By Jack Finney
A. Answer the following questions in 30 – 40 Words.
Ans: Charley says so about the Grand Central Station because like a growing tree there were always some newly constructed corridors, doorways, and stairs like roots. It had intricate and tangled pathways. The network of passages was so complicated that he often used to get confused and lose his way.
Ans: One night Charley worked till late at the office. Then he was in a hurry to get back to his apartment. So, he decided to take the subway from Grand Central. He went down the steps and came to the first level. Then he walked down to the second level from where the suburban trains left. He ducked into an arched doorway that headed to the subway. Then he got lost. Knowing that he was going wrong he continued to walk downward. The tunnel turned a sharp left and then taking a short flight of stairs he came out on the third level at the Grand Central Station.
3. What convinced Charley that he had reached the third instead of the second level? How does he describe it?
Ans: Charley was sure that he was not on the second level and the present time. To confirm which time he was in, he walked to the newsboy and glanced at the stack of newspapers at his feet. It was a newspaper called ‘The World’, which carried main story on President Cleveland. Later he visited the Public Library files and came to know that the newspaper was of 11th June, 1894.
Ans: Charley wanted two tickets to Galesburg for which he gave money to the clerk at the ticket counter. The currency he gave was different from that of 1890s. So, the clerk stared at him and said, “That ain’t money, Mister”. He thought Charley was trying to cheat him and even threatened to get him arrested.
Ans: Yes, I agree with Sam that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley. He was suffering from insecurity, fear, and anxiety of the modern world. This is proved by his habit of stamp collection and abnormal longing for the world of Galesburg of 1894. The fact that he never finds it again also proves that his experience of the third level was merely his imagination not reality.
Ans: Charley shows strong desire to go to Galesburg. He considers the place much better than the present world. According to him it was a peaceful place that was not ravaged by the two world wars. It has old framed houses, huge lawns and splendid trees with expanded branches. The men would smoke cigar talk quietly. The women would be waving palm leaves fans. They have ample time for themselves.
Ans: When a new stamp is issued in any country, stamp collectors buy some and use them to mail envelopes at their address on the very first day of release. They put a blank paper in the envelopes. The postmark proves the date of issue. The envelope is called a first day cover. It remains unopened.
Ans: Charley suspected that Sam had gone to Galesburg as he had disappeared suddenly, and no one knew where he was. Charley used to tell him about his childhood experiences of Galesburg and Sam used to like them. He became sure about it when one day he found a strange envelope in his first day covers. The envelope was mailed to his grandfather in Galesburg on July 18, 1894. It contained a letter written by Sam and addressed to Charley. From the stamp and coin store also Charley gets to know that Sam had bought the old style currency worth eight hundred dollars.
Ans: The letter clearly shows that Sam was in Galesburg, 1894. It says that Charley experience of the third level was a reality not his imagination. Sam found it and has reached Galesburg where he is having a great time. He advises Charley and Louisa to keep looking for it. I feel this letter also is a product of Charely’s imagination to make us believe his experience of the third level.
Ans: According to Charley, Galesburg of 19th century was a world of no tension, stress, or fear. People were living a tension free peaceful and happy life. Sam, being a psychiatrist, would not find any patient there, that is why it was said that he certainly can't go back to his old business in Galesburg of 1894. That is why Charley thinks Sam would become a farmer there and start a grain business.
B. Competency Based Long Question
Ans: I have been married to Charley for a few years now and I have always known him to be an intelligent man with an imaginative mind. However, his recent obsession with finding the Third Level has left me quite worried. While he talks about it with excitement, I cannot help but wonder if it is a good quality or a harmful one.
On one hand, Charley’s obsession displays his determination and persistence in achieving his goals. It shows that he is willing to go to great lengths to unravel the mysteries of life. His imagination and curiosity are admirable qualities that have always attracted me to him. However, his obsession has caused him to become detached from reality. He is no longer able to differentiate between what is real and what is not. He spends all his time and money searching for a place that may not even exist. This could be harmful not only to himself but also to our family. I understand that he feels overwhelmed by the stress and pressures of his present life and Sam indicated that he uses his obsession as a coping mechanism. I think this is harmful as it prevents him from addressing the underlying issues that are causing him stress. Furthermore, Charley’s obsession has caused him to neglect his responsibilities. He has been absent from work and has not been able to contribute financially to our household. His obsession is affecting our relationship, and I am afraid that if he continues on this path, it might lead to irreparable damage. Finally, all I can say is , I believe that Charley’s obsession with finding the Third Level may have started as a harmless curiosity, but it has now become a harmful one. I love him dearly and I hope that he realizes that his obsession is affecting not only himself but also those around him.
C. Extract Based Questions
1. Complete the sentence
Charley was unhappy with ……………………..
1. Unsure 2. Lazy 3. Offensive 4. Anxious 5. afraid
A 1 & 33. Identify and write a phrase from the passage which means the same as: ‘imagination’
B 2 & 5
C 2, 3 & 4
D 1, 4, & 5
4. ‘Everybody I know wants to escape’. Who is 'I' here?
II. 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.
1. Who does ‘you’ refer to?a) Charley’s psychiatrist, Sam Weinerb) Charley’s wife, Louisac) The readerd) Nobody in particular, it is a figure of speech.
2. Choose the option that best describes the society represented in the above extract.
a) content, peace-lovingb) leisurely, sentimentalc) orthodox, upper classd) comfortable, ancient
3. Imagine that the city of Galesburg is hosting a series of conferences and workshops. In which of the following conferences or workshops are you least likely to find the description of Galesburg given in the above extract?
a) Gorgeous Galesburg: Archiving a Tourist Paradiseb) Welcome to the home you deserve: Galesburg Realtorsc) Re-imagining a Warless Future: Technology for Peaced) The Woman Question: The world of women at home
4. “tremendous trees whose branches meet overhead and roof the streets” is NOT an example of
(i) imagery, (ii) metaphor, (iii) alliteration, (iv) Personification
a) Options (i) and (ii)b) Options (i) and (iii)c) Options (ii) and (iii)d) Options (ii) and (iv)
