The Third Level

by Jack Finney
The Third Level Introduction
The Third Level by Jack Finney is about the harsh realities of war. War has
irreversible consequences thus leaving people in a state of insecurity. It is also about
modern-day problems and how the common man tends to escape reality by various
means. In this story, a man named Charley hallucinates and reaches the third level
of the Grand Central Station which only has two levels.

Summary of the Poem The Third Level is given below

The story revolves around a 31 year old man named Charley, who experienced
something weird. One day after work coming from the Subway, he reached the third
level of the Grand Central station (which doesn’t actually exist). He reminisces the
entire experience with his psychiatrist friend Sam. Charley thought he experienced
time travel and had reached somewhere in the eighteen-nineties, a time before the
world saw two of its most deadliest wars. As soon as he realised what time he is in,
he immediately decided to buy two tickets to Galesburg, Illinois; one for himself and
the other for his wife. Unfortunately, the currency used in that century was different.
Thus, the next day he withdrew all his savings and got them converted even if it
meant bearing losses. He went looking for the third level but failed to find it. It
worried his wife and the psychiatrist Sam who told him that he is hallucinating in
order to take refuge from reality and miseries of the modern world which is full of
worry. Charley thus resorts to his stamp collection in order to distract himself when
suddenly one day he finds a letter from his friend Sam who had gone missing
recently. Sam wrote that he always wanted to believe in the idea of third level and
now that he is there himself, he encourages Charley and Louisa to never stop
looking for it.
The Third Level Lesson Explanation
Passage: THE presidents of the New York Central and the New York, New Haven
and Hartford railroads will swear on a stack of timetables that there are only two. But
I say there are three, because I’ve been on the third level of the Grand Central
Station. Yes, I’ve taken the obvious step: I talked to a psychiatrist friend of mine,
among others. I told him about the third level at Grand Central Station, and he said it
was a waking dream wish fulfillment. He said I was unhappy. That made my wife
kind of mad, but he explained that he meant the modern world is full of insecurity,
fear, war, worry and all the rest of it, and that I just want to escape. Well, who
doesn’t? Everybody I know wants to escape, but they don’t wander down into any
third level at Grand Central Station.
Word Meaning:
Stack- a pile of objects, typically one that is neatly arranged
Timetables- a schedule showing the departure and arrival times of trains, buses or
aircraft
Waking dream- an involuntary dream occuring while a person is awake
Wander- walk; roam
Learn more
Explanation of the above passage: The story begins with the mention of a third
level at the Grand Central Station (which only has two levels in real). The protagonist
himself is aware that even the Presidents of New York Central and the New York,
New Haven and Hartford railroads would express great confidence in the existence
of only two levels but he himself has been to the third level. Considering the entire
scenario, Charley, the protagonist had a word with his psychiatrist friend. He
explained that Charley was experiencing a ˜waking dream wish fulfillment or in other
words, hallucination. According to the psychiatrist, Charley was unhappy (the fact
her wife did not like). Upon explaining further, it became clear that it is the burden of
all the modern problems that is pushing him to experience the apparent perception
of something not present. He tends to escape the reality. Charley agreed with what
his psychiatrist friend had to say but he still found it a bit odd to have been to the
third level of the Grand Central Station.
Passage: But that’s the reason, he said, and my friends all agreed. Everything
points to it, they claimed. My stamp collecting, for example; that’s a temporary refuge
from reality. Well, maybe, but my grandfather didn’t need any refuge from reality;
things were pretty nice and peaceful in his day, from all I hear, and he started my
collection. It’s a nice collection too, blocks of four of practically every U.S. issue, first-
day covers, and so on. President Roosevelt collected stamps too, you know.
Word Meaning: Refuge- the state of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or
difficulty
Explanation of the above passage: Charley begins to believe in the possibility that
he has been experiencing all this to escape the harsh realities of the modern world.
His friends agreed to it as well. Even his stamp collecting is a sort of asylum he
resorts to in order to feel protected. On the other hand, he starts thinking otherwise.
His grandfather started his stamp collection but in those days, they had not seen the
consequences of war and there was peace, harmony and security. His grandfather
must have not been insecure. The collection, moreover was amazing, with blocks of
four of practically every U. S. issue. Even President Roosevelt collected stamps.
Passage: Anyway, here’s what happened at Grand Central. One night last summer I
worked late at the office. I was in a hurry to get uptown to my apartment, so I
decided to take the subway from Grand Central because it’s faster than the bus.
Explanation of the above passage: He starts explaining what exactly happened
and begins with how he chose to take the Subway to his apartment instead of the
usual bus after a late-night shift. He did this in order to save time.

