CBSE Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 01 The Third Level Notes Set 03

The Third Level

About the Author

Walter Braden 'Jack' Finney (1911-1995) was an American writer, mainly known for his contributions to the science-fiction genre. His most popular novels are 'The Body Snatchers' (1955) and 'Time and Again' (1970), although throughout his career he published nearly 50 novels that encompass the thriller and comedy genres. His works are characterised by their inventive concepts, meticulous attention to detail and exploration of the extraordinary within the ordinary.

Chapter Sketch

‘The Third Level’ conveys that the life of modern man is full of insecurity, stress and worries and he is unable to cope with these challenges of a modern life. When he cannot cope with the harsh realities, he wants to escape into a fanciful world. He tries to find a level of existence that will provide him peace, happiness and tranquility. In the story, the modern man is Charley who reaches the ‘third level’ while taking the subway for his home. It presents how Charley looks for the third level again to escape and run away from the harsh realities of life. This third level is a mysterious world that is somewhere between our unfulfilled desires, expectations and dreams.

About the Characters

• Charley: A 31 year old daily commuter who accidently arrives at the third level of Grand Central Station and experiences a whole new world.
• Louisa: She is Charley’s wife who was worried about her husband coming late.
• Sam: Charley’s Psychiatrist and friend who serves as a proof for the existence of the third level at the Grand Central Station.

Summary of the Chapter

Waking Dream Wish Fulfillment

Charley feels that there are three levels at the Grand Central Railway Station. In reality, there are only two. He has discussed this with his psychiatrist friend, Sam Weiner. Sam felt that the narrator’s experience is a waking-dream wish fulfilment. According to him, Charley is a modern man who is suffering from the modern day insecurities, anxieties and fears. So, he wants an escape from his stressful life. Sam added that the narrator’s hobby of stamp collection is his ‘temporary refuge from reality’. The narrator does not agree with this interpretation.

The Third Level

Charley came across the third level one summer night. In a hurry to get back home from his office, he decided to take the subway. As he was going to the subway, he got lost. He walked down a corridor and found himself at the third level at Grand Central Station!
The place that Charley reached was different. There were smaller rooms, fewer ticket windows and open-flame gaslights there. The information booth was made of wood and everybody at the station was dressed in the late 19th century fashion. To be sure, the narrator got a copy of a newspaper, ‘The World’ dated 11th June, 1894.

Desire to go to Galesburg

Charley went to the ticket window to get two tickets for Galesburg, Illinois. He wanted to go to this peaceful countryside of 1894 with his wife, Louisa. However, the clerk at the ticket counter did not accept his currency bills. Sensing trouble, the narrator ran away. Now, to get the tickets, Charley took three hundred dollars and bought the currency of 1890.

Charley, then, started looking for the third level but failed. After his wife pressured him, Charley stopped looking for the level and went back to stamp collecting. But after Sam’s sudden disappearance, Charley and his wife got proof of the existence of the third level. So, they started looking for the third level again.

The Proof

One day, while looking at his stamp collection, Charley found a strange cover dated 18th July, 1894 mailed to his grandfather’s address in Galesburg. The envelope contained a letter for Charley by Sam, who confirmed the presence of the third level and advises him to keep looking for it.
Soon after, Charley found that Sam had bought eight hundred dollars’ worth of old-style currency. This money was sufficient to set up a hay, feed and grain business which Sam dreamt of. Sam is a qualified psychiatrist but cannot go back to his profession in Galesburg of 1894.

Word-Meaning

• stack — to put (things) in a usually neat pile
• refuge — hiding place
• gabardine — tough and tightly woven fabric
• ducked — lower the head
• arched — curved or vaulted
• flickering — shining unsteadily
• glint — shine
• frowned — disapproval
• glanced — a brief look
• tremendous — huge
• nodded — incline
• fussing — fret
• hay — grass that is cut and used as animal food

Important Themes of the Chapter

Escapism and Nostalgia: ‘The Third Level’ by Jack Finney explores escapism, nostalgia and the allure of the past. Through the protagonist’s discovery of a mysterious third level in Grand Central Station, the story delves into the desire to escape from the complexities and uncertainties of modern life. The protagonist’s journey to a bygone era, represented by 1894, reflects a longing for simplicity, safety and a romanticised view of the past. The theme of nostalgia is further emphasised by the protagonist’s friend’s decision to remain in the past, highlighting the powerful pull of nostalgia and the quest for a simpler, more idyllic existence amidst the chaos of a contemporary society.