, who feels stressed and insecure about modern life. Charley often dreams of escaping to a simpler, safer world. One day, while rushing through the Grand Central Station, he discovers a mysterious "third level", which is not shown on any map.
On this third level, Charley finds himself in the year 1894. The environment is peaceful and calm, very different from the busy modern world. People wear old-fashioned clothes, the trains are powered by steam, and the currency is from the 19th century. Charley is amazed and feels that this could be a perfect escape for him and his wife, Louisa, from their stressful present life. He even starts planning to move permanently to this time.
However, when Charley later tries to find the third level again, he cannot. He becomes worried and confused. Charley discusses his experience with his psychiatrist friend, Sam, who explains that the third level may be a creation of Charley’s imagination, a way to escape from the pressures of modern life. Louisa also doubts the reality of the place.
Later, Charley finds a letter from Sam hidden in an old envelope (a first-day cover) from the 19th century. In the letter, Sam says he has found the third level and is living happily in "Galesburg, Illinois, in 1894". This surprises Charley and makes him believe that the third level may actually exist.
The story ends mysteriously, leaving readers unsure whether the third level is real or a product of imagination.
जैक फिन्नी की कहानी "The Third Level" चार्ली नामक एक 31 वर्षीय व्यक्ति के जीवन के इर्द-गिर्द घूमती है। चार्ली न्यू यॉर्क में रहते हैं और आधुनिक जीवन की व्यस्तता और तनाव से परेशान हैं। उन्हें अक्सर एक शांत और सरल जीवन में भागने का सपना आता है।
एक दिन, चार्ली ग्रैंड सेंट्रल स्टेशन में जाते समय एक "तीसरी मंजिल (Third Level)" खोज लेते हैं, जो स्टेशन के सामान्य नक्शे में नहीं है। इस मंजिल पर पहुँचते ही चार्ली महसूस करते हैं कि वे 1894 में हैं। यहाँ का वातावरण शांत और सुखद है। लोग पुराने फैशन के कपड़े पहनते हैं, ट्रेनें स्टीम इंजन से चलती हैं, और मुद्रा भी 19वीं सदी की है। चार्ली इस जगह से बहुत प्रभावित होते हैं और सोचते हैं कि वे और उनकी पत्नी लुईसा यहाँ स्थायी रूप से जा सकते हैं।
लेकिन जब चार्ली बाद में फिर से तीसरी मंजिल खोजने की कोशिश करते हैं, तो उन्हें यह नहीं मिलती। वह चिंतित और भ्रमित हो जाते हैं। चार्ली अपने मित्र और मनोचिकित्सक सैम से इस अनुभव के बारे में चर्चा करते हैं। सैम बताते हैं कि यह मंजिल केवल चार्ली की कल्पना हो सकती है, जो आधुनिक जीवन की समस्याओं से बचने का एक तरीका है। लुईसा भी इस जगह की वास्तविकता पर संदेह करती है।
कुछ समय बाद, चार्ली को सैम का एक पत्र मिलता है, जो पुराने लिफाफे (first-day cover) में छुपा होता है। पत्र में सैम बताते हैं कि उन्होंने तीसरी मंजिल खोज ली है और वे अब "गेल्सबर्ग, इलिनॉइस, 1894" में खुशी-खुशी रह रहे हैं। यह चार्ली को आश्चर्यचकित करता है और उन्हें विश्वास दिलाता है कि तीसरी मंजिल वास्तव में मौजूद हो सकती है।
कहानी का अंत रहस्यमय है और पाठक यह नहीं जान पाते कि तीसरी मंजिल वास्तविक है या केवल कल्पना।
Q.1 How many levels did Grand Central Station have according to Charley ?
Ans : Three
Q.2 Which physician was Charley's friend ?
Ans : Psychiatrists
Q.3 did Sam have to say to Charley about the third level ?
Ans : Third level does not exist, it's just his walking dream wish fulfillment.
Q.4 Who is Louisa ?
Ans : Charley's wife
Q.5 According to Charley what does everyone want to run away from ?
Ans : Fear, worries, insecurity, war.
Q.6 According to the author, which US President had habits like his ?
Ans : Roosevelt
Q.7 Why did Charley decide to take the subway to Grand Central Station one night ?
Ans : Because he was in hurry and buses took a lot of time.
Q.8 For where did the train leave from Grand Central's second level ?
Ans : Suburban areas
Q.9 Why Charley compared grand central station with a tree ?
Ans : Because the terminals and roads leaving that station were spread like tree branches.
Q.10 Did Charley get to see the third level before ?
Ans : Not mentioned
Q.11 does Charley hear initially while walking in the third level corridor ?
Ans : Voice of people talking
Q.12 What did Charley find different on the third level from the other two levels ?
Ans : Information both was made of wood.
Q.13 How did the men at third level look like ?
Ans : They had big mustache.
Q.14 did the women at third level look like ?
Ans : They wore dress with leg of mutton sleeves.
Q.15 What did Charley do to make sure he was on the third level ?
Ans : Charley looked at the scrap newspaper for date.
Q.16 Which newspaper did the author see on the third level ?
Ans : The World.
