Summary of the Third Level

Third Level Summary – It is a story about a 31-year-old man name, Charlie. Besides, this is a psychological story that
refers to the subway at the grand central railway station which takes passengers to Galesburg. In addition, this subway
becomes the interconnection between the narrator’s harsh reality and fantasy. Moreover, the third level was a way of
escape for Charley. As life in the modern world is full of uncertainties worries and stress, it takes Charley to a different
world that his friend also calls, “a walking dream wish fulfilment.” Further, the story is about Charley’s tendency to
escape from the world. Most importantly, the third level starts because of Sam’s letter written on 18th July 1984. This
story shows the connection between time and space.

Third Level Summary in English

In New York, the Grand Central Station has two levels. Nonetheless, Charley a 31-year-old city resident talks that there
exists a third level. Also, he claims that he has been there. To talk about this problem he visits a psychiatrist friend. He
calls it a “walking-dream wish fulfilment” and explains Charley’s psychology by saying that “the modern world is full of
fear, insecurity, war, and worry…..” and everybody wants to escape to some “temporary refuge from reality.” As for him,
hobbies like stamp collection is an indicator of this escape.

At times the Grand Central Station seems like a maze to Charley. While taking the subway earlier he had lost his way a
couple of times. One time he entered the lobby of the Roosevelt Hotel. While the other time he appeared at an office
building that was three blocks away. However, this time he loses his way and something unique occurs. Charley visits the
third level!

In the silent hallway, Charley keeps walking, turning left, and sloping downward, until he touches an architecturally old
station, which is totally different from the two familiar levels. Moreover, this old small room with fewer ticket counters
and train gates, a wooden information booth, wavering open flame gas lights and brass spittoons. All this remind him of
the architecture of the 1800s. Further, he sees people in outdated outfits. When he noticed the date in the newspaper
‘The World’ he sees 11 June 1894. When he tries to buy two tickets, he realizes that he needs old currency.

He always wanted to travel to Galesburg with his wife, Louisa. Back in his head, it is “a wonderful town still, with big old
frame houses, huge lawns, and tremendous trees….” The place has pleasant and long summer dusks and where people
have ample of time. Hence, the next day during lunch, he exchanges three hundred dollars for old currency amounting
to some two hundred only. In addition, the amount doesn’t bother him as he believes that everything there will be
cheaper. However, he could never again find the corridor that leads him to the third level.

When her wife came to know about this she asks him to stop looking. Unexpectedly, his friend Sam Weiner also
disappear and his wife keeps on looking for him for in the weekends. Moreover, Sam was the one whom Charley shares
his idea about Galesburg.

Charley inherited the hobby of stamp collection from his grandfather. And someday while looking at the stamp
collection, Charley finds a letter that was earlier not there. Also, it has the postmark on a faded six-cent stamp with a
picture of President Garfield. Further, the envelop read as 18 July 1894 to Charley’s grandfather in Galesburg and it
addresses Charley.

In the letter, Sam tells Charley that he has reached Galesburg and he invites Charley and Louisa there. After going to
stamp and coin shop he gets to know that Sam exchange eight hundred dollars for old currency bills to establish his
business in Galesburg. Besides, Sam was none other than Charley’s psychiatrist!
Conclusion of Third Level Summary

Through the third level, the writer wants to escape from the modern world to peaceful and quite old times.

The Third Level

by Jack Finney

The Third Level Introduction

The Third Level by Jack Finney is about the harsh realities of war. War has irreversible consequences thus leaving
people in a state of insecurity. It is also about modern-day problems and how the common man tends to escape reality
by various means. In this story, a man named Charley hallucinates and reaches the third level of the Grand Central
Station which only has two levels.

Theme of the Lesson

The third level represents a break from the “full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and all the rest of it” modern world. The
1890s depict a tranquil lifestyle that is not feasible in the present. The main character wants to take his wife Louisa to
Galesburg, Illinois, from this point on. While his psychiatrist friend refers to it as a “waking-dream wish fulfilment,” for
him, it is a part of reality.

