What does ‘The Third Level’ refer to in the story ?
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How does Charley, the narrator describe the third level at Grand Central Station ?
The Grand Central Station of New York has a subway from where trains run under the ground to different stations. It was known to have two levels of subway. No one had ever heard of any third level there. In this story, the mystery of there being a third level has been dealt with.
Who did the writer tell about his having been on the third level of the Grand Central Station ? How did the other person react ?
The writer had a psychiatrist friend named Sam Weiner. He told him that he had been on the third level of the Grand Central Station. Sam called it only a waking-dream wish fulfilment. He said that it only showed the writer’s escapism from reality.
How did the writer’s psychiatrist friend react when he told him about the third level at the Grand Central Station ?
He said it was only a waking-dream wish fulfilment. He explained that the modern world was full of insecurity, fear, war and worry. And the writer wanted to escape from it. That was why he had such waking dreams.
What did the writer’s friends say about his stamp collecting ?
They said it showed his desire to escape from a world that was full of insecurity, fear and worry. His stamp collecting gave him a temporary refuge from reality.
How does the writer defend himself that his stamp collecting was no indication of his desire to escape from reality ?
The writer says that his collection of stamps was started by his grandfather. In those days, life was quite peaceful. There was no need for any refuge from reality. Thus his own stamp collection was no indication of any desire to escape from reality.
When did the writer decide to take the subway from the Grand Central and why ?
The writer says that one summer night he worked late at his office. He was in a hurry to get home. So he decided to take the subway because it is faster than the bus.
How does the writer describe himself when he steps into the Grand Central Station ?
He says that he is an ordinary person named Charley. He is thirty-one years old. He is wearing a tan gabardine suit. He has a straw hat with a fancy band. He looks just like other persons there. He is not trying to escape anything. He just wants to get home to his wife, Louisa.
What does the writer say about the first and the second levels at the Grand Central ?
The writer says that at the first level, one can take trains like the Twentieth Century. At the second level, one can take one of the suburban trains. But he often loses his way when he is at the second level of the subway.
What gave the writer the idea that the Grand Central was growing like a tree ?
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Why does Charley say that the Grand Central is growing like a tree in the story, ‘The Third Level’ ?
At the second level, the writer often found himself in new doorways and corridors. Once he got into a tunnel about a mile long. It came out in the lobby of a hotel. Another time, he came up in an office building three blocks away. So he began to think that the Grand Central was growing like a tree.
What feeling did the writer come to have about the Grand Central when he lost his way there into new corridors and tunnels ?
The writer began to think that the Grand Central was growing like a tree. It was pushing out new corridors and staircases like roots. He felt that there were probably tunnels that nobody knew about. These could lead one to such places as Times Square or Central Park.
How did Charley reach the third level of the Grand Central Station ?
Once the writer got lost on the second level. A doorway led him to a corridor he had never seen before. It went turning left and slanting downward. Then the tunnel turned sharp left. Here he went down a few steps. He found that he had come on the third level of the Grand Central Station.
What unusual things did the writer notice on the third level of the Grand Central ?
The writer saw here fewer ticket windows. The rooms were also smaller. The train had fewer gates. The information booth was in the centre. It was old-looking and was made of wood. There were brass spittoons on the floor. The lights were dim. They flickered because they were open-flame gaslights.
What did the writer note about the people who he saw on level three of the Grand Central Station ?
The writer noted that they were all dressed in the style of 1890-something. They wore derby hats and four-button suits with tiny lapels. They had beards, side whiskers and fancy mustaches. A woman wore a dress with sleeves like the legs of a sheep. Her skirt reached to the top of her high shoes.
What did the writer notice at the ticket windows on the third level of the Grand Central ?
The writer noticed that he could buy here tickets that could take him to anywhere in the United States. He felt as if it was the year 1894. He decided to buy two tickets — for himself and his wife Louisa. He wanted to go with her to Galesburg in Illinois.
What happened when the writer asked the clerk for two tickets for Galesburg ?
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Why did the booking clerk refuse to accept the money ?
The clerk counted out the money. But when he looked at the bills in the writer’s hand, he refused to accept them. They accepted only the old-style bills on the third level. Those bills looked much bigger and different from the ones that the writer had. They were the ones used in 1894.
