Deep Water By-William Douglas

About the Author

Name – A Short Biography

William Orville Douglas (1898— 1980) was an American jurist and politician who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme
Court of the United States. Nominated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Douglas was confirmed at the age of 40, as one of the
youngest justices appointed to the supreme court. His term, lasting 36 years and 209 days (1939 — 75), is the longest term in the
history of the Supreme Court.

Theme / Central Idea of the Lesson. Analysis of Deep Water

Theme

The author William Douglas talks about his fear of water and how he finally overcame it. He narrates an autobiographical incident
that occurred when he was ten or eleven years old and almost drowned in the Y.M.C.A swimming pool. As a result, he developed a
fear of water, which he was able to conquer after several years by sheer determination.

Theme (2)

‘Deep Water’ deals with the childhood fear of Douglas. A misadventure at the YMCA pool developed an aversion of water in him
and he suffered from hydrophobia. The chapter focuses on the fact that childhood fear must never be treated lightly. If they are not
tackled, then they make deep inroads into one’s psychology. Douglas analyses his fear and finally determines to overcome it.

Justify the title of Deep Water

Justification of Title

This extract is appropriately entitled “Deep Water”. The author recounts his fear of swimming following an incident in which he
had been swept away by a wave. Another incident which further aggravated his fear was when a bully pushed him into the deep
side of a swimming pool and he nearly drowned. But slowly he overcomes his fear through determination and strong will. He even
took the services of an instructor. He swam in different pools and lakes to overcome his fear. The title also signifies that the
author’s fear was a deep-rooted one. In short, the title is appropriate.

Moral/ Message of the lesson – Deep Water

Message
The story “Deep Waters” tells us how the writer overcame his fear of water and learned swimming through sheer determination
and willpower. He had developed a terror of water since childhood. William Douglas was able to overcome his fear by sheer
determination. The message conveyed by this story is that it is not death but the fear of death that creates terror in our mind, so that
fear needs to be shaken off. Also, any fears can be conquered if we try hard enough.

CHAPTER NUTSHELL
William Douglas talks about his fear of water and thereafter, how he finally overcame it. The autobiographical element in the
lesson is used to support his discussion of fear.

Author’s Aversion to Water

1. started when he was three or four years old.

2. visited a beach in California with his father/stood with his father in the surf.
3. the waves knocked him down and swept over him.
4. he was buried in water/breath was gone/frightened.
5. father laughed
6. there was the tenor in his heart at the overpowering force of the waves.

`Misadventure’ at the YMCA

1. the author was sitting on the side of the pool.

2. a big bruiser of a boy tossed him the deep end of the pool.
3. the author landed in a sitting position, swallowed water, and went at once to the bottom.
 4. the author was frightened.
5. planned that he would jump and come to the surface/paddle to the edge of the pool.

(i) It’s impact:

(a) he was weak and trembling

(b) shook and cried when he lay on his bed/couldn’t eat that night.

(c) for days a haunting fear remained in his heart.

(d) the slightest exertion upset him and made him wobbly in the knees and sick in the stomach.

(e) never went back to the pool.

(ii) Subsequent:

(a) the fear remained in a river or pool legs would become paralyzed.

(b) icy horror would grab his heart.

(c) deprived Douglas of enjoying water sport-ruined his fishing trips/deprived him of the joy.

(d) in canoes on Maine lakes fishing for landlocked salmons.

(e) bass fishing in New Hampshire, trout fishing on the Deschutes and Metolius in Oregon, fishing for salmon on the Columbia, at
Bumping Lake in the Cascades-fear of water followed him.

(iii) Conquering his fear:

(a) Engaged an instructor to learn swimming.

(b) the instructor made him practice five days a week, an hour every day

(c) put a belt around him.

(d) a rope attached to the belt went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable

(e) instructor held on to the end of the rope.

(f) the author went back and forth several times each day.

(g) took three months to learn

(h) instructor taught him to put his face under water and exhale

(i) to raise his nose and inhale

(j) instructor made him kick with his legs

(k) thus piece by piece he finally learnt how to swim

 though the author had learnt to swim, he still felt that the old fear would grip him again.
 Went to lake Wentworth-swam two miles across the lake.
 swam the crawl, breaststroke, sidestroke and backstroke.
 the old sensation returned in miniature.
 then went up the Tieton to Conrad Meadows, up the Conrad Creek Trail to Meade Glacier, and camped by the Warm
Lake.
 swam across to the other shore and back
 he had finally conquered his fear.

(iv) Draws a larger meaning from this experience:

(a) in death there is peace

(b) there is terror only in the fear of death/as Roosevelt said “All we have to fear is fear itself”

(c) since the narrator had experienced both the sensation of dying and the terror that fear of it can produce; the will to live grew in
him.

