Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water ?
Douglas visited many famous water spots in his country. But whenever he wanted to put his foot into water, the old fears would come to his mind. It spoiled all his joys of fishing, boating and swimming. That was why he was determined to get over this fear.
When did the writer join the Y.M.C.A. pool and why ?
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Why did William Douglas choose Y.M.C.A. pool when he decided to learn to swim ?
The writer was then ten or eleven years old. He had a childhood fear of water. He wanted to get over this fear. The Y.M.C.A. had a swimming pool. It offered an opportunity to learn to swim. That was why the writer decided to join it.
What factors led Douglas to decide in favour of the Y.M.C.A. pool ?
The Y.M.C.A. had a swimming pool. It offered opportunities to learn swimming. It was a safe place. At one end, it was only two or three feet deep. The slope to the other end was gradual. It was because of these factors that Douglas decided in favour of the Y.M.C.A. pool.
What did the writer do to learn swimming at the Y.M.C.A. pool ?
The writer got a new pair of water wings. He tried to gather confidence by looking at the other boys. He would try to paddle with his new water wings. He did this two or three times on different days. He began to feel at ease in the water.
Describe the writer’s childhood experience when he was three or four years old.
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Which first incident in Douglas’s childhood filled him with the fear of water ?
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How did Douglas’ experience at the beach in California affect him ?
The writer’s father took him to the beach in California. They were standing together in the surf. The writer was clinging to his father. But a strong wave came and swept over him. He was buried in water. His breath was gone. His father laughed but he was frightened. It left in his heart a fear of the water.
How did Douglas’ introduction to Y.M.C.A. pool revive his childhood fear of water ?
When Douglas joined the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool, the unpleasant memories of childhood came back to him. They revived his fears. But in a little while, he gathered his confidence.
What did the writer notice when he was sitting alone on the side of the Y.M.C.A. pool ?
There was none else at the pool. The writer was afraid to go in alone. So he just sat on the side of the pool and waited. It was all quiet. The water was still. The tiled bottom was as clean and white as a bathtub.
What did the eighteen-year-old boy do to the writer and why ?
The boy saw the writer sitting alone on the side of the pool. He cried, ‘‘Hi, Skinny ! How would you like to be ducked ?’’ With this, he picked the writer up and tossed him into the pool. However, he later said that he was only fooling.
Why was the writer at first not much frightened when he was thrown into the pool ?
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What did Douglas experience as he went down to the bottom of the pool for the first time ?
The writer went at once to the bottom of the pool. He was frightened, but not much. On the way down, he made a plan. He would hit the bottom and make a big jump. Then he would come to the surface like a cork.
Why did Douglas fail to come to the surface of the pool as he hoped to ?
Douglas jumped with all his might. But the jump made no difference. He shook and trembled with fear. His arms and legs wouldn’t move. Thus he failed to come to the surface as he had hoped.
How did the writer feel when he stopped all efforts to save himself in the pool ?
Now the writer relaxed. A blackness swept over his brain. It wiped out all fear. There was no more panic. He began to feel sleepy. He felt he was being carried along in tender arms. Then everything blanked out.
What did the writer remember when he came to himself after the misadventure at the pool ?
He remembered that he was lying on his stomach beside the pool. He was vomiting. The chap who had thrown him in was saying, “But I was only fooling.” Someone said, “The kid nearly died.”
How did the near-drowning experience at the pool affect Douglas ?
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How did Douglas’ experience at the Y.M.C.A. pool affect him ?
It shook the writer badly. After some hours, he was able to walk back home. He was feeling very weak. He was trembling. He shook and cried when he lay on his bed. He could eat nothing that night. A terrible fear filled his heart. He never went back to that pool again.
What did Douglas learn from his experience of drowning ?
We can’t say Douglas learnt something from his experience of drowning. Rather it filled him with fear. He could eat nothing that night. He shook and cried when he lay on his bed. He never went back to that pool again.
Why was Douglas keen to get over his fear of water ?
Douglas visited many famous water spots in his country. But whenever he wanted to put his foot into water, the old fears would come to his mind. It spoiled all his joys of fishing, boating and swimming. That was why he was determined to get over this fear.
What did the writer finally do to get over his fear of the water ?
The writer used every way to overcome this fear. Finally, one October, he decided to get an instructor and learn to swim. He went to a pool and practised five days a week, an hour each day.
What special method did the instructor use to teach the writer to swim ?
The instructor put a belt round the writer. A rope was attached to the belt. It went through a pulley. The pulley ran on an overhead cable. The instructor held on to the end of the rope. Thus the writer went back and forth across the pool.
How did the instructor help Douglas to overcome his fear of water ?