Passage: Now, I don’t know why this should have happened to me. I’m just an
ordinary guy named Charley, thirty-one years old, and I was wearing a tan gabardine
suit and a straw hat with a fancy band; I passed a dozen men who looked just like
me. And I wasn’t trying to escape from anything; I just wanted to get home to Louisa,
my wife.
Learn more
Word Meaning: Gabardine- a smooth, durable, twill-woven worsted or cotton cloth
Explanation of the above passage: He describes himself as an ordinary man of 31
dressed in a tan gabardine suit and a straw hat with a fancy band. It was so ordinary
that he could see other similar men at the station. He explains how he was in his
normal state of mind not wanting to escape from anywhere. All he wanted was to be
with his wife Louisa at that hour. He still doesn’t understand why this happened with
him.
Passage: I turned into Grand Central from Vanderbilt Avenue, and went down the
steps to the first level, where you take trains like the Twentieth Century. Then I
walked down another flight to the second level, where the suburban trains leave
from, ducked into an arched doorway heading for the subway and got lost. That’s
easy to do. I’ve been in and out of Grand Central hundreds of times, but I’m always
bumping into new doorways and stairs and corridors. Once I got into a tunnel about
a mile long and came out in the lobby of the Roosevelt Hotel. Another time I came up
in an office building on Forty-sixth Street, three blocks away.
Word Meaning:
Suburban- residential
Ducked- lower the head or body quickly
Arched- curved
Bumping- knock or run into something
Explanation of the above passage: Charley comes to the part of the incident
where he entered the Grand Central from Vanderbilt Avenue and took the stairs to
the first level where one boarded trains like the Twentieth Century. Then he went
down another floor to reach the second level from where the suburban trains leave.
From there he entered an arched doorway and got lost. It was nothing unusual for
him because even if he had come to that station a thousand times, there were
occasions he bumped into new corridors and doorways. Once he entered the wrong
lobby and reached Roosevelt Hotel and another time in an office building which was
three blocks away.
Passage: Sometimes I think Grand Central is growing like a tree, pushing out new
corridors and staircases like roots. There’s probably a long tunnel that nobody knows
about feeling its way under the city right now, on its way to Times Square, and
maybe another to Central Park. And maybe because for so many people through the
years Grand Central has been an exit, a way of escape maybe that’s how the tunnel
I got into… But I never told my psychiatrist friend about that idea.
Explanation of the above passage: He wondered that Grand Central was
expanding at a very fast rate just like a tree and with its roots. He it is no big deal
that they even have a secret tunnel under the city to the Times Square or maybe the
Central Park. He feels it might be because Grand Central is a place of exit for
innumerable people, he also managed to escape reality because of the same
reason. Although he never shared it with his psychiatrist.
Passage: The corridor I was in began angling left and slanting downward and I
thought that was wrong, but I kept on walking. All I could hear was the empty sound
of my own footsteps and I didn’t pass a soul. Then I heard that sort of hollow
roar ahead that means open space and people talking. The tunnel turned sharp left; I
went down a short flight of stairs and came out on the third level at Grand Central
Station. For just a moment I thought I was back on the second level, but I saw the
room was smaller, there were fewer ticket windows and train gates, and the
information booth in the centre was wood and old looking. And the man in the booth
wore a green eyeshade and long black sleeve protectors. The lights were dim and
sort of flickering. Then I saw why; they were open-flame gaslights.
Explanation of the above passage: The unusual corridor he had entered into
began angling left and slanting downward which he felt odd about but nevertheless,
he kept on walking. There was no one except him and the voice of his feet echoed.
He finally heard the sound of people talking from a distance, then he took a left and
walked down the stairs again only to reach the third level of the Grand Central. He
thought he had somehow made his way back to the second level but as he noticed,
the room was smaller, there were fewer ticket windows and train gates, and the
information booth in the center was wood and old-looking. The man in the booth was
also different and the station was dim-lit for there were open-flame gaslights.
Passage: There were brass spittoons on the floor, and across the station a glint of
light caught my eye; a man was pulling a gold watch from his vest pocket. He
snapped open the cover, glanced at his watch and frowned. He wore a derby hat, a
black four-button suit with tiny lapels, and he had a big, black, handlebar mustache.
Then I looked around and saw that everyone in the station was dressed like
eighteen-ninety-something; I never saw so many beards, sideburns and fancy
mustaches in my life. A woman walked in through the train gate; she wore a dress
with leg-of-mutton sleeves and skirts to the top of her high-buttoned shoes. Back of
her, out on the tracks, I caught a glimpse of a locomotive, a very small Currier & Ives
locomotive with a funnel-shaped stack. And then I knew.
Word Meaning:
Spittoons- a metal or earthenware pot typically having a funnel-shaped top, used for
spitting into
Vest- a garment worn on the upper part of the body
Snapped- break suddenly and completely
Locomotive- a powered railway vehicle used for pulling trains
Learn more
Explanation of the above passage: Charley could see brass spittoons everywhere
when suddenly a glimpse of light caught his eye and he saw a man pulling his gold
watch from the vest. He was dressed in an old-fashioned style. Suddenly, he noticed
that everyone was dressed like the nineteenth century. It was basically the time
before deadly wars. So many beards and fancy mustaches all around, something
that the protagonist had never seen before. He even saw a very small Currier & Ives
locomotive which made him sure about which time he is in.
Passage: To make sure, I walked over to a newsboy and glanced at the stack of
papers at his feet. It was The World, and The World hasnâ’t been published for
years. The lead story said something about President Cleveland. I’ve found that front
page since, in the Public Library files, and it was printed June 11, 1894.
Explanation of the above passage: To validate his suspicion, he went over to the
newspaper boy who was selling The World, a newspaper which was discontinued
years ago. There were some headlines about the then President Cleveland. The
date on the front page was also June 11, 1894. He was now sure.
Passage: I turned toward the ticket windows knowing that here on the third level at
Grand Central I could buy tickets that would take Louisa and me anywhere in the
United States we wanted to go. In the year 1894. And I wanted two tickets to
Galesburg, Illinois. 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.
Explanation of the above passage: Immediately, he went to the ticket window to
get the tickets for Galesburg, Illinois for him and his wife. It was a wonderful town
with a lot of greenery. He was well aware that from here one could buy tickets that
would take them anywhere in the United States. He describes how things were in
1984 before the two World Wars took place. Evenings were twice as long as they
are now and men and women living in peace and serenity.
Passage: The clerk figured the fare he glanced at my fancy hatband, but he figured
the fare — and I had enough for two coach tickets, one way. But when I counted out
the money and looked up, the clerk was staring at me. He nodded at the bills. That
ain’t money, mister,he said, and if you’re trying to skin me, you won’t get very
far, and he glanced at the cash drawer beside him. Of course the money was old-
style bills, half again as big as the money we use nowadays, and different-looking. I
turned away and got out fast. There’s nothing nice about jail, even in 1894.
Word Meaning: Clerk- administrator
Explanation of the above passage: As the clerk calculated the fare, he looked at
Charley’s fancy hatband. Charley just had enough for one sided journey. Just as
he took out money, the clerk informed that this is not the acceptable legal tender and
by any chance if he tried to be smart, he won’t be able to get away with it. He
glanced at his cash drawer and realised that currency used back then was different
and almost double the size. He ran out because he didn’t want to go to jail.
Passage: And that was that. I left the same way I came, I suppose. Next day, during
lunch hour, I drew three hundred dollars out of the bank, nearly all we had, and
bought old-style currency (that really worried my psychiatrist friend). You can buy old
money at almost any coin dealers, but you have to pay a premium. My three hundred
dollars bought less than two hundred in old-style bills, but I didn’t care; eggs were
thirteen cents a dozen in 1894.
Explanation of the above passage: The day ended after he came out. The next
day he went to withdraw his entire savings and got them converted into old money
by paying some amount of premium. It cost him much and even worried his
psychiatrist friend but he still went with it. Back then, eggs cost thirteen cents a
dozen.
Passage: But I’ve never again found the corridor that leads to the third level at
Grand Central Station, although I’ve tried often enough. Louisa was pretty worried
when I told her all this, and didn’t want me to look for the third level any more, and
after a while I stopped; I went back to my stamps. But now we’re both looking, every
weekend, because now we have proof that the third level is still there. My friend Sam
Weiner disappeared! Nobody knew where, but I sort of suspected because Sam’s a
city boy, and I used to tell him about Galesburg ” I went to school there” and he
always said he liked the sound of the place. And that’s where he is, all right. In 1894.
Explanation of the above passage: But unfortunately, he could never find the way
to the third-level corridor again despite hard efforts. His wife Louisa was pretty
worried when she got to know about it all. After a while, he went back to finding
distractions with the help of stamps. Somehow, Sam, the psychiatrist disappeared
out of the blue. Charley suspected that he had gone to Galesburg. He finds himself
in the time-space of 1894.