Short and Simple Summary of the lesson in English– Deep Water / Summary in simple Words/ Critical appreciation of the lesson –
Deep Water

Summary
“Deep Waters,” tells us how the writer overcame his fear of water and learned swimming. He had developed a fear of water in
childhood. When he was three or four years old the writer had gone to California with his father. One day on the beach, the waves
knocked him down and swept over him. He was terrified but his father laughed as he knew that it was not harmful. The experience
bred a permanent fear of water. Another incident, more serious, increased his terror. The writer was trying to learn swimming in
the Y.M.C.A. Swimming pool. One day while he was waiting for other boys, a burly boy of eighteen suddenly played a dangerous
prank and pushed him into the water. The writer was terribly frightened. He went down nine feet into the water. His lungs were full
of the unreleased air. When he reached the bottom, he jumped upward with all his strength. He came up, but very slowly. He tried
to catch hold of something like a rope but grasped only at the water.

He tried to shout but no sound came out. He went down again. His lungs ached, head throbbed and he grew dizzy. He felt
paralyzed with fear. Only the movement of his heart told him that he was alive. Again he tried to jump up. But this time his limbs
would not move at all. He looked for ropes, ladders and water wings but all in vain. Then he went down again, the third time; this
time all efforts and fear ceased. He was moving towards a peaceful death. The writer was at peace. When he came to
consciousness, he found himself lying on the side of the pool with the other boy nearby and the coach remonstrating with him for
nearly causing him to drown. As a result of the near-death experience, the terror that he had experienced in the pool never left him.
It haunted him for years. It spoilt many of his expeditions of canoeing, swimming and fishing. It spoilt his pleasures in Maine
Lakes, New Hampshire, Deschutes, Columbia and Bumping Lake, etc.

But the writer was determined to conquer his fear. He took the help of a swimming instructor to learn swimming. The instructor
taught him various actions necessary in swimming. He trained Douglas to put his face under water and exhale, and inhale raising it
above water. He practised this for several weeks. He had to kick with his legs for a few weeks on the side of the pool. At last, he
combined all these actions and made Douglas swim. He thus learned swimming but the terror continued. Whenever he was in the
water, his terror returned and the author tried to face the new challenge. When the terror came, he confronted it by asking it
sarcastically, what it could really do to him? He plunged into the water as if to de& the fear. Once he took courage the terror
vanished. He faced the challenge deliberately in various places like the Warm Lake. He conquered his fear of water at last.

Summary (2)
`Deep Water’ is an excerpt from Of Men and Mountains wrote by William 0. Douglas. It is an autobiographical description of how
the author develops the fear of water and, thereafter, how he finally overcame it. He narrates that his aversion to water started when
he was three or four years old and his father took him to the beach in California. There he was knocked down by the waves and
was almost buried down in water. When he was ten or eleven years old, he joined the Y.M.C.A. pool to learn to swim. One day,
when he was sitting on the side of the pool all alone, a big bruiser of a boy picked him up and threw him into the deep end of the
pool. He went at once at the bottom. He was frightened but thought of a strategy to save his life. He decided to hit the bottom and
take a big jump to come to the surface and lie flat on it and then paddle to the edge of the pool. But it seemed his way down was
very long.

Before he touched the bottom, his lungs were about to burst. Though he tried to take a big jump, he came up very slowly. As a
result, he went down for a second time. His lungs ached and he started feeling dig’. He jumped, his feet touched the bottom but it
made no difference. When he went down for the third time, he sucked a lot of water while trying to breathe air. Then all his efforts
stopped and he had a blackout. He was completely overpowered by fear and eventually fainted.

After this incident, his fear of water worsened and he did not go swimming or fishing or to any other water sport for many years.
Finally one October, he decided to overcome his fear of water. He hired an instructor to learn to swim. He started practising
swimming. Bit by bit he shed part of the panic that seized him. The instructor tied a belt around his waist and connected it to a
pulley with a rope. The author practised day after day till he began to get back his confidence. He was able to swim the length of
the pool on his ova Tough the instructor was satisfied, the author felt that on many occasions his old fear of water would return’

So he continued relentlessly to swim in different water bodies till he was confident that he had overcome

Finally, to test if he had lost the last vestiges of fear, Douglas went up to the Tieton to Conrad Meadows, up the Conrad Creek
Trail to Meade Glacier, and camped in the high meadow by the side of Warm Lake. As he had experienced the terror of death, his
will to live grew most intensely. This made him fearless and Confident.

