DEEP WATER

WILLIAM ORVILLE DOUGLAS

Subjective Theme:
The terror suffered by William O Douglas and his
determination to overpower it.

Universal Theme:
Challenges are inevitable in life and can become
intensely demoralizing. However, challenges and
apprehension can be subjugated by mental
competence like determination and perseverance.

First Experience:
1. First journey to the bottom and then to the surface
very slow.
2. Swallowed a lot of water, reached surface.
3. Only eyes and nose out of water.
4. Unsuccessful in floating.

Aversion to Water:
1. Douglas wanted to learn swimming.
2. Suffered from apprehension and aversion owing to
an experience in California at the age of 4.
3. Scared on realizing the immensity of the power of
water.

Misadventure:
1. An eighteen year old boy tossed him into the
deeper end of the pool.
2. Douglas was unprepared and didn't know to swim
3. Adopted a strategy to float like a cork on the
surface despite the fear overwhelming him
4. Depth of 9 feet appeared like 90.
Decided to jump and reach the surface and float

Decision to learn swimming:

1. Decided to learn swimming
2. Selected Y. M. C. A Swimming pool over Yakima
river for safety reasons.
3. Tried to learn by observing others- did not have
any instructor

Great charge of electricity:

Intense electric current may induce involuntary
muscle contractions preventing the victim from
breaking free without external assistance. Similarly,
the indomitable force of terror prevailed over the
writer physiologically and psychologically and he was
unable to break free. It eclipsed his ability to think
rationally and act appropriately. Thus, the basic
survival mechanism that signals our body to respond
ceased to function and incapacitated him. Therefore,
he sought external assistance frantically.

Second Experience:
1. More traumatic and slower
2. Compared it to a nightmare.
3. Realized the overpowering effect of terror
captivating body and mind.
4. Compared it to being electrocuted.
5. Felt paralyzed with fear.
6. Again unsuccessful in floating.

Bob to surface like a cork: To float or

demonstrate characteristics of buoyancy as a cork in
water.The writer's desperate yearning to float is a
reflection of his subconscious and inner desire.

Definition/ Concept of Terror:

1. A mental phenomenon evoking psychological and
emotional turbulence.
2. It's impact is inexplicable and cannot be
rationalized.
3. It handicaps the mind and cannot be regulated
physiologically.
4. This effect cannot be comprehended by anyone
who hasn't experienced it.
5. It can be subjugated only by mental competences
such as obdurate determination and perseverance.
6. The near death like experience evokes this
realization in the narrator.
7. It expounds his mental state and his helplessness.
8. This exposition of terror illustrate the impact of
terror on any human mind irrespective of
circumstance.

Comparison between nightmare and the force

of water:A nightmare for a human being is an
ordeal which creates an everlasting impact on him.
Fighting a nightmare in a dream exhausts an
individual and instils a sense of failure. Similarly, the
enormous powers of water cannot be overpowered
by any mortal. This comparison highlights the
psychological helplessness, extreme exhaustion along
with a gradual feeling of defeat.

Pounding in my heart: This ironic expression

brings to fore that the headache and the heartbeat
made him realise that he was still alive. This
highlights the intensity and enormity of the petrifying
experience.

Curtain of life fell: It refers to the fact that he

became unconscious ; terror and pessimism
overpowered his physical strength and emotional
balance.

Third Experience:
1.Third experience had a different impact.
2. Transcended him beyond the realm of fear.
3. Drifted to a state of unconsciousness
4. Felt no pain or anxiety - peaceful condition
5. Compares this painless condition to sleep, to the
peace inducing arms of mother and to a state of
oblivion

Reference to Mother: Mother here symbolises a

child's desire for security and mental relief. A mother
shoulders the ultimate responsibility of providing
happiness, security and comfort to a child. It signifies
a child's dependence on mother. Her unconditional
and selfless love makes her the pivot of the child's
life. This reference to the mother delineate the desire
for security and solace from pain that predominate
the narrator's subconscious mind.

Oblivion: After combating the near to death

experience with colossal mental dexterity, resilience
and adroitness, the narrator gives up owing to his
gradual diminishing strength, vitality and vigour. This
line obliquely hints at his yearning for external
assistance. Terror has eclipsed his psyche and his
rational acumen. Thus, external aid is indispensable
at this juncture for his survival.