Q.1 What does the third level refer to ?
Ans : The third level refers to the subway of the Grand Central Station that takes passengers to Galesburg.
Q.2 Charley ever go back to the ticket counter on the third level to buy tickets to Galesburg for his wife ?
Ans : No, Charley would never go back to the ticket counter on the third level to buy tickets to Galasburg for himself and his wife because the third level was his imagination.
Q.3 you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley ? Why ?
Ans : Yes, life in modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worries and stress. So, he wants to escape into a wishful world.
Q.4 Why did Charley think that Grand Central is growing like a tree pushing out new corridor and staircase like roots ?
Ans : Charley always found new doorways, stairs and corridors at Grand Central Station. So he thought that Grand Central is growing like a tree pushing out new corridor and staircase like roots.
Q.5 What is the first - day cover ?
Ans : When a new stamp is issued, stamp collector buy some. They use them to mail envelopes to themselves on the very first day of sale. The stamp of the post office proves the date. The envelope is called the first - day cover.
Q.6 What happened with Charley at the ticket window ?
Ans : When Charley went to the ticket window for two tickets to Galesburg. He paid the currency of present world which was totally different from 1890's world. On seeing the big notes, clerk thought that Charley was trying to skin him.
Q.7 What about his grandfather did Charley tell to his friend ?
Ans : Charley told his friend about his grandfather that he lived in nice and peaceful times. He was one who had started the stamp collection. He did not need any temporary refuge from reality.
Q.8 What do you infer from Sam's letter to Charley ?
Ans : Sam wrote a letter to Charley that he had found the third level at the Grand Central Station and he had reached there. He was saying that he was staying in Galesburg since last two weeks and he invites both Charley and his wife there.
Q.9 The modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and stress. what are the ways in which we attempt to overcome them ?
Ans : There are many ways through which people may overcome from insecurity, fear, war, worry and stress. They are -
Cultivating hobbies, reading good books, spending time with family and friends, going on trips, pursuing meditation and exercises help us to live a balanced and healthy life.
Q.10 Do you see an intersection of time and space in the story "The Third Level" ?
Ans : Yes, we find and intersection of time and space in the story such as Charley is living in the present time, yet he wanders into the year 1894. Sam is friend of Charley and psychiatrist. He writes a letter to Charley on 18th July 1894.
Q.1 Give the character sketch of Charley.
Ans : Introduction : The present question has been taken from the chapter " The Third Level " written by Jack Finney. In the story " The Third Level " writer tells us that the life in the modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and stress. So, a man Charley wants to escape from this world.
The character sketch of Charley : In the story " The Third Level " Charley was a young man about 31 years old. Louisa was his wife. Sam was his psychiatrist friend. According to him, there were three level at the Grand Central Station. He told about the third level to his psychiatrist friend, Sam. Sam called it 'a walking dream wish fulfillment. One day he was hurry to go home, so he decided to take a subway train from the Grand Central Station and got lost. He finally found himself on the third level. According to him, the rooms at the third level were smaller than that of the second level. There were fewer ticket windows. There were fewer train gates. The information booth in the center was wood and old looking. There were open flame gas light. Everyone dressed in 19th century. To make sure that he was on the third level, he went to a newsboy and saw the stack of newspaper. It was "The World" which has not been published for years. Later, he found the front page in the public library files and it was printed 11th June 1894.
Conclusion : The third level on the Grand Central Station was Charley's imagination. He wanted to escape from the real world, so he had made a fantasy about the third level.
Q.2 Describe the third level as per Charley. What did he do to make sure that he was in 1894 ? Why did he want to by tickets ?
Ans : Introduction : The present question has been taken from the chapter " The Third Level " written by Jack Finney. In the story " The Third Level " writer tells us that the life in the modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and stress. So, a man Charley wants to escape from this world.
In the following ways Charley described the third level -
The rooms at the third level were smaller than that of the second level.
There were fewer ticket windows.
There were fewer train gates.
The information booth in the center was wood and old looking.
There were open flame gas light.
Everyone dressed in 19th century.
To make sure that he was in 1894, he went to a newsboy and saw the stack of newspaper. It was "The World" which has not been published for years. Later, he found the front page in the public library files and it was printed 11th June 1894.
He wanted to buy two tickets because he wanted to go to Galesburg with his wife Louisa.
Q.3 Who was Sam Wiener ? Where was he disappeared ? What did he write in his letter to Charley ?
Ans : Introduction : The present question has been taken from the chapter " The Third Level " written by Jack Finney. In the story " The Third Level " writer tells us that the life in the modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and stress. So, a man Charley wants to escape from this world.
Sam Wiener was Charley's friend who was a psychiatrist. When Charley told him about the third level on the Grand Central Station, he called it 'a walking dream wish fulfillment'.
He disappeared sudden but Charley could make a guess because he knew that Sam liked Galesburg very much. So, he made a fantasy. According to him, Sam was disappeared in Galesburg because he wanted to star his bussiness in Galesburg.
He wrote in his letter that he had found the third level at the Grand Central Station and he had reached there. He was saying that he was staying in Galesburg since last two weeks and he invites both Charley and his wife there.