Following is the complete question bank for – Deep Wate r MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS (MCQ – TEST)
1.William Douglas was a friend and adviser of

(a) President Kennedy (b) President Cleveland

(c) President Roosevelt (d) President Clinton

2.in the essay William Douglas talks about his fear of

(a) fire (b) lizards

(c) snake (d) water

3.The writer decided to learn to swim when he was about

(a) ten or eleven years old (b) fifteen or sixteen years old

(c) twenty years old (d) eighteen years old

4. He decided to learn swimming in the pool at

(a) the local club (b) his school

(c) Y.M.C.A (d) Country Club

5. His mother warned him against swimming in the Yakima River because it had

(a) strong currents (b) it was meant only for boating

(c) many people had drowned there (d) it had no lifeguards around

6. At the shallow end, the Y.M.C.A pool was

(a) I foot deep (b) four feet deep

(c) two or three feet deep (d) five feet deep

7. The pool’s depth at the deep end was

(a) twenty feet (b) nine feet (c) six feet (d) eight feet

8. The author hated to walk naked to the pool as he had

(a) skinny arms (b) bony chest (c) skinny legs (d) hairy legs

9. The incident in childhood had taken place at the beach in

(a) Florida (b) Washington (c) New York (d) California

10. The introduction to the Y.M.C.A swimming pool revived for Douglas

(a) childhood fear of water (b) memories of a holiday at the beach

(c) memories of father and son companionship (d) a terrible accident

11. The misadventure at the Y.M.C.A pool happened when

(a) Douglas was accompanied by friends (b) he was with his father

(c) he was alone (d) he was with his mother

12. The boy who threw Douglas into the pool was about

(a) twenty years old (b) eighteen years old

(c) twenty-one years old (d) fifteen years old

13. Douglas calls him a

(a) nasty human being (b) a brute

(c) a beautiful physical specimen (d) a big bully

14. He tossed Douglas into the pool towards its

(a) shallow end (b) middle (c) edge (d) deep end

15. Though Douglas was frightened, he was not

(a) afraid to die (b) going to survive

(c) out of his wits (d) able to shout for help

16. When his feet would hit the bottom Douglas planned to

(a) make a big jump (b) lie down

(c) start his strokes (d) float

17. The nine feet seemed to Douglas like

(a) hundred feet (b) ninety feet (c) fifty feet (d) twenty-five feet

18. Douglas imagined that on hitting the bottom, he would

(a) bob to the surface like a cork

(b) would come up to Tab his water wings

(c) would lie flat and float up

(d) shout for help

19. When Douglas tried to yell

(a) everyone came to his rescue

(b) no sound came out

(c) his father arrived

(d) the lifeguard dived to save him up, they hung as

20. As Douglas tried to bring his legs

(a) dead branches (b) dead weights

(c) dead sticks (d) dead bodies

21. The water in the pool had a

(a) dirty yellow tinge (b) a blue reflection

(c) green colour (d) no colour

22. Douglas was seized by

(a) the lifeguard (b) stark terror

(c) his friend (d) the boy who had thrown him

23. Douglas went down towards the bottom

(a) only once (b) twice

(c) thrice (d) five times

24. After the third unsuccessful attempt to spring up, Douglas thought that he was

(a) floating in space (b) floating in the River Yakima

(c) floating in the air (d) floating in a rubber-tube

25. When he regained consciousness, he

(a) laughed at his experience (b) had 104° F fever

(c) shook and cried and didn’t eat anything (d) told his mother about his misadventure

26. Every time Douglas attempted to go inside water, his legs would

(a) be shaky (b) make him run

(c) help him keep afloat (d) be paralyzed

27. After being haunted by fear for many years Douglas decided to learn to swim. He took the help of

(a) his mother (b) his father

(c) a friend (d) an instructor

28. A rope was attached to

(a) Douglas’ legs (b) Douglas’ arms

(c) Douglas’ belt (d) Douglas’ swimming trunks

29. He practised in the pool

(a) ten times a week (b) five days a week

(c) twice a week (d) thrice a week

30. Douglas’ tension started slackening after

(a) four months (b) three months

(c) five months (d) one month

31. Douglas had to repeat exhaling and inhaling exercises

(a) hundred times (b) forty times

(c) fifty times (d) ten times

32. ‘Now you can swim’. These words were spoken by

(a) Douglas’ father (b) teacher in school

(c) uncle (d) instructor

33. Whenever terror struck again, Douglas would start

(a) shouting (b) laughing

(c) crying (d) talking to terror

34. Douglas swam the lake to Stamp Act Island covering a distance of
(a) five miles (b) seven miles

(c) two miles (d) one mile

35. ‘What do you think you can do to me’? These words were spoken by Douglas to

(a) a shark (b) to his enemy

(c) to the boy who pushed him (d) to terror

36. After swimming across to the other shore of Warm Lake, Douglas shouted with joy and his voice was returned as an echo by

(a) Gilbert peak (b) Everest peak

(c) Alps (d) Blue Mountain

37. ‘All we have to fear is fear itself. Who said these words?

