THIRD LEVEL

Q1.Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley?
Why?

Ans.The fears, anxieties and insecurities of the modem world are taking a toll
on man’s mind. He feels helpless and frustrated and seeks temporary respite
from life’s harsh realities. Charley too was unable to cope up with his fast paced
and stressful life so his flight to the third level was undoubtedly a medium of
escape for him. It is nothing but a creation of Charley’s own mind. He wants to
escape from the modern world’s insecurity, fear, worries and stress and so seeks
an exit, a medium to get away into the world of dreams and fancies.

Q2What made Charley believe that it was actually standing at the third level?

Ans.One night Charley worked late at the office. He was in a hurry to get to his
apartment. So he decided to take the subway from Grand Central. He ducked
into an arched doorway and then he got lost. He walked down the steps to the
second level, turned left and kept on walking. He came out on the third level at
the Grand Central Station. This was a different, old and romantic world. So he
was convinced that he was actually standing at the third level. There were fewer
ticket windows there which were made of wood and were old-looking. There
were open flame gaslights. He saw people with beards, sideburns and fancy
moustaches. Then he caught a glimpse of an old locomotive and also saw an
1894 issue of ‘The World’ newspaper. Perhaps Charley is under pressure to
escape from the harsh world of realities. He would like to escape to the peaceful
world of 1894.

Q3.What kind of people did Charley ‘See’ at the third level?

Ans.Having worked late at the office Charley decided to take a train back home.
So he came to Grand Central Station and from the second level he got lost while
ducking into an arched doorway and found himself inside a tunnel. This tunnel
took him to another light of stairs and he found himself on the third level of the
station. As compared to the second level, the third level had smaller rooms,
fewer ticket windows and train gates. Everyone there was dressed in ‘eighteen-
ninety-something’. Charley came across men and women wearing 19th century
dresses. Men sported fancy moustaches, beards and sideburns. Tiny lapels, four-
button suits, derby hats and pocket gold watches seemed to be in vogue.
Women were wearing fancy cut sleeves, long skirts and high-buttoned shoes.
Charley was confused to see people sporting old-fashioned clothes and hair
styles at the third level.

Q 4.How does Charley make his description of the third level very realistic?
Ans.To make his description of the third level very realistic, Charley describes
its minute details, vividly comparing it to the second level of the Grand Central
station. He says the rooms here were smaller. There were fewer ticket windows
and train gates, and the information booth was wooden and old-looking. He also
gives a detailed description about the people he saw at the third level and their
dresses. He says the people wore nineteenth century dresses; many men had
beards, sideburns and fancy moustaches. He also buys tickets to Galesburg,
Illinois thus making the reader believe that he was actually at the third level.

Q5.What is being inferred from Sam’s letter to Charley?

Ans.Sam’s letter to Charley is dated 18th July, 1894. It is written from

Galesburg, Illinois. In response to Charley’s claim of having visited the third
level, Sam who is equally insecure wishes the entire episode is true, as he too
believes in the existence of the third level. There are some inferences made by
the letter. The introductory part of the letter confirms Charley’s belief in the
existence of the third level. It also suggests that those who find the third level
can travel across to Galesburg and enjoy the festivities, songs, music and
peaceful world of the 1890s. So the author uses Sam’s letter as a unique
combination of the real and fantasy world.