First, the instructor trained Douglas with the help of an overhead pulley. Douglas practised for many weeks. Then he was taught to exhale under water and inhale above water. Thus, bit by bit, Douglas overcame his fear of water.
The writer says, “The instructor was finished. But I was not finished.” Why ?
The instructor thought he had made a swimmer out of the writer. But the writer was still not satisfied. He feared that when he was alone in the pool, his old fears would come back to him. So he wanted to try still more in the pool.
What qualities turned the diffident Douglas into a good swimmer ?
Douglas’s fear of water had spoiled all his joys of fishing and swimming. But his qualities of optimism and determination turned him into a good swimmer. He took the help of an instructor and worked hard to learn swimming. Finally, he became a good swimmer.
What deep conclusion did Douglas draw from his various experiences of swimming ?
During his experiences, Douglas had known both the fear of death and the sensation of death. He had come to the conclusion that there is terror only in the fear of death. In death, there is peace. Therefore, all one needs to fear is fear itself.
What deep meaning did his experience at the YMCA swimming pool have for Douglas ?
Douglas’s experience had taught him that there is terror only in the fear of death. In death, there is peace. Therefore, all one needs to fear is fear itself.
What is the ‘misadventure’ that William Douglas speaks about ?
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What shocking experience did Douglas have at YMCA pool ?
One day, the writer was sitting alone on the side of a swimming pool. Suddenly a big boy came in. He picked the writer up and tossed him into the pool. The writer did not know swimming. However, he was taken out of the pool and saved.
Why did Douglas go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire ?
Douglas had not yet completely got over his fear of deep water. In order to get over this fear, he went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire. There he swam two miles across the lake. Now all fear fled and he swam on.
How did Douglas finally get rid of the fear he had of water ?
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Why did Douglas go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire ? How did he make himself terror free ?
Douglas visited some of the famous water spots. He swam across them successfully. At last he went to Lake Wentworth. He swam two miles across the lake. Then he went and camped by the side of the Warm Lake. The next morning, he dived into the lake. He swam across to the other shore and back. He shouted with joy. Now he knew that he had overcome his old terror of water.
What sort of terror seized Douglas as he went down the water with a yellow glow ? How could he feel that he was still alive ?
It was a kind of terror that none but the person who has experienced it, could understand. Douglas was crying underwater. He was stiff with fear. Even the cries in his throat were frozen. Only his heart said that he was still alive.
How did the instructor turn Douglas into a swimmer ?
The instructor put a belt round the writer. A rope attached to the belt went through a pulley. The pulley ran on an overhead cable. The instructor held on to the end of the rope. Thus the writer went back and forth across the pool. Then the instructor taught him to exhale underwater and inhale above water. He taught Douglas to kick with his legs. Thus piece by piece, the instructor built out of the writer a swimmer
Why did Douglas’ mother recommend that he should learn swimming at the YMCA swimming pool ?
When Douglas was ten or eleven years old, he decided to learn to swim. But the nearby Yakima River was very treacherous and many drowning incidents had been reported. Therefore, Douglas’ mother recommended that he should first learn swimming at the YMCA swimming pool that was quite safe.
How did Douglas get rid of his residual doubts about his fear of water ?
Douglas first went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire. There he swam two miles across the lake. Then he went and camped by the side of Warm Lake. The next morning, he dived into the lake. He swam across to the other shore and back. He shouted with joy. Now he knew he had overcome his residual fears of water.
All we have to fear is fear itself.’ When did Douglas learn this lesson ?
Douglas went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire. There he swam two miles across the lake. Then he went to Warm Lake. He swam across to the other side of the lake and back. He shouted with joy. All his fear of water was gone. It was this experience which taught Douglas the lesson that ‘all we have to fear is fear itself.’
Mention any two long-term consequences of the drowning incident for Douglas.
The first long-term consequence of that drowning incident was that Douglas developed an aversion to water. However later he overcame his fear of water with the help of an instructor. The other long-term consequence was that Douglas’s experience had taught him that there is terror only in the fear of death. In death, there is peace. Therefore, all one needs to fear is fear itself.
What is your impression of Douglas’s swimming instructor ?
Douglas’s instructor was a very experienced and patient person. First, he trained Douglas with the help of an overhead pulley. Then he taught him to exhale under water and inhale above water. And, finally, piece by piece, the instructor built out of Douglas an expert swimmer.
Which two incidents in the life of William Douglas, before he was ten years old, created an aversion in his mind to water ?