(a) Douglas (b) his instructor

(c) his father (d) President Roosevelt

38. With his hard work, Douglas had

(a) conquered his fear of water (b) conquered Mount Everest

(c) got a good job (d) got a promotion

39. At the end of the experience, Douglas felt

(a) happy (b) released

(c) sad (d) victorious

40. His fear of water

(a) ruined his trips (b) made him extremely guilty

(c) was not liked by friends (d) made him weak

ANSWERS

1.(c) President Roosevelt 2. (d) water

3.(a) ten or eleven years old 4. (c) Y.M.C.A

5.(c) many people had drowned there 6. (c) two or three feet deep

7.(b) nine feet 8. (c) skinny legs

9.(d) California 10. (a) childhood fear of water

11.(c) he was alone 12. (b) eighteen years old

13.(c) a beautiful physical specimen 14. (d) deep end

15. (c) out of his wits 16. (a) make a big jump

17.(b) ninety feet 18. (a) bob to the surface like a cork

19.(b) no sound came out 20. (b) dead weights

21.(a) dirty yellow tinge 22. (b) stark, terror

23.(c) thrice 24. (a) was floating in space

25.(c) shook and cried and didn’t eat anything 26. (d) be paralyzed

27.(d) an instructor 28. (c) Douglas’ belt

29.(b) five days a week 30. (b) three months

31.(a) hundred times 32. (d) instructor

33.(d) talking to terror 34. (c) two miles

35.(d) to terror 36. (a) Gilbert peak

37.(d) President Roosevelt 38. (a) conquered his fear of water

39.(h) released 40. (a) ruined his trips

Short Answer Type Questions (30 to 40 words)

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q1. Douglas had a fear of water even before his experience of drowning in the Y.M.C.A pool? Why?

Ans. At the age of three or four, Douglas had gone with his father to the beach. A powerful wave had struck him and knocked him
down while he was with his father in the surf. This experience had terrorized him and this fear stayed even as he grew older.

Q2. What is the ‘misadventure’ that William Douglas speaks about?

Ans. The misadventure tool place when Douglas went swimming in the Y.M.C.A pool. A big bruiser of a boy, about eighteen
years old, picked him up and tossed him into the deep end. He swallowed a lot of water and went at once to the bottom. He planned
to hit the bottom and make a big jump and come to the surface. But his plan failed and he almost had a brush with death.

Q3. What was the bruising experience that Douglas had at the Y.M.C.A?

Ans. To overcome his fear of water Douglas started learning swimming at the Y.M.C.A pool. However, he was tossed into the
deep end of the pool by a big boy of eighteen. Douglas almost drowned in the incident and his fear of water became more intense
and hard to overcome.

Q4. What were the series of emotions and fears that Douglas experienced when he was thrown into the pool? What plans did he
make to come to the surface?

Ans. Douglas was frightened when he was thrown into the water but he did not lose his wits. He made a plan to make a big jump,
to come to the surface, lie flat on it and paddle to the edge of the pool. He summoned all his strength and made a great spring
upwards but instead, he came up slowly. He opened his eyes and saw nothing. He tried again but was seized by terror. He was
shrieking underwater and was paralyzed-stiff and rigid with fear. He only knew one thing – that he was alive.

Q5. How did this experience affect him?

Ans. This experience revived the fear of water. He felt weak and trembled as he walked home. He shook and cried when he lay on
his bed and could not eat anything that night. He was haunted by the frightening experience. The slightest exertion upset him,
making him wobbly in the knees and sick in the stomach.

Q6. What strategy did the author remember when he was drowning in the Y.M.C.A pool?

Ans. Douglas thought that as he would hit the bottom of the tiled pool, he would spring up like a cork to the surface, then lie flat
on the water, strike out with his arms and thrash with his legs and reach the edge of the pool. However, this plan failed.

Q7. ‘I crossed to oblivion and the curtain of life fell’. Why did the author make this remark?

Ans. The author had made three futile attempts to spring up to the surface but as his strength failed and energy got exhausted, he
gave up and stopped all his efforts. He relaxed and passed into a state of unconsciousness and then there was no fear after that.

Q8. Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water?