Summary of The Third Level is given below

The story revolves around a 31 year old man named Charley, who experienced something weird. One day after work
coming from the Subway, he reached the third level of the Grand Central station (which doesn’t actually exist). He
reminisces the entire experience with his psychiatrist friend Sam. Charley thought he experienced time travel and had
reached somewhere in the eighteen-nineties, a time before the world saw two of its most deadliest wars. As soon as he
realised what time he is in, he immediately decided to buy two tickets to Galesburg, Illinois; one for himself and the
other for his wife. Unfortunately, the currency used in that century was different. Thus, the next day he withdrew all his
savings and got them converted even if it meant bearing losses. He went looking for the third level but failed to find it. It
worried his wife and the psychiatrist Sam who told him that he is hallucinating in order to take refuge from reality and
miseries of the modern world which is full of worry. Charley thus resorts to his stamp collection in order to distract
himself when suddenly one day he finds a letter from his friend Sam who had gone missing recently. Sam wrote that he
always wanted to believe in the idea of third level and now that he is there himself, he encourages Charley and Louisa to
never stop looking for it.

The Third Level Lesson Explanation

Passage: THE presidents of the New York Central and the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroads will swear on a
stack of timetables that there are only two. But I say there are three, because I’ve been on the third level of the Grand
Central Station. Yes, I’ve taken the obvious step: I talked to a psychiatrist friend of mine, among others. I told him about
the third level at Grand Central Station, and he said it was a waking dream wish fulfillment. He said I was unhappy. That
made my wife kind of mad, but he explained that he meant the modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and
all the rest of it, and that I just want to escape. Well, who doesn’t? Everybody I know wants to escape, but they don’t
wander down into any third level at Grand Central Station.

Word Meaning:
Stack- a pile of objects, typically one that is neatly arranged
Timetables- a schedule showing the departure and arrival times of trains, buses or aircraft
Waking dream- an involuntary dream occuring while a person is awake
Wander- walk; roam

Explanation of the above passage: The story begins with the mention of a third level at the Grand Central Station (which
only has two levels in real). The protagonist himself is aware that even the Presidents of New York Central and the New
York, New Haven and Hartford railroads would express great confidence in the existence of only two levels but he himself
has been to the third level. Considering the entire scenario, Charley, the protagonist had a word with his psychiatrist
friend. He explained that Charley was experiencing a ˜waking dream wish fulfillment or in other words, hallucination.
According to the psychiatrist, Charley was unhappy (the fact her wife did not like). Upon explaining further, it became
clear that it is the burden of all the modern problems that is pushing him to experience the apparent perception of
something not present. He tends to escape the reality. Charley agreed with what his psychiatrist friend had to say but he
still found it a bit odd to have been to the third level of the Grand Central Station.

Passage: But that’s the reason, he said, and my friends all agreed. Everything points to it, they claimed. My stamp
collecting, for example; that’s a temporary refuge from reality. Well, maybe, but my grandfather didn’t need any refuge
from reality; things were pretty nice and peaceful in his day, from all I hear, and he started my collection. It’s a nice
collection too, blocks of four of practically every U.S. issue, first-day covers, and so on. President Roosevelt collected
stamps too, you know.

Word Meaning: Refuge- the state of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or difficulty

Explanation of the above passage: Charley begins to believe in the possibility that he has been experiencing all this to
escape the harsh realities of the modern world. His friends agreed to it as well. Even his stamp collecting is a sort of
asylum he resorts to in order to feel protected. On the other hand, he starts thinking otherwise. His grandfather started
his stamp collection but in those days, they had not seen the consequences of war and there was peace, harmony and
security. His grandfather must have not been insecure. The collection, moreover was amazing, with blocks of four of
practically every U. S. issue. Even President Roosevelt collected stamps.

Passage: Anyway, here’s what happened at Grand Central. One night last summer I worked late at the office. I was in a
hurry to get uptown to my apartment, so I decided to take the subway from Grand Central because it’s faster than the
bus.