Why did the clerk on the third level say to the writer, “If you’re trying to skin me, you won’t get very far.” ?
On the third level, it was all as in 1894. They used money in old-style bills. But the writer had with him present-day bills. Seeing this, the clerk thought the writer was trying to cheat him by giving him fake bills. That was why he threatened him to have him arrested.
Why did the writer go to the coin dealer’s ?
The writer wanted to go to Galesburg with his wife. But for that, he needed old-style bills to pay for the tickets on the third level. So he went to the coin dealer’s. There he exchanged his three hundred dollars with old-style currency. He got less than two hundred in exchange.
What did the writer suspect when Sam Weiner disappeared ?
The writer and Sam both belonged to Galesburg. Both of them liked the place and often talked about it. Now when Sam disappeared, the writer suspected that he had reached Galesburg through the third level subway. Of course, it was in 1894 and Sam still lived there.
How does the writer define ‘a first-day cover’ ?
When a new stamp is issued, stamp collectors buy some of these. They use them to mail envelopes to themselves on the very first day of the sale. The postmark proves the date. Such an envelope is called ‘a first-day cover’.
What proof does the writer get that Sam is living in Galesburg in 1894 ?
The writer finds among his stamp collection an envelope. It had been mailed to his grandfather. The postmark showed July 18, 1894. The paper inside the envelope bore a note from Sam. It said that he had found the third level and had reached Galesburg. He invited Charley and Louisa also to come there.
What is Sam’s old business ? Why can’t he go back to it ?
Sam’s old business is that of a psychiatrist. But now he is in Galesburg of 1894. It is a period when people are free from all worries. There is no need of any psychiatrist. Thus Sam cannot go back to his old business.
Do you think the third level was a medium of escape for Charley ? Why ?
The third level was certainly a medium of escape for Charley. His visit to the third level is all a fantasy. He takes it for a reality but is never again able to find it. It is because the third level has existed in his fantasy only. So we can say that the third level was nothing but a medium of escape for Charley.
How did Charley often get lost on the Grand Central Station ?
Grand Central Station was known to have two levels. On the second level, Charley often found himself at places he had never seen before and would get lost there. Once he got lost in a long tunnel that led to the lobby of a hotel.
What convinced Charley that he had reached the third level at Grand Central Station and not the second level ?
Charley saw people dressed in the old style of 1890’s. Tickets had to be bought using the currency of that very period. The locomotives were also of the old style. All this convinced Charley that he had reached the third level at Grand Central Station.
How did ‘The World’ help Charley to confirm his doubts regarding the existence of a third level ?
The newspaper, ‘The World’, had not been published for years. The copy of the newspaper in the hands of a newsboy was a June 11, 1894 edition. This all helped Charley to confirm his doubts regarding the existence of a third level at the Grand Central Station.
What would Sam have done in Galesbury for his living ? Why ?
To earn his living in Galesbury, Sam would have set up a little hay, feed and grain business which he liked so much. He could not carry on his old business of a psychiatrist because there was no need of a psychiatrist in Galesbury.
In his letter to Charley, Sam writes, ‘…then I got to believing you were right.’ What could have made Sam begin to believe ?
When Charley had told Sam about his visit to the third level, Sam had not believed his story. But he had liked the description of 1894 life. Perhaps it would have raised curiosity in Sam. And he would have gone through the state of waking–dream wish fulfilment that there was third level, a subway at the Grand Central Station of New York.
Do you think the third level was a medium of escape for Charley ? Why ?
It is impossible for two different periods of history to exist simultaneously. In this story, we find the nineteenth century and the modern century existing side by side. The Grand Central Station has two levels where modern new-style currency is used. There is also a third level where the old-style currency of eighteen-ninety-something is used. We can say that the writer has tried to weave fantasy with reality. The third level is merely a fantasy that exists in Charley’s mind only. It is his escapist fantasy. His psychiatrist friend, Sam, is right when he calls it ‘a waking-dream wish fulfilment’. Charley’s visit to the third level is all a fantasy. He takes it for a reality and plans a journey to Galesburg. He even exchanges his new bills of three hundred dollars for old-style bills. But he is never again able to find the third level. It is because the third level has existed in his fantasy only. So we can say that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley. It was only his escapist fantasy.