Ans. Douglas after his misadventure and a near brush with death became so scared of water that he could not go fishing, canoeing,
boating and swimming. He tried hard to overcome his fear but it held him firmly in its grip. Finally, one October he decided to get
an instructor and learn to swim. He started going to the pool 5 days a week, an hour each day.
Q9. What joys did his fear of water deprive him off?

Ans. The author’s fear of water-deprived him of the joy of having fun with his friends during their fishing trips and also the thrill
of canoeing, boating or swimming. The moment he would go near water, his fear of water would start haunting him.

Q10. How did the instructor make a swimmer out of Douglas?

Ans. The instructor put a belt around Douglas and attached a rope to the belt which went through a pulley that ran on an overhead
cable. He held on to the rope and went back and forth across the pool for three months, after which his terror of water slackened a
bit. He could put his face underwater and exhale and inhale with the nose out of the water. Then he learnt to kick with his legs for
many weeks till he could relax. After seven months he could swim the entire length of the pool.

Q11. How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror?

Ans. Douglas would still feel the old terror even after the instructor taught him to swim. To overcome this fear, he started talking
to terror and challenged it. He would go for another length of the pool after talking to terror. Still, to ensure that he conquered it
completely he went to Lake Wentworth, dived at Triggers Island and swam two miles to Stamp Act is land. He tried all strokes, put
his face underwater, and mocked at his terror which fled as he swam on.

Q12. What did the author mean by ‘But I was not finished’ after his swimming lessons with the instructor were over?

Ans. The author’s remark meant that he was not sure whether his old terror had left him. He still felt scared and frightened while
swimming the length of the pool up and down.

Q13. What impression do you get of Douglas from the essay?

Ans. Douglas was a brave and strong-willed person. Despite his horrifying experiences in water when he almost drowned, he
didn’t give up. He resolved to overcome his fear by learning to swim. He hired an instructor and with complete focus and
determination, he succeeded in learning to swim.

Q14. What did Douglas experience as he went down to the bottom of the pool for the first time?

Ans. The movement towards the bottom of the pool after being tossed in it by a big boy was gradual as he was in the deep side. He
felt nine feet to be ninety. His lungs were ready to burst before he touched the bottom. He did not lose his presence of mind and
tried to make a great jump upwards.

Q15. What two things did Douglas dislike to do? Which one did he have to do and why?

Ans. Douglas was very thin and hated to show his skinny legs. He was also scared of going into the pool alone. So he sat by the
poolside and waited for others to come.

Q16. ‘On the way down I planned’, remarks Douglas. What plan had he devised and how far did it succeed?

Ans. After being tossed into the deep side of the pool, Douglas planned to save himself from being drowned. He decided to spring
back to the surface like a cork after touching the bottom. Then he would lie flat on it, paddle to the edge and save himself. His plan
did not succeed. He tried to come up three times by putting his plan to action, but he could not do so and swallowed a lot of water
instead.

Q17. In what connection does Douglas mention ‘a big bruiser of a boy’?

Ans. Douglas talks about the boy who tossed him into the deep end of the Y.M.C.A pool. This boy was about eighteen, he had a
good physique and ‘was a big bruiser’ according to Douglas. This boy, after Douglas almost drowned, exclaimed that he was only
fooling.

Q18. How did Douglas initially feel when he went to the Y.M.C.A pool? What made him feel comfortable?

Ans. As Douglas started going to the Y.M.C.A pool to learn how to swim. His childhood fears and memories of the unpleasant
experience were revived. He gradually regained some confidence and started paddling with the help of water wings. He watched
other boys and copied their style. Slowly he started feeling more comfortable.

Q19. Give two character traits of Douglas that enabled him to overcome his fear of water.

Ans. Douglas had a strong-will and steadfastness of purpose. It is with the help of these two traits, i.e. his determination and fixity
of purpose that he was able to conquer terror and learn swimming.
Q20. What were the thoughts that came to Douglas’s mind when he was going towards the bottom of the pool for the third time?

Ans. When Douglas went down the third time, his effort ceased. He relaxed and his legs felt limp. He felt there was nothing to be
afraid of. It was nice and he felt drowsy, ready to sleep, too tired to jump. He felt he was floating and the tender arms of his mother
were carrying him gently and putting him to sleep.

Q21. When did Douglas decide to learn swimming? What were the options available to him?

Ans. Douglas decided to learn swimming when he was ten or eleven years old. The options available to him were the Yakima
River and the YMCA pool. The Yakima River was dangerous and many had drowned in it. So he closes the YMCA pool.

Q22. Why does Douglas recount a childhood experience of terror and his overcoming it?