Explanation of the above passage: He starts explaining what exactly happened and begins with how he chose to take
the Subway to his apartment instead of the usual bus after a late-night shift. He did this in order to save time.
Passage: Now, I don’t know why this should have happened to me. I’m just an ordinary guy named Charley, thirty-one
years old, and I was wearing a tan gabardine suit and a straw hat with a fancy band; I passed a dozen men who looked
just like me. And I wasn’t trying to escape from anything; I just wanted to get home to Louisa, my wife.

Word Meaning: Gabardine- a smooth, durable, twill-woven worsted or cotton cloth

Explanation of the above passage: He describes himself as an ordinary man of 31 dressed in a tan gabardine suit and a
straw hat with a fancy band. It was so ordinary that he could see other similar men at the station. He explains how he
was in his normal state of mind not wanting to escape from anywhere. All he wanted was to be with his wife Louisa at
that hour. He still doesn’t understand why this happened with him.

Passage: I turned into Grand Central from Vanderbilt Avenue, and went down the steps to the first level, where you take
trains like the Twentieth Century. Then I walked down another flight to the second level, where the suburban trains
leave from, ducked into an arched doorway heading for the subway and got lost. That’s easy to do. I’ve been in and out
of Grand Central hundreds of times, but I’m always bumping into new doorways and stairs and corridors. Once I got into
a tunnel about a mile long and came out in the lobby of the Roosevelt Hotel. Another time I came up in an office building
on Forty-sixth Street, three blocks away.

Word Meaning:
Suburban- residential
Ducked- lower the head or body quickly
Arched- curved
Bumping- knock or run into something

Explanation of the above passage: Charley comes to the part of the incident where he entered the Grand Central from
Vanderbilt Avenue and took the stairs to the first level where one boarded trains like the Twentieth Century. Then he
went down another floor to reach the second level from where the suburban trains leave. From there he entered an
arched doorway and got lost. It was nothing unusual for him because even if he had come to that station a thousand
times, there were occasions he bumped into new corridors and doorways. Once he entered the wrong lobby and reached
Roosevelt Hotel and another time in an office building which was three blocks away.

Passage: Sometimes I think Grand Central is growing like a tree, pushing out new corridors and staircases like roots.
There’s probably a long tunnel that nobody knows about feeling its way under the city right now, on its way to Times
Square, and maybe another to Central Park. And maybe because for so many people through the years Grand Central
has been an exit, a way of escape maybe that’s how the tunnel I got into… But I never told my psychiatrist friend about
that idea.

Explanation of the above passage: He wondered that Grand Central was expanding at a very fast rate just like a tree
and with its roots. He it is no big deal that they even have a secret tunnel under the city to the Times Square or maybe
the Central Park. He feels it might be because Grand Central is a place of exit for innumerable people, he also managed
to escape reality because of the same reason. Although he never shared it with his psychiatrist.

Passage: The corridor I was in began angling left and slanting downward and I thought that was wrong, but I kept on
walking. All I could hear was the empty sound of my own footsteps and I didn’t pass a soul. Then I heard that sort of
hollow roar ahead that means open space and people talking. The tunnel turned sharp left; I went down a short flight of
stairs and came out on the third level at Grand Central Station. For just a moment I thought I was back on the second
level, but I saw the room was smaller, there were fewer ticket windows and train gates, and the information booth in
the centre was wood and old looking. And the man in the booth wore a green eyeshade and long black sleeve
protectors. The lights were dim and sort of flickering. Then I saw why; they were open-flame gaslights.
Explanation of the above passage: The unusual corridor he had entered into began angling left and slanting downward
which he felt odd about but nevertheless, he kept on walking. There was no one except him and the voice of his feet
echoed. He finally heard the sound of people talking from a distance, then he took a left and walked down the stairs
again only to reach the third level of the Grand Central. He thought he had somehow made his way back to the second
level but as he noticed, the room was smaller, there were fewer ticket windows and train gates, and the information
booth in the center was wood and old-looking. The man in the booth was also different and the station was dim-lit for
there were open-flame gaslights.