Once the writer was standing in the surf with his father in the Californian sea beach. Suddenly a strong wave came and knocked him down. It filled the writer with fear. Then one day he was sitting alone at the side of the pool where he had gone to learn swimming. A big boy came and tossed him into the deeper side of the pool. These two incidents created an aversion in his mind to water.
What did the writer do when he decided to learn to swim in the Yakima ? Did he succeed in it ?
The Yakima river flowing through the writer’s state was very dangerous. The writer’s mother often warned him of it. She kept reminding him of the various drowning accidents in it. But there was an association named Y.M.C.A. It had a swimming pool. It also offered opportunities to learn to swim. It was a safe place. The pool was only two or three feet deep at one end. At the other, it was nine feet deep. The drop was gradual. The writer got a pair of water wings and went to the pool to swim. He looked at the other boys. He aped them and started paddling with his new water wings. He did this two or three times on different days. But then one day there was a misadventure. The writer was hardly saved from drowning to death. He never went to the pool again.
What was the ‘misadventure’ at the Y.M.C.A. pool that the writer William Douglas speaks about ?
The misadventure referred to happened at the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool. The writer had joined the pool to learn to swim. One day, he was sitting alone on the side of the pool. There was no one there. He was afraid of going into the water alone. So he was waiting for others to come. Suddenly a big boy came in. He picked the writer up and tossed him into the pool. The writer was frightened, but not much. He at once went to the bottom of the pool. On the way down, he made a plan. He would hit the bottom and make a big jump to the surface. But he came up very slowly. He could see nothing but water. He grew panicky. Twice he tried to jump, but the jump made no difference. At last he stopped all efforts. He relaxed. There was no more panic. Everything blanked out. The curtain of life fell. But luckily, before he was dead, he was taken out of the pool and saved.
Narrate briefly the writer’s emotions and fears when he was thrown into the pool. What plans did he make to come to the surface ?
At first, the writer was frightened, but not much. On the way down, he made a plan. He would hit the bottom and make a big jump to the surface. But the jump made no difference. He came up very slowly. He grew panicky. He was suffocating. He tried to cry but no sound came. He tried to bring his legs up. But a great force was pulling him under. He had started his journey back to the bottom. Complete terror seized him. He was crying under water. He was stiff with fear. He felt the tiles under him. He jumped with all his might. But again it made no difference. He started down a third time. Now he stopped all efforts. He relaxed. There was no more panic. He was feeling nice. Everything blanked out. The curtain of life fell. But luckily, before he was dead, he was taken out of the pool and saved.
How did the instructor build a swimmer out of Douglas ?
The instructor was a very experienced and patient person. He used a novel method to train the writer in swimming. He put a belt round the writer. A rope was attached to the belt. It went through a pulley. The pulley ran on an overhead cable. The instructor held on to the end of the rope. Thus the writer went back and forth across the pool. He practised for many weeks. The tension began to grow less. Then the instructor taught him to exhale under water and inhale above water. The writer repeated this exercise hundreds of times. Bit by bit, he lost some of his old fear. Next, the instructor taught him to kick with his legs. Thus, piece by piece, the instructor built out of the writer a swimmer. Then he integrated all the pieces nicely. And at last he said, “Now you can swim. Dive off and swim the length of the pool.” The writer was able to do it.
The childhood experience of terror of Douglas made him stronger and more determined. Elucidate the above statement, supporting it with evidences from the text.
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Douglas has a near-death experience in his childhood which has a negative as well as a positive outcome. Justify the statement with evidences from the text.The writer started fearing water when he was just a little child of three or four years. His father took him to a beach in California. The two were standing in the surf. The writer was clinging to his father. But a strong wave came and swept over him. He was buried in water. His breath was gone. His father laughed, but the writer was filled with fear. This incident left in him a great fear of water. This fear was further strengthened by the incident of the Y.M.C.A. pool. He was nearly drowned and could have died but luckily, he was saved. Even afterwards, fear of water spoiled all his joys of fishing, boating and swimming. So, he determined firmly to learn swimming and to get over this fear. Now determined, he got an instructor who made a swimmer out of him. To prove to himself that he had defeated the terror, he visited some famous water spots. There he swam across them without any difficulty. He shouted with joy when his determination made him overcome his old terror.
A big boy threw Douglas into the swimming pool. How did this experience affect Douglas ?
Douglas was badly shaken by this experience. He was feeling weak and was trembling. He kept shaking and crying while lying on his bed. He could not eat that night. For days, a great fear kept haunting his mind. He was upset by even the slightest exertion. It made him wobbly in his knees. He would feel sick in his stomach. He never went back to the pool after that. He feared water. He tried to avoid it everywhere. The same terror would seize him whenever he tried to step into the waters of some lake. His legs would become paralysed. Icy horror would grab his heart. This horror stayed with him as the years rolled by. It ruined his fishing trips. It deprived him of the joy of boating and swimming.