Ans. Douglas suffered a handicap. He could not go for boating, swimming, canoeing and fishing. His willpower and determination
made him overcome it. He realised that there is the terror that fear produces. In death there is peace. He had experienced both the
sensation of dying and the terror that fear of it can produce. So the will to live somehow grew in intensity. He felt a release when
he overcame his fear.

Q21. What two things did Douglas dislike to do?

Ans. Douglas hated to walk naked into the pool and show his very thin legs. Secondly, he was afraid of going into the pool alone.
He would sit on the side of the pool and wait for others.

Q22. What shocking experience did Douglas have at YMCA pool?

Ans. At the age of ten or eleven, William O. Douglas decided to learn and swim at the YMCA pool because it was only two or
three feet deep at the shallow end. He had an aversion to the water but he felt comfortable when he paddled with his new water
wings in the water. One day he went to the pool when no one else was there. He was waiting for others to come. Then there came a
big bruiser of a boy who picked Douglas and ducked him into the deep end. He landed in a sitting position, swallowed water and
went at once to the bottom. Though he was saved, his fear of water intensified after this misadventure.

Q23. Why did Douglas fail to come to the surface of the pool as he hoped to?

Ans. When Douglas was thrown into the pool by a muscular boy, he landed in a sitting position, swallowed water and touched the
bottom. He was frightened but he had not lost his wit. He thought of a strategy to come up to the surface by making a big jump
when his feet touched the bottom. But his lungs were about to burst. He thought to spring back to the surface like a cock but he
moved slowly. He grew panicky and saw water everywhere. He reached up as if to catch a rope with his hands but he could not
clutch water and was paralysed.

Q24. How did Douglas’ introduction to YMCA pool revive his childhood fear of water?

Ans. At the age of ten or eleven, William O. Douglas decided to learn and swim at the Y.M.C.A pool because it was only two or
three feet deep at the shallow end. He had an aversion to the water but he felt comfortable when he paddled with his new water
wings in the water. One day he went to the pool when no one else was there. He was waiting for others to come. Then there came a
big bruiser who picked Douglas and ducked him into the deep land. He landed in a sitting position, swallowed water and went at
once to the bottom. This misadventure revived his childhood fear of water.

25. When Douglas realised that he was sinking, how did he plan to save himself?

Ans. When Douglas was thrown into the deep water of the pool, he was terrified. He knew that going to drown as he didn’t know
to swim. So he thought of a strategy to save himself. He decided that as his feet hit the bottom of the pool, he would make a big
jump and come to the surface. Then he would swim to the edge of the pool.

26. How did Douglas’ misadventure at the YMCA pool affect his later life?

Ans. Douglas’ misadventure at the YMCA pool developed an aversion of water in him. He suffered from, hydrophobia and could
not swim. As a result, he was devoid of pleasures of swimming, rafting, fishing, canoeing and other water sports. This made him
feel incomplete.

27. What factors led Douglas to decide in favour of Y.M.C.A. pool?

Ans. When Douglas was three years old, he was swept over by sea waves at the California beach. Since then he developed an
aversion to water. But he wanted to learn to swim. So he decided to learn to swim in a safer place. The Y.M.C.A. pool was the
safest pool with two or three feet deep at the shallow end and nine feet at the deep side. It was very safe even for the beginners.
Thus Douglas decided to learn to swim at the Y.M.C.A. pool.
28. Why did Douglas go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire? How did he make his terror flee?

Or

How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror?

Ans. After getting training from the instructor, Douglas, in pursuit of complete elimination of the fear of water, decided to go to
various water bodies. Finally, he decided to go to go to Lake Wentworth to test himself for fear. He swam there without fear,
which made his confidant believe that he had chased away all residual fears and terrors.

29. How did William Douglas’ aversion to water begin?

Or

Which two incidents in Douglas’ early life made him scared of water?

Ans. Douglas had a very bad experience at the age of three or four years. His father took him to the beach in California and there
he was knocked down by huge waves and was almost buried under water. This left a scary impact on his mind. Second, when he
was ten or eleven years old, a bruiser threw him into the Y.M.C.A. pool. This time he narrowly escaped death. He was saved from
getting drowned but an aversion to water overpowered him. As a result, he became scared of water and couldn’t enjoy swimming,
canoeing, fishing or any other water sport.

30. How did Douglas’s experience at the YMCA pool affect him?

Or

How did the incident at the YMCA pool affect Douglas later in life?

Ans. This incident spoiled the confidence of Douglas. He became hydrophobic and always avoided water. The moment he entered
the water, his limbs would become paralysed and a terror would grab him. This fear ruined his fishing trips. He could not enjoy
any water sports like canoeing, fishing, swimming, etc. due to this fear of water.