Passage: Because one night, fussing with my stamp collection, I found — Well, do
you know what a first-day cover is? 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. The envelope is called a first-day cover.
They’re never opened; you just put blank paper in the envelope.
Word Meaning: Fussing- show unnecessary or excessive concern about something
Explanation of the above passage: One night Charley came across a first-day
cover. It is an envelope (with a stamp on it) that stamp collectors mail to themselves
on the first day of its sale to mark the date. They’re just blank inside and are not
meant to be opened.
Passage: That night, among my oldest first-day covers, I found one that
shouldn’t have been there. But there it was. It was there because someone had
mailed it to my grandfather at his home in Galesburg; that’s what the address on the
envelope said. And it had been there since July 18, 1894 ” the postmark showed
that” yet I didn’t remember it at all. The stamp was a six-cent, dull brown, with a
picture of President Garfield. Naturally, when the envelope came to Granddad in the
mail, it went right into his collection and stayed there ” till I took it out and opened it.
The paper inside wasn’t blank. It read:
Explanation of the above passage: That night he found by surprise one of his
grandfather’s old first day covers. Someone had mailed it to his father at his
home at Galesburg, as he saw from the address on the envelope. The post mark
showed that it had been there since July 18, 1894. The stamp had a picture of
President Garfiled on it. It was a six cent, dull brown colour stamp. His grandfather
had put put it in his stamp collection and the Charley now discovered it. The paper
inside and a letter written in it. The letter read as:
Passage: 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!
Explanation of the above passage: The letter talked about how the writer wished
his third level story was true until he actually started believing it to be true. He had
found the third level and had been there for two weeks. He describes the place he
was at that time. He asks Charley and Louis to never stop searching for the third
level and come back.