What was Douglas’s fear ? How did Douglas overcome his fear of water ?
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Fear is something that we must learn to overcome if we want to succeed in life. How did Douglas get over his fear of water ?
After getting his training from the instructor, Douglas still had some old fears. He feared that his terror would come back to him when he was alone in the water. So he tried himself once again. He dived into the pool and swam the length up and down. Little memories of the old terror came to him. But he drove all fear out of his mind. This went on for four months. But he was still not satisfied. He was not sure that all his fear had left. So he went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire. He swam two miles across the lake. The old fear returned a little. But soon all fear fled and he swam on. On another occasion, he went and camped by the side of the Warm Lake. The next morning, he dived into the lake. He swam across to the other shore and back. He shouted with joy. He had conquered his fear of water.
‘The story Deep Water talks about Douglas’ attempts to overcome his fear of water. The story can also be viewed as a figurative manifestation of life’s many challenges. Elaborate with reference to the text.
Life is the other name of struggle. We have to face many challenges, big or small, at times in our life. However we can meet those challenges successfully if we conquer our fear. This fear might be of any sort. This story is a figurative manifestation of life’s many challenges because it tells us how the writer gets over his fear of water. This fear was deep rooted in his mind due to some childhood incidents. Once he was saved from drowning at a pool. That misadventure shook the writer badly. A terrible fear filled his heart. He never went back to that pool again. However Douglas’s fear of water had spoiled all his joys of fishing, boating and swimming. So he had now determined to get over his fear of water. He took the help of an instructor. The instructor used a novel method to build a swimmer out of Douglas. And with his strong will and continuous efforts, Douglas became able to meet this challenge successfully and conquered his fear of water.
“There was terror in my heart at the overpowering force of the waves.” When did Douglas start fearing water ? Which experience had further strengthened its hold on his mind and personality ?
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How did Douglas develop a fear of water ?
The writer started fearing water when he was just a little child of three or four years. His father took him to a beach in California. The two were standing in the surf. The writer was clinging to his father. But a strong wave came and swept over him. He was buried in water. His breath was gone. His father laughed, but the writer was filled with fear. This incident left in him a great fear of water. This fear was further strengthened by the incident of the Y.M.C.A. pool. He was nearly drowned and could have died, but luckily he was saved. This incident shook him badly. He could eat nothing that night. He shook and cried as he lay in his bed. A terrible fear filled his heart. His fear of water was so much strengthened that he never went back to the pool again.
How did Douglas develop an aversion to water ?
The incident at the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool shook Douglas terribly. He was feeling very weak. He was trembling. He shook and cried when he lay on his bed. He could eat nothing that night. A deadly panic filled his heart. He never went back to that pool again. After this, he visited some famous water spots of his country. But whenever he wanted to put his foot into water, his old fear would come back to him. It spoiled all his joy of boating and fishing. So Douglas developed an aversion to water.
How did Douglas try to save himself from drowning in the Y.M.C.A. pool ?
One day, Douglas was sitting alone on the side of the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool. He was waiting for others to come. He was afraid of going into the water alone. Suddenly, a big boy came in. He picked the writer up and tossed him into the pool. He at once went to the bottom of the pool. On the way down, he made a plan. He would hit the bottom and make a big jump to the surface. But he came up very slowly. He could see nothing but water. He grew panicky. twice he tried to jump, but the jump made no difference. At last he stopped all efforts Luckily, he was taken out and was saved.
Childhood fears are deeply entrenched in our mind. Determination, hard work and right training are needed to get rid of them. Comment on the statement in the light of Douglas’s efforts to overcome his fear of water.
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The story “Deep Water” has made you realize that with determination and perseverance one can accomplish the impossible. Write a paragraph on how a positive attitude and courage will aid you to achieve success in life.
At the age of three or four, Douglas’s father took him to a beach in California. They were standing together in the surf. The writer was clinging to his father. But a strong wave came and swept over him. He was buried in water. His breath was gone. He was frightened. At the age of ten or eleven years, he had another misadventure at the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool. He had gone there to learn swimming. An older boy came there, picked him up and threw him into the pool. These experiences left in his heart a fear of the water. Despite these near-death experiences, Douglas was determined to learn swimming and get rid of the fear of water. He hired an instructor to learn to swim. The instructor trained Douglas with the help of an overhead pulley. Douglas practised for many weeks. Thus, bit by bit, he overcame his fear of water. Childhood fears are deeply entrenched in our mind. Determination, hard work and right training are required to get rid of them.