31. How did Douglas remove his residual doubts about his fear of water?

Or

“The instructor was finished. But I was not finished.” What does this refer to? Explain briefly.

Ans. The instructor worked with Douglas for seven months through rigorous training, the instructor made him get rid of his fear of
water. But still some vestiges of fear used to haunt Douglas whenever he was alone in the water. So he decided to go the various
water bodies to overcome his fear of water and become confident.

32. What was Douglas’ initial reaction on being thrown into the pool?

Ans. When Douglas was thrown into the pool, he was frightened. He knew that he was going to drown as he didn’t know to swim.
But even then he was not out of his wits. On his way down the pool, he planned that when he hit the bottom, he would make a big
jump, come to the surface, lie flat on it and paddle to the edge of the pool.

33. What sort of terror seized Douglas as he went down the water for a second time? How could he feel that he was still alive?

Ans. When Douglas went down for a second time, panic seized him. His lungs ached, his head throbbed and he was terrified. He
was shrieking and was paralysed under water. But he could realise that he was alive as he shook and trembled with fright. He
didn’t give up and tried for a third time to save himself.

34. What was the immediate effect of Douglas’ experience of nearly drowning in the pool? And what was the long-term effect?

Ans. The immediate effect was both physical and mental. He was sick and could not eat that night and was weak at the knees. It
took him many days to recover. The long-term effect was that he developed hydrophobia, i.e. fear of water, and, as a result, he
dreaded going near water to enjoy any water sport and fishing.

35. What happened to Douglas when he failed in his attempt to come onto the surface of the water a third time?

Ans. When Douglas was thrown into the pool, he tried his level best to save himself. He planned a strategy to come onto the
surface of the water. He tried twice but failed. As Douglas went down for the third time, he sucked water as he tried to breathe air.
Then all his efforts stopped. He had a blackout. Everything became quiet and calm.
36. Why did Douglas want to overcome his fear of water?

Ans. Douglas wanted to overcome his fear of water because this fear had become his handicap. The moment he entered the water,
his limbs would become paralysed and terror would grab him. This fear ruined all his fishing trips. He could not do canoeing,
boating and swimming. So in order to enjoy his life completely, he decided to overcome his fear of water.

37. Why couldn’t Douglas come up in his first attempt?

Ans. Douglas couldn’t come up in his first attempt, though he tried his best. His strategy didn’t work. His strategy was that when
his feet hit the bottom, he would make a big jump, come onto the surface, lie flat on it and paddle to the edge. But by the time he
reached the bottom, he felt as if his lungs were about to burst and he became helpless.

38. How did Douglas get rid of all the residual fear of water that he had?

Ans. The instructor had built as swimmer out of Douglas. But still same vestiges of fear used to haunt S whenever he was alone in
the water. In order to get rid of all the residual fear, Douglas swam across various water bodies. He went up to the Tieton to
Conrad Meadows, up the Conrad Creek ‘Bail to Meade Glacier and, finally, camped at Warm Lake.

39. Explain how Douglas felt when he was thrown into the pool. What plan did he make to come to the surface?

Ans. When Douglas was thrown into the pool, he got frightened and a sense of panic gripped him. But still was not out of his wits.
He thought of a strategy to save himself. He decided that as his feet hit the bottom of the pool, he would make a big jump and
come to the surface. He would lie flat on it and paddle to the edge of the pool.

Important Long/ Detailed Answer Type Questions- to be answered in about 100 -150 words each Value-based questions-

Q1. How did the swimming instructor ‘build a swimmer’ out of Douglas?

Ans. William Douglas had a most frightening and nightmarish experience at the Y.M.C.A pool when a boy of eighteen had tossed
him into the pool and he had had a near brush with death. The terror that he experienced and the resulting fear of water prevented
him from enjoying fishing, canoeing, swimming etc. with his friends. The fear became so deep-rooted that Douglas then decided to
overcome it.

The first step he took was to get an instructor. The instructor made him swim five days a week and very patiently taught him how
to exhale underwater and inhale above water. He made him practise very hard five days a week, an hour each day. His safety was
ensured when the instructor put a belt around him, with a hook and a rope attached to it. An overhead cable had a pulley in it and
the rope going over it. The instructor would hold the rope while Douglas swam from one end of the pool to the other. In about six
months, and with a lot of hard work and determination, Douglas was able to perfect the art of swimming. His instructor had built a
swimmer out of him, bit by bit.

Q2. A big boy threw Douglas into the swimming pool. How did this experience affect Douglas?