Passage: The note is signed Sam.

At the stamp and coin store I go to, I found out that Sam bought eight hundred
dollar’s worth of old-style currency. That ought to set him up in a nice little hay, feed
and grain business; he always said that’s what he really wished he could do, and he
certainly can’t go back to his old business. Not in Galesburg, Illinois, in 1894. His old
business? Why, Sam was my psychiatrist.
Explanation of the above passage: The letter had been signed off as Sam.Â
Charlie found out from the coin store that he used to visit that Sam had bought old
currency worth eight hundred dollars., which was to be utilised in a hay, feed and
grain business, which what he always wished to do. He could not go back to his old
business certainly not in Galesburg, Illinois. The story ends at a mysterious note
where Charlie is wondering that Sam is psychiatrist.

The Third Level Question Answers

Read and Find out
1. What does the third level refer to?
A. Third level refers to an additional floor at the Grand Central Station which
originally only had two levels. Charley was hallucinating one night while going home
when he reached the third level.
2. Would Charley ever go back to the ticket counter on the third level to buy
tickets to Galesburg for himself and his wife?
A. Charley went looking back for the third level that could take him and his wife to
Galesburg because he wanted to go back to his past. He wanted to go back to the
world that has not seen two of its deadliest wars that changed everything.
Read with insight
1. Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why?
A. Yes, the third level of the Grand Central Station was a medium of escape for
Charley. Modern world offers a lot of challenges and in order to take refuge from
reality, one might resort to day-dreaming or hallucination We all understand the
miseries of the modern world which is full of worry and pressure, thus, in order to
take the burden away from his shoulders and heap a sigh of relief, Charley resorted
to escaping reality, although unintentionally.
2. What do you infer from Sam’s letter to Charley?
A. The way Charley discovered Sam’s letter was rather peculiar. It was one of
those first-day covers people used to mail to themselves back in time with a blank
page inside. So to begin with, the cover had a letter in it and not a blank page in it.
Secondly, the letter dates back to 18 July, 1894 when Sam (the writer of the letter)
didn’t exist because both Sam and Charley exist in the present times. Thus, it is
sound to conclude that it was just a product of Charley’s imagination.
3. The modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and stress. What are
the ways in which we attempt to overcome them?
A. One cannot count on fingers the negative aspects the modern lifestyle has to
offer. There is stress, pressure, fear, insecurity and worry. In order to relieve yourself
of all these miseries, one can indulge in creative activities from time to time. Making
time for yourself and what you love without worrying about a productive outcome is a
crucial thing many people tend to ignore in the hustle and bustle of daily lives.
Secondly, one can read a good book or even meditate. Long walks in the lap of
nature are not to be underestimated because nature has its own healing power.
Apart from these, a short weekend getaway, movie night with friends or even alone
at home can be done in order to dissociate oneself from the routine.
4. Do you see an intersection of time and space in the story?
A. Yes, there are a lot of instances that tell us about the intersection of time and
space in the story. First intersection being the one between the first two levels of the
Grand Central Station and its third level which is based somewhere in the 1890s
whereas the former exists in the present times. Also when Charley went to buy
tickets for Galesburg which existed in 1894 while he and his wife exists in the
present times. Not to ignore the old-fashioned architecture of the third level in
contradiction to the modern interiors of the first two levels. Lastly, the letter dated
18th July, 1982 that Charley found also throws light upon the intersection of time and
space as both the sender (Sam) and the receiver (Charley) exist in the present
times.Â
5. Apparent illogicality sometimes turns out to be a futuristic projection?
Discuss.
A. While a lot of the world’s greatest inventions were made by people who were
criticised for their ideas. Audiences used to mock at them for being illogical. Sighting
the example of Thomas Edison who invented the light bulb, no one believed in him at
first but all he had was an idea and it’s realistic projection in mind. The idea here
tells us how important it is to sometimes follow one’s insight and have hope for it
holds the capacity to change the world through its futuristic projections.
6. Philately helps keep the past alive. Discuss other ways in which this is done.
What do you think of the human tendency to constantly move between the
past, the present and the future?
A. Philately does indeed help in keeping the treasures of past alive. It gives one a
chance to revisit and embrace the past of one’s existence. Some of the other ways in
which it can be done is by keeping a record of all the letters, ancient manuscripts,
things that are discontinued but were a significant part of the past, images, videos
and written records of experiences.
Human beings are a collection of all the experiences they have been through. Their
tendency to connect with the past from time to time helps them stay connected to the
roots while helping them to face the present and future challenges with more
strength. Connecting with the future on the other hand, is just as important to know
the outcome of one’s current actions and decisions. If one doesn’t seem satisfied
with the realistic interpretation of future, it can certainly help in altering current
actions to direct towards a better future.