Developing Efficacy:
1. The narrator however did not become complacent
and continued testing his skill and confidence by
swimming in various water bodies in the absence of
the instructor.
2. During each attempt he encountered terror which
tried to immobilize him but he successfully
vanquished it.
3. He gradually developed confidence and felt
stimulated to assess his efficacy in unknown and
deeper water bodies.
4. Finally, he felt no longer intimidated and haunted
by the near death like experience.

Strategy Adopted:
1. Learning to swim.
2. Developing self confidence and efficacy.

Decision taken:
1. He resolutely decided to combat his terror.
2. Hence, he decided to learn swimming to
overpower his deficient existence.
3. He began by hiring a specialized instructor who
gave him exclusive individual training.
4. He worked diligently with determination, zeal and
adroit perseverance.

Icy horror: Transferred Epithet. This expression

can be interpreted as a feeling of torturous fear
which results in a shock which further benumbs one's
senses. The magnitude of his fear deprived him of
the power of sensation and motion and invariably
rendered him senseless or inert when he was in close
proximity of water.

Survival:
1. Douglas was rescued.
2. The eighteen old boy realizes his mistake.
3. The narrator is safe and is taken to the locker
room for recovery.
4. Later he is sent home.

Immediate Effect:
1. The misadventure affected the narrator adversely.
2. He suffers from intense mental fatigue and
trauma.
3. He felt weak and trembled haunted by the
memory of his near death experience.
4. All desire to learn swimming deserted his mind.
5. Trauma transformed to horror captivating and
crippling his mind.
6. Even slightest exertion depressed and exhausted
him.
7. He lost confidence and was reluctant to face any
difficult situation.

Learning to swim:
1. He received training from an instructor from
October to April.
2. Practices five days a week with a belt around him
connected to a pulley with a rope
3. This offered him mental security as he always felt
the presence of the instructor.
4. His insecurity in water was first overpowered by
compelling him to remain in water with the instructor
controlling the rope.
4. Then he was taught to inhale and exhale while in
water.
5. At last he was taught the various techniques of
swimming and the instructor's responsibility was
over.

Future impact:
1. He developed terror for water and avoided it even
as an adult.
2. This had an intensely detrimental effect on his
personality and life.
3. It amplified his fear and transformed it into a
mental handicap distorting his social existence.
4. He introspected, analysed and realized his
difference from his friends.
5. Even when he went for fishing or canoeing terror
seized him as he invariably recounted his
misadventure.
6. He suffered inadequate an existence as
insurmountable horror grabbed his mind.
Role of the Instructor:
1. The instructor adopted methodical and technical
approach while training Douglas.
2. He analytically detected the narrator's deficiency
which was mortal fear of water, so devised novel way
of training.
3. He gradually restored his lost confidence.
4. He helped him in improving his stamina
methodically.

Experience at Warm Lake:

1. Despite his success in lake Wentworth Douglas
wanted to test his fortitude in most adverse
circumstance.
2. He decided to test his competence in Warm lake.
3. Situated at a very high altitude the place was
relatively isolated in location and hence increased
danger.
4. The narrator swam across the lake and rejoiced in
his success.
5. He was no longer haunted by terror.
6. His success here symbolized his victory over terror,
his control over his mind, liberty from insecurity.
7. It symbolized the triumph of his uncompromising
resolve and determination over intimidating
challenges
Experience at New Hampshire: Determined to
challenge himself further, Douglas went to Lake
Wentworth in New Hampshire. He swam across the
lake. At the deepest point of the lake he puts his face
under water determined to challenge his own
tenacity and steadfastness. He is successfully
accomplishes his resolve and feels empowered.
Terror here is referred to as 'Mr Terror' , it's an
instance of Personification. It's personified as a tyrant
capable inflicting fear and intense insecurity.

Symbolic significance of Lake Wentworth: The

picturesque Lake Wentworth became a bastion for
Douglas to assess his new found confidence in
isolation. It would be his solo venture into water
without any assistance.It would be an endeavour to
assure himself of his acquired set of skills , acquired
over a span of six months under the tutelage of the
instructor. It was also an assessment of his
resilience, fortitude and integrity. Therefore, it
wouldn't be farfetched to state that it was in Lake
Wentworth that he invested tangible efforts to
annihilate his intangible adversary, the terror of
water.