Passage: There were brass spittoons on the floor, and across the station a glint of light caught my eye; a man was pulling
a gold watch from his vest pocket. He snapped open the cover, glanced at his watch and frowned. He wore a derby hat,
a black four-button suit with tiny lapels, and he had a big, black, handlebar mustache. Then I looked around and saw that
everyone in the station was dressed like eighteen-ninety-something; I never saw so many beards, sideburns and fancy
mustaches in my life. A woman walked in through the train gate; she wore a dress with leg-of-mutton sleeves and skirts
to the top of her high-buttoned shoes. Back of her, out on the tracks, I caught a glimpse of a locomotive, a very small
Currier & Ives locomotive with a funnel-shaped stack. And then I knew.

Word Meaning:
Spittoons- a metal or earthenware pot typically having a funnel-shaped top, used for spitting into
Vest- a garment worn on the upper part of the body
Snapped- break suddenly and completely
Locomotive- a powered railway vehicle used for pulling trains

Explanation of the above passage: Charley could see brass spittoons everywhere when suddenly a glimpse of light
caught his eye and he saw a man pulling his gold watch from the vest. He was dressed in an old-fashioned style.
Suddenly, he noticed that everyone was dressed like the nineteenth century. It was basically the time before deadly wars.
So many beards and fancy mustaches all around, something that the protagonist had never seen before. He even saw a
very small Currier & Ives locomotive which made him sure about which time he is in.

Passage: To make sure, I walked over to a newsboy and glanced at the stack of papers at his feet. It was The World, and
The World hasnâ’t been published for years. The lead story said something about President Cleveland. I’ve found that
front page since, in the Public Library files, and it was printed June 11, 1894.

Explanation of the above passage: To validate his suspicion, he went over to the newspaper boy who was selling The
World, a newspaper which was discontinued years ago. There were some headlines about the then President Cleveland.
The date on the front page was also June 11, 1894. He was now sure.

Passage: I turned toward the ticket windows knowing that here on the third level at Grand Central I could buy tickets
that would take Louisa and me anywhere in the United States we wanted to go. In the year 1894. And I wanted two
tickets to Galesburg, Illinois. Have you ever been there? It’s a wonderful town still, with big old frame houses, huge
lawns, and tremendous trees whose branches meet overhead and roof the streets. And in 1894, summer evenings were
twice as long, and people sat out on their lawns, the men smoking cigars and talking quietly, the women waving palm-
leaf fans, with the fire-flies all around, in a peaceful world. To be back there with the First World War still twenty years
off, and World War II over forty years in the future… I wanted two tickets for that.

Explanation of the above passage: Immediately, he went to the ticket window to get the tickets for Galesburg, Illinois
for him and his wife. It was a wonderful town with a lot of greenery. He was well aware that from here one could buy
tickets that would take them anywhere in the United States. He describes how things were in 1984 before the two World
Wars took place. Evenings were twice as long as they are now and men and women living in peace and serenity.

Passage: The clerk figured the fare he glanced at my fancy hatband, but he figured the fare” and I had enough for two
coach tickets, one way. But when I counted out the money and looked up, the clerk was staring at me. He nodded at the
bills. That ain’t money, mister,he said, and if you’re trying to skin me, you won’t get very far, and he glanced at the cash
drawer beside him. Of course the money was old-style bills, half again as big as the money we use nowadays, and
different-looking. I turned away and got out fast. There’s nothing nice about jail, even in 1894.

Word Meaning: Clerk- administrator

Explanation of the above passage: As the clerk calculated the fare, he looked at Charley” fancy hatband. Charley just
had enough for one sided journey. Just as he took out money, the clerk informed that this is not the acceptable legal
tender and by any chance if he tried to be smart, he won’t be able to get away with it. He glanced at his cash drawer and
realised that currency used back then was different and almost double the size. He ran out because he didn’t want to go
to jail.

Passage: And that was that. I left the same way I came, I suppose. Next day, during lunch hour, I drew three hundred
dollars out of the bank, nearly all we had, and bought old-style currency (that really worried my psychiatrist friend). You
can buy old money at almost any coin dealers, but you have to pay a premium. My three hundred dollars bought less
than two hundred in old-style bills, but I didn’t care; eggs were thirteen cents a dozen in 1894.