The Third Level

1. Answer each of the following questions in about 30-40 words:

Question 1.
What does the third level refer to? What is the significance of the third level? (2001; 2004,
Delhi)
Answer:
The third level is a medium of escape through which man yearns to be away from life’s harsh
realities. Modem life is devoid of peace and tranquility so man in his quest to seek solace
escapes to a place where his aim is to seek the realization of his dreams and unfulfilled
wishes of his subconscious mind.

Question 2.
What convinced Charley that he had reached the third level at Grand Central Station and not
the second level? (2010 Delhi)
Answer:
The general layout of the third level was different from that of the second level. It had
comparatively smaller rooms, fewer ticket windows and lesser train gates. The infor¬mation
booth in the centre was made of wood and looked old. The place with its brass spittoons did
not look very bright. So Charley was convinced it was not the second level.

Question 3.
(2013 Delhi)
Answer:
Charley says that the rooms on the third level were smaller than that of the second level.
There were fewer ticket windows and train gates and the information booth in the centre was
wood and old looking. There were open- flame gaslights and brass spittoons on the floor.
Everyone at the station was dressed in nineteenth century dresses.

Question 4.
How did Charley make sure that he was not in the present time? (2002 Delhi)
Answer:
To make sure that he was not in the present time, Charley did a reality check. He looked at
the newspapers which were on sale at a kiosk and found a copy of the newspaper ‘The
World’, which carried the main story on President Cleveland. Then he confirmed from the
Public Library files that the newspaper he had seen was dated 11th June, 1894.

Question 5.
How did Charley often get lost on the Grand Central Station? (2010 Delhi)
Answer:
The Grand Central Station was growing like a tree pushing out endless corridors, doorways
and stairs like roots. It had intricate and tangled pathways. The network of passages was so
complicated that instead of reaching his destination, one did tend to move up and down to
look for entries and exits. So, Charley often got lost on this station.

Question 6.
Why did Charley suspect that Sam had gone to Galesburg? (2011 Outside Delhi)
Answer:
When Sam disappeared all of a sudden and no one knew about his whereabouts, Charley
suspected he had gone to Galesburg as Sam was a city boy and liked Galesburg very much.
Then Charley found an envelope mailed to Sam by his grandfather from his home in
Galesburg and so it confirmed that Sam was indeed in Galesburg.

Question 7.
How does Charley describe Galesburg as it used to be in 1894? (2013 Comptt. Outside
Delhi)
Answer:
Charley describes Galesburg as a quiet, simple and peaceful place with big old frame
houses, huge lawns and tremendous trees. The summer evenings were rather long and
people sat out on their lawns in a peaceful world, men smoking cigars and women waving
palm-leaf fans.

Question 8.
What did Charley learn about Sam from the stamp and coin store? (2012 Outside Delhi)
Answer:
From the stamp and coin store Charley gets to know that Sam had bought old style currency
worth eight hundred dollars. This money was sufficient to set him up in a little hay, feed and
grain business in Galesburg.

Question 9.
How did Sam reach Galesburg? What did he advise Charley to do? (2012 Outside Delhi)
Answer:
Sam was fascinated by Charley’s description of Galesburg. He was so burdened by the
tensions and stress of modem life that he thought of escaping to the peaceful world of
Galesburg. His advice to Charley is that, he (Charley) and his wife, Louisa should come over
to Galesburg through the medium of the ‘third level’.