Ultimate Learning:
1. After overcoming his fear for water, the narrator
applied his learning to future experience.
2. His zest to live and face challenges increased.
3. His success reinforced his mental dexterity,
reinstated his confidence and enhanced his optimism.
4. He experienced freedom from anxiety and stressful
afflictions.

Symbolic significance of Warm Lake: Warm lake,

was a symbol of psychological emancipation. He
zeroed in on this lake to reassure himself of his new
found sense of existential metamorphosis. It had
been a long journey of waging a war against an
invincible, indomitable and irresistible force which
was a resultant threat to his temporal existence.
Thus, negotiating his way through a barrage of
apprehensions, inhibitions, mortal fear,terror and
horror, he finally paves way to the apogee of success
aided with psychological accoutrements like mental
dexterity, razor sharp concentration, emotional
equipoise, adroit perseverance and immense faith in
one's own self. Thus, Warm Lake became a metaphor
to his journey of emancipation.

Introspection and Realization:

1. Douglas evolved as a matured and stronger
individual.
2. He introspected into his specific experience and
garnered realization applicable to every arena of life.
3. He also inferred the true reason for terror.
4. However, he's convinced that such inference vcan
be appreciated by only those who have suffered and
conquered fear.

Terror and Death:

1. Death is synonymous to eternal sleep or eternal
peace.
2. Yet, people are afraid of death or dying.
3. The narrator infers that in reality terror is inflicted
at the thought of death as it remains unpredictable
and is an unknown realm.
4. People in reality are scared of the situation that
would lead to death.
5. Hence, terror is a mental phenomenon triggered
by circumstances.
6. Thus death is not frightful, it's the agony before
death or the unpredictable experience leading to
death is terrorizing.

Character Traits of the Narrator:

- decisively determined
- intensely analytical
- meticulously well planned
- zealously persevering
- capable of introspecting one's deficiency
- rational in perception
- pragmatic attitude
- optimistic
 - mental dexterity
- capable of introspection

All we have to fear is fear itself:

1. Famous saying by President Franklin D Roosevelt.
2. Expounds the true essence of fear.
3. Fear is a mental phenomenon and hence resides in
human mind.
4. It can be defined as psychological impact.
5. Hence, this mental incompetence needs to be
controlled by adroit will power, determination and
relentless perseverance.
6. Fear here refers to this mental incompetence or
insecurity.
7. If an individual can control such mental
incompetence he can combat every challenge of life
fearlessly.

SATQs:
1. Douglas' first experience in water was not a happy
one. Why?
2. What is the misadventure that William Douglas
talks about?
3. What were the series of emotions that Douglas
experienced when he was thrown into the pool?
4. Explain the narrator's first attempt.
5. Explain the narrator's second attempt.
6. Why did the narrator feel peaceful?
7.Where did Douglas find himself when he regained
his consciousness?
8. What was the immediate after effect of the
misadventure?
9. How did the incident in the YMCA pool affect
Douglas?
10. What were the complexes that the writer needed
to overcome in order to learn swimming at YMCA?
11. How does Lake Wentworth and Warm Lake
become symbolically significant?

LATQs:
1.All we have to fear is fear itself. Expatiate the
statement with reference to the narrator
misadventure.
2. Deep Water is a saga of resilience, fortitude and
iron will. Substantiate.
3. The reckless and irrational behaviour of the
eighteen year old proved to be a lethal experience for
the narrator. Comment.
4. The narrative touches upon psychological hidden
realms which play a key role in empowering an
individual. Analyse this statement.
5. The ultimate realization of the narrator entwines
the essence of our existence. Validate.
6. Mental dexterity and stability is more importance
than physiological vitality. Elaborate.
7. Ideally extrinsic stimulation can pave way for
teenagers to an extent. For greater glories, one
should explore his own self. How does this narrative
exemplify this dictum?
8. The paramount role of the instructor in Douglas'
metamorphosis cannot be negated. Validate.