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The Third Level Extra Questions/ Important Questions

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Q1 What, according to the psychiatrist, was Charley’s problem?
Charley told the psychiatrist about his belief in the existence of the third level at the Grand Central Station but was told that it was only a waking- dream wish fulfillment. The psychiatrist also added that Charley was unhappy because of the insecurity, fear, war, worry and that he just wanted to escape just like everyone else.

Q2. What did the psychiatrist think about Charley’s stamp collection ? Why did Charley not agree with him?
 A .  The psychiatrist thought that Charley’s stamp collecting was a temporary  refuge from reality .Charley did not agree with him  because his grandfather  for whom things were nice and peaceful and who did not need refuge from   reality also collected stamps.

Q3.How does Charley describe himself?
Ans. Charley describes himself as just an ordinary guy, thirty-one years old. He wore a tan gabardine suit and a straw hat with a fancy band. He was just like other men he passed on the road and he was not trying to escape from anything.

Q3. Why does Charley feel that Grand Central is growing like a tree?( SP)
(Charley had been the station for long
• But each time he bumped into new doorways, stairs and corridors
• Once had entered a long tunnel and came out near Roosevelt hotel)

Q4.What idea did Charley have about the tunnel and why didn’t he tell the psychiatrist about it?
Charley felt there was a tunnel that nobody knew about, which was feeling its way under the city at that moment too, on its way to Times Square, and maybe another to Central Park. Grand Central, he felt, was like an exit, a way of escape and perhaps that’s how he got into the tunnel. He didn’t want to tell the psychiatrist, for he would not have believed him and would have wanted to treat him.
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Q5. How did Charley make sure that he had actually travelled in the past?
 A .  Charley went to the news stand and looked at the Newspaper ,he saw that  it was ‘The World’ ,a Newspaper that was no longer published . He later  discovered through Public Library files it was printed on June11,1894   

Q6. Describe Galesburg, as it existed in the year 1894?
 (Ans) Galesburg was a wonderful town with big old frame houses, huge lawns, and tremendous trees whose branches met overhead and roofed over the streets. In 1894, summer evenings were twice as long, and people sat on their lawns, the men smoking.

Q7What preparations did Charley make to go to Galesburg? 
(drew 300 dollars out of bank and purchased and purchased old style currency)

Q8 In which context did Charley say, “eggs were thirteen cents a dozen in 1894”?
Charley had got his three hundred dollars out of the bank and got them changed into old-style currency so that he could go back to the third level and buy the tickets to Galesburg. For his three hundred dollars he had got only two hundred dollars old-style currency but he didn’t mind that. The only consolation was that in the year 1894, the two hundred dollars would have more value, as things were much cheaper then than they were now.

Q9 What made Louisa, Charley’s wife, believe that the third level was a reality?
Louisa, like Charley’s friends, believed whatever explanations the psychiatrist friend had given. But later, when she received a mail from Sam himself from the old Galesburg, Louisa believed that Charley was true to his claims and even began to search for the third level.

Q10 What is a first day cover?
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. They’re never opened; they just put blank paper in the envelope. The envelope is called a first-day cover.

Q11 Who had sent the first day cover and what was written on it?
Sam had sent the first day cover. Sam wrote that he had discovered the Third level and had reached  Galesburg .He found Galesburg peaceful and friendly .he advised Charley  to keep looking  for third level and reach Galesburg.

Q12 How did Charley happen to reach the Third Level of Grand Central Station, New York?
One day Charley worked for more time at office. So he was late for home. So he took the subway from the Grand Central to reach the second level of it. From there he was to catch a train. He started walking quickly. He reached the second level. But, all of a sudden, he lost his way there. He entered a corridor that had a left turn. It was also slanting somewhat downwards. It was like a tunnel. He met no one on the way. There was dead silence. Even he could hear the sound of his own footsteps. Then the corridor took a sharp left turn. After coming down a flight of stairs he reached the third level of the Grand Central Station. 

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

Q1. Describe the Grand Central Station at the third level ?
  Grand Central Station at the third level looked very different.There were Fewer ticket windows and train gates . Information booth  was in the center, it was made of wood and was very old looking man in the booth wore green eye shade and long sleeve protectors. The lights were dim and flickering as they were open flame gaslights.  There were brass spittoons on the floor.

Men wore Derby hats a black  four button suit  with tiny lapels and he had a big ,black handlebar   moustache. Men had beards, sideburns and fancy moustaches .Women wore dresses with leg of mutton sleeves .He caught a glimpse of a very small Currier &Ives Locomotive with a funnel shaped stack. He also saw  a copy of the “The World’ ,a Newspaper which hadn’t been published for years.     

Q2.What was reaction of the Clerk at the Ticket counter? Why
.After Charley discovered that he was on the Third level ,he decided  go to Galesburg with his wife Louisa and turned to purchase two   tickets from the ticket counter the clerk at the ticket counter glanced at his fancy hatband curiously .However when Charley counted the  money and handed  over the currency notes to the clerk ,he started   staring at Charley openly .He felt that Charley was trying to give  him fake currency as the currency used in 1894 were old style bills  half as big as the notes that Charley was using, he even threatened  to turn him to the authorities Charley did not relish the prospect  of going to jail therefore he turned and got out of the Third level as fast as possible. 

Q3.Why is the fact that Sam has moved to the third level ironical?
Ans -Sam believed that only two levels existed.
        -He explained Charley’s experience as ‘ Waking – dream wish fulfilment .
        -He believed 3rd level was a medium to escape foam tension of modern life.
        -But later, Sam himself found the 3rd level and got settled there.
        -Earlier he believed there was not third level at all but ironically he himself became a resident of  
       Galesburg . He even urged charley to keep finding it .

Q4 Imagination is a ‘temporary refuge from reality’ Explain.
      -Believed it was a waking dream, perhaps wish fulfilment.
      -Felt that like many man in the modern world Charley too was unhappy.
      -Modern world is full of trials and tribulations, worries and insecurities.
      -Felt Charley wanted to escape this world.
      -People indulge in some sort of hobby to escape the stark harsh realities.
      -Even stamp collecting was a kind of temporary escape.
      -Charley refuted his contention- said people do not wander about due to stress.
     -Besides his grandfather had also collected stamps in the good old peaceful days of eighteen-        nineties  and did not need to escape as life was quite stress free in those days.

Q5, Elaborate the theme of the story
/ Value Points- The story primarily focuses on the atrocities of the modern world – full of insecurity, stress, fear, war & hatred – one feels caged – by modern advancement – leads to tension and worries – leading people to look for means of an escape. In the story Charlie – creates the third level to seek refuge – cases his pressure – provide sweet power to relax.


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