What do you infer from Sam’s letter to Charley ?
The first thing to note about Sam’s letter is that it was mailed to Charley’s grandfather, not to Charley. The envelope bore the address of Charley’s grandfather. It had been mailed to him at his home in Galesburg. The mail was never personally received by Charley. And the envelope was found not at the Galesburg address but at the New York apartment where Charley was now living. His grandfather’s collection had now passed on to him. And it was a collection of first-day covers. But Sam’s letter was not a first-day cover exactly. A first-day cover has in it blank paper only. But this one contained a note that had been supposedly written by Sam to Charley. The note says that Sam had found the third level. He has now reached Galesburg where he is living happily. He invites Charley and his wife Louisa also to come there. Clearly, it is another ‘waking-dream wish fulfilment’ of Charley himself. It is another of his escapist fantasies.
Do you see an intersection of time and space in the story, ‘The Third Level’ ?
The story moves at two different levels both in space and time. And these two levels often intersect each other. The writer has tried to interweave fantasy and reality. When the characters are in a state of fantasy, they go back to the period of 1890-something. They talk of a subway that can take them anywhere in the United States. But in reality, they belong to the modern times and live around New York Central. The main character in the story is Charley. He often travels to his work through the subway of the Grand Central Station. He knows of only two levels there from where the trains run. But once in his fantasy, he discovers a third level also. Here he sees everything different. The people are dressed in the old style of 1890’s. They use old-style bills to buy their tickets. The writer comes back and arranges for old-style bills. He decides to go to Galesburg using the third level. But he can never find the third level again. Thus we see that there is a lot of intersection of space and time in the story.
Reproduce in your own words the episode related to Charley’s visit to the third level.
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How did Charley reach the third level of Grand Central ? How was it different from the other levels ?
One day Charley got late at his office. He wanted to hurry home. He decided to take the subway from the Grand Central Station. He was to catch his train from the second level. But when he reached there, he got lost in a wrong corridor. He kept on walking along the corridor which went turning left and slanting downwards. At its end, he went down a short flight of stairs. When he came out, he found himself on the third level. Here he saw that everything was different. Here the rooms were smaller and there were fewer ticket windows. On the floor, there were brass spittoons. Everyone in the station was dressed like 1890-something. Charley saw here a very small locomotive with a funnel-shaped chimney. And when he went to the ticket window, he found that only old-style bills were accepted here. Charley had with him new-style bills only. So he had to come back.
What unusual things did Charlie notice on the third level of the Grand Central Station ?
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Describe briefly the scene at the third level of Grand Central as seen (or seemed to be seen) by Charley.
Charlie saw that on the third level, there were fewer ticket windows. The rooms were also smaller. The lights were dim. They flickered because they were open-flame gaslights. There were brass spittoons on the floor. Everyone in the station was dressed like 1890-something. Men had beards, side whiskers and fancy mustaches. A very small locomotive stood there. It had a funnel-shaped chimney. A newsboy had copies of a newspaper (The World) that had not been published for years. It was a June 11, 1894 edition. Charley turned towards the ticket windows. He knew that from here he could buy tickets for anywhere in the United States. He decided to buy two tickets for Galesburg. He wanted to go there with his wife. But then he found that only old-style bills were accepted there. Charley had to come back because he had with him new-style dollars of present-day currency.
‘The modern consumerist world is full of fear, insecurities, stress and wars.’ What are the ways in which we try to combat them ? Answer with reference to ‘The Third Level’.
People adopt different ways to escape the painful realities of the modern world. They can do so by forgetting all that is around them and by losing themselves in their own imagination. They can sit down and do some creative writing. Or, there are some very simple ways like going for a picnic or some movie. They can divert their mind to some hobby like gardening, painting, etc. There are some who resort to alcohol and drugs to forget their worries. But those are undesirable ways of escape. In the present story, Charley is the product of modern consumerist world. He starts imagining that he has gone to the third level at Grand Central Station, New York. Here everything is about one hundred years old. He wants to go to Galesburg through this level. But in fact there is no third level there. It is merely a product of Charley’s imagination. It can be seen only as his way to combat the stress of the modern consumerist world.
