THE THIRD LEVEL...

-JACK FINNEY
 JACK FINNEY (1911-1995) WAS AN
AMERICAN AUTHOR KNOWN FOR HIS
SCIENCE FICTION AND TIME TRAVEL
STORIES. HIS MOST FAMOUS WORK IS
“THE BODY SNATCHERS,” WHICH
INSPIRED SEVERAL FILM
ADAPTATIONS, INCLUDING THE
CLASSIC “INVASION OF THE BODY
SNATCHERS.” FINNEY’S WRITING
OFTEN EXPLORED THE INTERSECTION
OF THE ORDINARY AND THE
EXTRAORDINARY, CAPTURING THE
IMAGINATION OF READERS WITH HIS
-JACK FINNEY SPECULATIVE AND THOUGHT-
PROVOKING NARRATIVES.
• THEME

THE THEME OF THE CHAPTER “THE THIRD LEVEL” BY JACK FINNEY REVOLVES
AROUND THE CONCEPT OF TIME TRAVEL AND THE EXPLORATION OF ALTERNATE
REALITIES. IT EXPLORES THE IDEA OF A THIRD LEVEL OF EXISTENCE THAT EXISTS IN
THE PAST, CHALLENGING THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN REALITY AND IMAGINATION.
THE PROTAGONIST’S JOURNEY RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NATURE OF
PERCEPTION AND THE POSSIBILITY OF TRANSCENDING THE CONSTRAINTS OF TIME.
•CHARACTER SKETCHES-

CHARLIE was a nervous person. His hobby

was collecting stamps. He was a young man,
yet he was afraid to live in the violent society.
He desired to visit a peaceful and idyllic place.
Charley is an optimist who constantly sees the
positive aspects of situations. He regularly
expresses his desire to escape the ordinary
reality of his daily existence and is also a
dreamer.
LOUISA is a practical, level-headed, and
rational person. Louisa helps her husband
stay grounded by reminding him of his
responsibilities in the outside world. She is
also portrayed as being a loving and
understanding wife to her anxious husband.
Louisa first has doubts about the Third Level
and believes it is just a figment of her
husband’s imagination
SAM WEINER was a psychiatrist. He was
Charley’s friend as well. Sam is a practical and
sensible individual who enjoys his life. He retains
his composure and is resistant to Charley’s
imaginative ideas. However, out of curiosity and a
desire to disprove Charley, Sam ultimately decides
to go with him.

He spoke with several psychic patients every day,

who shared their problems and fears with him.
Sam’s life has become burdened as a result of
this.
THE THIRD LEVEL-

• It’s New York brand GRAND CENTRE

STATION has TWO LEVELS but
CHARLEY, a 31 year old resident of
New York, talks about THIRD LEVEL.
He believes in the existence of the
hypothetical third level and claims to
have been there.
• Charley discussed about the third level with Sam Weiner who is a
psychiatrist, a friend of Charley. Sam told that it was a waking dream wish
fulfillment.

• Louisa, was mad at Charley because of

explanting about the illusion happened to
him. Sam explained that he meant the
modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war
and worries. So, he wanted to escape
temporarily from reality by collecting stamps.
• He refuse to accept that he was trying to escape from reality.
He justified it by saying that even his Grandfather and
President Roosevelt were also collecting stamps.

PRESIDENT
ROOSEVELT
• One night, Charley worked late at office. He decided to
go home early by taking a Subway from grand Central
because it is faster than bus. That night he was wearing
a tan gabardine suit and a straw hat with a fancy band .

• He entered grand centre station and reached till the second

level. There is a new door way which leads to third level. Even
though, he came to grand Central station many times, he
bumped into new door ways leading to new places each time.
He thinks that grand Central is growing like a tree 🌴 pushing
out new corridors and staircase like roots.
• For many people through the years grand Central
has been an exit, a way of escape from reality, maybe
that’s how he got into the third level Charley thought.

• The corridor which leads to third level began

angling left and slanting downward and he kept on
walking. He thought that route was wrong but he kept
on walking. He didn’t pass a soul and it was so silent
that he can hear his own footsteps.
• He reached the end of the tunnel where he can hear people talking. He Went
down a short flight of stairs and came out on the third level at Grand Central
Station.
• The rooms were smaller, there were fewer ticket windows, train gates and the
information booth in centre was made of wood and old looking. The lights were
dim and sort of flickering. He noticed that they there were open flame gaslights.
There were brass spittoons on the floor.

Flame Gaslights Brass

spittoons
• He saw a man pulling a gold watch from this vest pocket. He wore a derby
hat, a black four button suit with tiny lapels,.

• Charley looked around and everyone were

dressed like 1890 something. Men where
having many beards, side burns and fancy
mustaches like handlebar mustaches. He
also saw a woman, she wore a dress with leg-
of-mutton sleeves and skirts to the top of her
high-buttoned shoes.
Handlebar
mustaches.
Leg Of mutton
sleeves
• To confirm is doubt, he walked over to a news boy and glanced at stack of
papers at his feet. It was THE WORLD. The world hasn’t been published for
years. The newspaper is something about President CLEVELAND. It was
printed on June 11,1894. By this he confirmed that he was in 1894.

• Galesburg, Illinois. It’s a wonderful June 11,1894

town, with big old frame houses, huge
lawns , where the men smoke sigars and
women waving palm-leaf fans, with the
fire-flies all around, in a peaceful world, President
Before the first and second world war. He CLEVELAND

wanted two tickets for Galesburg, Illinois

to live there with his wife in 1894.
• He turned towards the ticket counter. The clerk figured the fare, he glanced at
Charley’s fancy hatband. Charley had enough for two coach tickets. The clerk
nodded at the bills he told that that wasn’t money. Because it was different
looking from old style bills. He got out fast from there because there was
nothing nice about jail even in 1894.

• He came out of the third level to bring his wife along with him next day, he drew
300 dollars out of bank and brought old style currency from a coin dealer, but he
have to pay a premium. His 300 dollars brought less than 200 dollars in old style
bills. But he didn’t care because egg were 13 cents a dozen in 1894.
• He never again found corridor that leads to third level at grand Central station
although he have tried often enough. After a while Charley stopped looking for
third level as Louisa said to do so.
• But after some days, they started searching again since Sam disappeared !
Charley suspected that Sam was in third level since Sam always said that he
likes the sound of Galesburg.
• First day cover is when a new stamp is issued, stamp collectors buy some and
use to mail envelope to themselves on very first day of sale and they just put a
blank paper in it.
• One night fussing with his stamp collection, Charley found a first day
cover among his oldest ones. It was mailed to his grandfather at his home
in Galesburg; that’s what the address on the envelope said. The stamp was
a six cent, dull brown with a picture of president Garfield.
• Charley opened the first day cover. It wasn’t blank. It read
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!

The note is signed by Sam.

• Then Charley went to coin store and found out that Sam bought 800
dollars and went to third level to develop hay, feed and grain business.
Because he can’t be a psychiatrist in 1894.