Explanation of the above passage: The day ended after he came out. The next day he went to withdraw his entire
savings and got them converted into old money by paying some amount of premium. It cost him much and even worried
his psychiatrist friend but he still went with it. Back then, eggs cost thirteen cents a dozen.

Passage: But I’ve never again found the corridor that leads to the third level at Grand Central Station, although I’ve tried
often enough. Louisa was pretty worried when I told her all this, and didn’t want me to look for the third level any more,
and after a while I stopped; I went back to my stamps. But now we’re both looking, every weekend, because now we
have proof that the third level is still there. My friend Sam Weiner disappeared! Nobody knew where, but I sort of
suspected because Sam’s a city boy, and I used to tell him about Galesburg ” I went to school there” and he always said
he liked the sound of the place. And that’s where he is, all right. In 1894.

Explanation of the above passage: But unfortunately, he could never find the way to the third-level corridor again
despite hard efforts. His wife Louisa was pretty worried when she got to know about it all. After a while, he went back to
finding distractions with the help of stamps. Somehow, Sam, the psychiatrist disappeared out of the blue. Charley
suspected that he had gone to Galesburg. He finds himself in the time-space of 1894.

Passage: Because one night, fussing with my stamp collection, I found. Well, do you know what a first-day cover is?
When a new stamp is issued, stamp collectors buy some and use them to mail envelopes to themselves on the very first
day of sale; and the postmark proves the date. The envelope is called a first-day cover. They are never opened; you just
put blank paper in the envelope.

Word Meaning: Fussing- show unnecessary or excessive concern about something

Explanation of the above passage: One night Charley came across a first-day cover. It is an envelope (with a stamp on it)
that stamp collectors mail to themselves on the first day of its sale to mark the date. They are just blank inside and are
not meant to be opened.

Passage: That night, among my oldest first-day covers, I found one that shouldn’t have been there. But there it was. It
was there because someone had mailed it to my grandfather at his home in Galesburg; that’s what the address on the
envelope said. And it had been there since July 18, 1894 ” the postmark showed that” yet I didn’t remember it at all. The
stamp was a six-cent, dull brown, with a picture of President Garfield. Naturally, when the envelope came to Granddad
in the mail, it went right into his collection and stayed there ” till I took it out and opened it. The paper inside wasn’t
blank. It read:

Explanation of the above passage: That night he found by surprise one of his grandfathers old first day covers. Someone
had mailed it to his father at his home at Galesburg, as he saw from the address on the envelope. The post mark showed
that it had been there since July 18, 1894. The stamp had a picture of President Garfiled on it. It was a six cent, dull
brown colour stamp. His grandfather had put put it in his stamp collection and the Charley now discovered it. The paper
inside and a letter written in it. The letter read as:

Passage: 941 Willard Street Galesburg,

Illinois

July 18, 1894

Charley

I got to wishing that you were right. Then I got to believing you were right. And, Charley, it’s true; I found the third level!
I’ve been here two weeks, and right now, down the street at the Daly’s, someone is playing a piano, and they’re all out
on the front porch singing Seeing Nelly Home.And I’m invited over for lemonade. Come on back, Charley and Louisa.
Keep looking till you find the third level! It;s worth it, believe me!

Explanation of the above passage: The letter talked about how the writer wished his third level story was true until he
actually started believing it to be true. He had found the third level and had been there for two weeks. He describes the
place he was at that time. He asks Charley and Louis to never stop searching for the third level and come back.
Passage: The note is signed Sam.

At the stamp and coin store I go to, I found out that Sam bought eight hundred dollar’s worth of old-style currency. That
ought to set him up in a nice little hay, feed and grain business; he always said that’s what he really wished he could do,
and he certainly can’t go back to his old business. Not in Galesburg, Illinois, in 1894. His old business? Why, Sam was my
psychiatrist.

Explanation of the above passage: The letter had been signed off as Sam. Charlie found out from the coin store that he
used to visit that Sam had bought old currency worth eight hundred dollars., which was to be utilised in a hay, feed and
grain business, which what he always wished to do. He could not go back to his old business certainly not in Galesburg,
Illinois. The story ends at a mysterious note where Charlie is wondering that Sam is psychiatrist.