Question 10.
Why did the booking clerk refuse to accept the money? (2010 Delhi)
Answer:
The booking clerk refuses to accept the money because the notes Charley had given him
were of old style. He did not pay in the currency notes that were in circulation in 1894. So the
clerk stared at him and told him, “That ain’t money, Mister”. He thought Charley was trying to
cheat him and even threatened to get him arrested.

Question 11.
Why did Charley rush back from the third level? (2012 Outside Delhi)
Answer:
When Charley took out the modem currency to pay for the two tickets to Galesburg, the
ticket clerk accused him of trying to cheat him. He threatened to hand Charley over to the
police. Charley was frightened and he decided to rush back from the third level, lest he was
arrested and put into prison.

2. Answer each of the following questions in about 125-150 words.

Question 12.
How did Charley reach the third level of Grand Central? How was it different from the other
levels? (2009 Delhi; 2012 Comptt. Delhi)
Answer:
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. Here he saw many unusual things. There were very few ticket
windows and train gates that were old-looking and made of wood. Dim gaslights flickered
and men wore derby hats and four-button suits. It was a rather strange world of sideburns,
beards and fancy moustaches.

Question 13.
Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why? (2005; 2008
Delhi)
Answer:
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 fastpaced 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.

Question 14.
What made Charley believe that the was actually standing at the third level? (2010 Comptt.
Delhi)
Answer:
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.

Question 15.
What kind of people did Charley ‘See’ at the third level? (2011 Outside Delhi, 2010 Comptt.
Outside Delhi)
Answer:
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.

Question 16.
How does Charley make his description of the third level very realistic? (2013 Comptt. Delhi)
Answer:
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

Question 17.
What is being inferred from Sam’s letter to Charley? (2003 Delhi)
Answer:
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.

Question 1.
How does the narrator describe himself? What made him take the subway from Grand
Central?
Answer:
The narrator describes that he is Charley, 31. He is wearing a tan gabardine suit and a straw
hat with a fancy band. One night last summer, he worked late at the office. So, he was in a
hurry to be at his apartment. He took the subway from Grand Central because it was faster
than the bus.
Question 2.
How does the narrator describe the first two levels of the Grand Central?
Answer:
The narrator went down the steps of the Grand Central from Vanderbilt Avenue to the first
level. From there one can take trains like the twentieth century. Then he walked down
another flight to the second level. From there the suburban trains leave for various
destinations.

Question 3.
The narrator got lost once when he ducked into an arched doorway heading for the subway.
Where did he come out?
Answer:
The narrator says that he has been in and out of Grand Central hundreds of times. He
always bumps into new doorways, stairs and corridors. Once he got into a one-mile-long
tunnel and came out in the Roosevelt Hotel lobby. Another time he came up in an office
building on Forty-sixth street, three blocks away.

Question 4.
What does the narrator think of Grand Central? What does it symbolize?
Answer:
The narrator thinks that Grand Central is growing like a tree. It pushes out new corridors and
staircases like roots. There are long tunnels under the city on their ways to Times Square
and to Central Park.
The Grand Central symbolizes the labyrinth that this world is with its intricate and tangled
pathways. It has always been an exit, a way to escape.

Question 5.
What strange things did the narrator see when he reached the third level of Grand Central?
Answer:
Charley noticed a difference in the way things looked at the third level of the Grand Central
Station. It was smaller, with fewer ticket counters and had an old look of the 1890s with
wooden booths, dim open-flame gaslights, brass spittoons and an old-style locomotive with a
funnel shaped stack. Even the people’s attire was old fashioned and men had funny handle-
bar mustaches and sideburns. The whole setting was in contrast to the modern times.

Question 6.
How did the man on the third level appear to the narrator?
Answer:
The narrator saw a man pulling a gold watch from his vest pocket. He snapped open the
cover, glanced at his watch and frowned. He wore a derby hat, a black four-button suit with
tiny lapels and had a big, black handlebar mustache.

Question 7.
What did the narrator do to make sure that he was actually at the third level of Grand
Central?
Answer:
The narrator walked over to a news boy. He glanced at the stack of newspapers. It was The
World and The World had not been published for years. The lead story was about President
Cleveland. Later on, he confirmed from the public library files that the newspaper was dated
11th June 1894.
Question 8.
Why did the narrator turn towards the ticket windows? Why did he run back from there?
Answer:
The narrator turned towards the ticket window to buy tickets to go to Galesburg, Illinois, in
the year of 1894. When Charley produced money to pay for the two tickets, the clerk stared
at him as the currency did not match with the currency of that time. He accused him of trying
to cheat him and threatened to hand him over to the police. The narrator turned away
thinking that there was nothing nice about jail even in 1894.