Top

The Third Level Question Answers

Read and Find out

1. What does the third level refer to?

A. Third level refers to an additional floor at the Grand Central Station which originally only had two levels. Charley was
hallucinating one night while going home when he reached the third level.

2. Would Charley ever go back to the ticket counter on the third level to buy tickets to Galesburg for himself and his
wife?

A. Charley went looking back for the third level that could take him and his wife to Galesburg because he wanted to go
back to his past. He wanted to go back to the world that has not seen two of its deadliest wars that changed everything.

Read with insight

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

A. Yes, the third level of the Grand Central Station was a medium of escape for Charley. Modern world offers a lot of
challenges and in order to take refuge from reality, one might resort to day-dreaming or hallucination We all understand
the miseries of the modern world which is full of worry and pressure, thus, in order to take the burden away from his
shoulders and heap a sigh of relief, Charley resorted to escaping reality, although unintentionally.

2. What do you infer from Sam’s letter to Charley?

A. The way Charley discovered Sam’s letter was rather peculiar. It was one of those first-day covers people used to mail
to themselves back in time with a blank page inside. So to begin with, the cover had a letter in it and not a blank page in
it. Secondly, the letter dates back to 18 July, 1894 when Sam (the writer of the letter) didn’t exist because both Sam and
Charley exist in the present times. Thus, it is sound to conclude that it was just a product of Charley’s imagination.

3. The modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and stress. What are the ways in which we attempt to
overcome them?

A. One cannot count on fingers the negative aspects the modern lifestyle has to offer. There is stress, pressure, fear,
insecurity and worry. In order to relieve yourself of all these miseries, one can indulge in creative activities from time to
time. Making time for yourself and what you love without worrying about a productive outcome is a crucial thing many
people tend to ignore in the hustle and bustle of daily lives. Secondly, one can read a good book or even meditate. Long
walks in the lap of nature are not to be underestimated because nature has its own healing power. Apart from these, a
short weekend getaway, movie night with friends or even alone at home can be done in order to dissociate oneself from
the routine.

4. Do you see an intersection of time and space in the story?

A. Yes, there are a lot of instances that tell us about the intersection of time and space in the story. First intersection
being the one between the first two levels of the Grand Central Station and its third level which is based somewhere in
the 1890s whereas the former exists in the present times. Also when Charley went to buy tickets for Galesburg which
existed in 1894 while he and his wife exists in the present times. Not to ignore the old-fashioned architecture of the
third level in contradiction to the modern interiors of the first two levels. Lastly, the letter dated 18th July, 1982 that
Charley found also throws light upon the intersection of time and space as both the sender (Sam) and the receiver
(Charley) exist in the present times.

5. Apparent illogicality sometimes turns out to be a futuristic projection? Discuss.

A. While a lot of the world’s greatest inventions were made by people who were criticised for their ideas. Audiences
used to mock at them for being illogical. Sighting the example of Thomas Edison who invented the light bulb, no one
believed in him at first but all he had was an idea and it’s realistic projection in mind. The idea here tells us how
important it is to sometimes follow one’s insight and have hope for it holds the capacity to change the world through its
futuristic projections.

6. Philately helps keep the past alive. Discuss other ways in which this is done. What do you think of the human
tendency to constantly move between the past, the present and the future?

A. Philately does indeed help in keeping the treasures of past alive. It gives one a chance to revisit and embrace the past
of one’s existence. Some of the other ways in which it can be done is by keeping a record of all the letters, ancient
manuscripts, things that are discontinued but were a significant part of the past, images, videos and written records of
experiences.
Human beings are a collection of all the experiences they have been through. Their tendency to connect with the past
from time to time helps them stay connected to the roots while helping them to face the present and future challenges
with more strength. Connecting with the future on the other hand, is just as important to know the outcome of one’s
current actions and decisions. If one doesn’t seem satisfied with the realistic interpretation of future, it can certainly
help in altering current actions to direct towards a better future.