Question 9.
How does the narrator describe Galesburg, Illinois?
Answer:
The narrator states that Galesburg, Illinois, is a wonderful town with big old frame houses,
huge lawns and big trees. Summer evenings were twice as long. People sat out on their
lawns, the men smoking cigar and talking quietly, the women waving palm-leaf fans. It
means the people had lived in peace and harmony and had a lot of leisure time.

Question 10.
What did the narrator do the next day?
Answer:
The narrator withdrew his entire money from the bank. He bought old-style currency to buy
two tickets to Galesburg. He got less than two hundred old-style bills for his three hundred
dollars. He consoled himself for having got less money by the fact that life in 1894 Galesburg
was quite cheaper as compared to the modern life.

Question 11.
How does the narrator’s psychiatrist friend react to the narrator’s statement that the third
level exists?
Answer:
The narrator’s psychiatrist friend, Sam Weiner, says it is ‘a waking-dream-wish fulfilment’. He
says that the narrator is unhappy and the modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war and
worry. So, he wants to escape and has created an imaginary third level.

Question 12.
How did Louisa react when the narrator told his wish to go to the third level to buy tickets?
Answer:
When the narrator told Louisa about his wish she got pretty worried. She was a loving and a
caring wife. She got alarmed at Charley’s claim of having been to the third level. His
exchanging the currency was a cause of concern. She thought the third level to be a product
of Charley’s imagination and asked him to stop looking for it. However, after some time they
both started looking for the third level.

Question 13.
Why was going to the psychiatrist the obvious step? Did it help?
Answer:
Charley was convinced that there were three and not just two levels at the Grand Central
Station, when all others claimed there were only two. Going to the psychiatrist was the
obvious step because he wanted his opinion on whether it was insanity on his part to believe
so. The psychiatrist too interpreted his delusion as a waking-dream wish fulfilment and, like
his stamp collection, a temporary refuge from a world full of tensions, worries, insecurity,
fear, war and envy.
Question 14.
Why could Charley not be convinced by his distractions that the third level was only a wish
fulfilment?
Answer:
Charley could not be convinced that the third level was a temporary escape from reality
through fantasy like stamp collection. He argued that his grandfather too was into stamp
collection and he started Charley’s collection. He said that at that time people were content
and lived in peaceful times and did not need to seek such refuge.

Question 15.
What happened to the narrator’s psychiatrist friend Sam Weiner? What do you deduce from
it?
Answer:
One day the narrator’s psychiatrist friend Sam Weiner disappeared. He was a city boy. He
always
said that he liked Galesburg very much and its sound. From this I deduce that even Sam
was affected by the stress of modern living and sought temporary refuge by travelling
through time.

Question 16.
Why was Charley sure that his psychiatrist friend had gone back to the year 1894 in
Galesburg?
Answer:
Charley’s psychiatrist friend Sam had disappeared. One night going through his first-day
covers,
Charley found one dated 1894 and with his Grandfather’s address on it. He opened and
found inside a letter from Sam addressed to him. He invited him to the third level saying that
it was worth it.

Question 17.
What is the first-day cover?
Answer:
At that time when a new stamp is issued, stamp collectors buy some of them and use them
in order to mail envelopes to themselves and the postmark proves the date. That envelope is
called the first- day cover.

Question 18.
Describe the first-day cover envelope that the narrator found among his collection.
Answer:
The first-day cover envelope was dated July 18, 1894. It was addressed to his grandfather in
Galesburg. It carried a letter from Sam addressed to Charley. The stamp was a six-cent, dull
brown, with a picture of President Garfield.

Question 19.
What had Sam Weiner written on the paper in the first-day cover?
Answer:
Sam Weiner had invited the narrator to the third level. It was worth it. It added that it was
true, there existed the third level and he had found that. He had been there for two weeks.
He could hear someone playing a piano, down the street. They were singing ‘Seeing Nelly
Home’.
Question 20.
What did the narrator find about Sam Weiner when he went to the stamp and coin store?
Answer:
When the narrator went to the stamp and coin store he came to know that Sam had bought
eight hundred dollars worth of old currency. That ought to set him up in a nice little hay, feed
and grain business. He always wanted to do that. He didn’t want to go back to his old
business. Not in Galesburg, Illinois, in 1894, Charley felt that the services of a psychiatrist
would not be needed in Galesburg of 1894, his friend would be jobless there.

Question 21.
What is the evidence that Charley often sought escape through time travel?
Answer:
Charley had often bumped into new doorways, archways and stairways at the Grand Central
and got lost. Once he had got into a long tunnel, about a mile long, and another time had
landed in an office building on the Forty-sixth street, three blocks away. This makes it
evident that Charley, often sought escape through wishful dreaming and in nostalgic
memories. He often lived in a world of fantasy.

Question 22.
Discuss the irony at the end of the chapter.
Answer:
Charley had found the third level and desired to go back to the Galesburg of 1894. It is
ironical that at the end, not Charley but his psychiatrist friend who had scorned his discovery,
uses the third level to reach Galesburg of 1894 and tells Charley to keep looking for it.

Third Level Long Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Describe the third level as a science fantasy?
Answer:
Science makes the impossible possible by giving a touch of realism to things that simply
cannot happen in the real world under any circumstances. It explains a person’s perceptions,
his difficulties and circumstances. Science fantasy has an aura of magic. In the lesson ‘The
Third Level’ Charley’s fantasies are magical. He travels through time to Galesburg of 1894,
the world of his childhood. He is stressed out by his modern living and takes refuge in his
nostalgic memories, and at times he loses touch with reality. Such time travel is an essential
element of all scientific fantasy.

Question 2.
Finney manages to not only capture the reader’s imagination, but also provides a clear
example of time travel that does not confuse the reader. Discuss.
Answer:
‘The Third Level’ is a well-defined and convincing description of time travel. It can be divided
into modern world and the world of the 1890s, the world of Grand Central Station of New
York and the past world of Galesburg, Illinois. The narrator talks of the present world of 21st
century through the references of New York Central, New York, New Haven, Hartford of
Galesburg, Illinois of the 1890s in clearer terms. His visit to the third level of Grand Central
and the physical description of this symbolize a flashback of the 19th century. So, the writer
takes the reader in both the eras with care without confusing them. Thus, the third level is a
beautiful interpretation of things through what, we call ‘the catastrophe theory’ as given in
‘The Adventure’ by Jayant Narlikar.
Question 3.
Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why?
Answer:
The torture of stress, sense of insecurity and fear have made man an escapist who wants to
run away from reality. He looks for a temporary refuge and starts pursuing different hobbies
to divert his attention temporarily and give himself some comfort. The fast pace life has
made Charley uneasy and restless. He yearned for peace and tranquillity. He turned to
philately but could not find much relief. His efforts for escape resulted in his flight to the third
level—a level of existence which he associated with tranquillity. His psychiatrist friend Sam,
diagnosed Charley’s claim as a waking- dream wish fulfilment. Hence, the third level
undoubtedly is a medium of escape for Charley.

Question 4.
What do you infer from Sam’s letter to Charley?
Answer:
Sam’s letter is a proof of his having reached the third level and of having been transported to
Galesburg of 1894. The date 18th July 1894 and the content of the letter indicate that he too
yearned for such an escape. Being equally insecure, he started believing in the existence of
the third level and eventually found it. Galesburg always fascinated him with ample leisure
and innocent happiness. He suggested to Charley and Louisa to keep on looking for it till
they come across it. Sam’s letter also indicates the social life of Galesburg where people
loved music, dance and socializing. But we are not sure that Sam’s letter is a mere figment
of Charley’s imagination just like the third level or has he really transported to Galesburg of
1894. So, the whole idea of travel in time and multiple levels of reality is mind-boggling and
so is Sam’s letter indeed.

Question 5.
The modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry, tension and stress. What are the
ways in which we attempt to overcome them?
Answer:
There is no doubt that the modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry, tension, stress,
anxiety and what not. Strangely, there is no escape from these things, yet people devise,
find and invest different ways to escape from them. Some like liquor, some tranquillizers,
some sleeping pills, some consult saints or seers or psychiatrists. Some daydream or listen
to music or visit night parties or browse the Internet and fall down to tiredness and sleep.
They awake to another day of tension and . anxiety. People like the narrator invent an
imaginary world around them and get lost in it for the time being.

But such a life is not for all the persons. It is for those who are a sensitive mind and look at
life in a thoughtful manner, albeit, very seriously.

Question 6.
Did Sam really go to Galesburg or was it Charley’s figment of imagination?
Answer:
The third level at the Grand Central symbolizes man’s yearning to attain an ideal level of
existence which is free from wars, worries, insecurities, tensions and a level which exudes
calm, peace and tranquillity. Charley imagined this world briefly but could never get back to
that world. His craving for such a world forced him to imagine things. He imagined that his
psychiatrist friend, Sam, had succeeded in reaching there. He even saw a letter from Sam in
his first-day cover collection. It was dated July 18, 1894 and posted to his grandfather’s
address in Galesburg, Illinois. After this he redoubled his efforts to search the third level.
If it is only the imagination of Charley, then how do you explain Sam’s exchanging of
currency at the coin shop? The fact that Sam too lived in a world of fantasy makes us
understand that time travel was one way of escape for the modern man.