Ans. William Douglas had decided to overcome his childhood fear of water and joined the Y.M.C.A swimming pool. He had
gradually gathered confidence and was trying to learn swimming by using water wings and aping other boys. Just when he was
beginning to feel at ease, the misadventure happened.

A big boy, about eighteen years of age, saw Douglas sitting by the poolside and tossed him into the deep side of the pool. Douglas
was frightened but did not lose his wits. He planned the strategy of giving himself a thrust just as he would touch the bottom and
then move up to the surface of the water and float towards the edge. His plans failed and thrice he went up and down in the water,
being unable to reach the surface and breathe. He had almost given up when he was rescued. The boy admitted that he was only
‘fooling’.

Douglas had to pay a heavy price for this ‘joke’. He was shocked and trembled when he recovered from this incident. But worse
was the fact that his fear turned into terror and a sort of phobia. He could not get into the Cascades or bathe in the Warm Lake. He
could not even go for fishing, canoeing, boating or swimming. His fear of water deprived him of all the joys that he wanted to
experience in the water. He tried hard to overcome his fear but psychologically, the fear had a strong hold on him.

3. How did Douglas try to save himself from drowning in the YMCA pool?

Ans. When Douglas was flung into the swimming pool by a big boy, he became fearful. But he thought rationally and planned a
strategy to save himself self f from drowning. He decided that as he hit the bottom of the pool, he would take a big jump to come to
the surface of the water. Then he would lie flat and paddle to the edge of the pool. But unfortunately, it took so long for him to
reach the bottom and felt as if his lungs would burst. Even then he tried to take a big jump using all his might but in vain. Once
again, he tried the same technique but his action did not produce the desired result. Finally, panic seized him. His limbs got numb
and he fainted.
4. How did Douglas develop an aversion to water?

Or

‘I crossed to oblivion, and the curtain of life fell.’ What was the incident which nearly killed Douglas and developed in him a
strong aversion to water?

Ans. When Douglas was three or four years old, his father took him to the beach in California. The waves of the sea knocked him
down and almost buried him in water. He was terrified and unable to breathe. Since then he developed an aversion to water. Later
on, when he was ten or eleven years old, one day while sitting on the side of the swimming pool, he was flung into the pool by a
bruiser.

It was really an encounter with death. He underwent a terrible experience in his attempt to save himself. He almost drowned in
water, which suffocated him, an abject fear immobilised his limbs. Though he was rescued, he became hydrophobic. He could not
swim and do any other water activities like canoeing, fishing, boating, rafting, etc. Every time he came in contact with water, pangs
of panic would paralyse him. He spent many years of his life under this fear and then finally decided to conquer it.

5. Douglas fully realised the truth of Roosevelt’s statement, “All we have to fear is fear itself.” How did this realization help him
brush aside his fear and become an expert swimmer?

Ans. Fear is a paralysing emotion. It restricts all kinds of efforts, creativity and all kinds of ventures that one thinks of achieving.
But with the help of grit, determination and hard work, fear can be conquered. William Douglas proved this. He chased away his
fear of water by first psychoanalysing it and then treating it in a systematic manner. After his misadventure at YMCA pool,
Douglas has developed hydrophobia. In spite of that, he hired a professional trainer and learnt swimming step by step. Due to his
strong willpower and rigorous practice, Douglas was made a swimmer by the trainer. But even now Douglas was not satisfied and
set a higher benchmark for his perfection and devised various tests and situations to defeat the fear in all forms. Thus, ultimately,
Douglas was able to overpower his fear of water completely and became an expert swimmer .

6. Desire, determination and diligence lead to success. Explain the value of these qualities in the light of Douglas’ experience in
Deep Water.

Or

Courage and optimism are attributes that can make the impossible possible. Elucidate with reference to Deep Water.

Ans. It is only through courage, desire and determination that man has succeeded in making the impossible possible. The most
appropriate example is William Douglas’ pursuit to overcome his fear of water. After the terrible experience of almost drowning at
the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool, Douglas developed a fear of water. The moment he entered the water, pangs of panic paralysed his
lumps. He spent many years of his life, under this fear. But finally, he decided to overcome this fear and succeeded in his attempts
due to his relentless efforts and positive approach. He hired the services of an instructor, who after rigorous training and special
technique, built a swimmer out of him. It took Douglas almost seven months to overcome this fear. But, finally, Douglas proved
that it was courage, determination, desire, diligence and optimism that made him get rid of fear.

7. ‘This handicap stayed with me as the years rolled by.’ Which handicap is being referred to and what are the events that made
Douglas handicapped?

Ans. The handicap being referred to is the fear of water Douglas had developed due to some unfortunate incidents in his childhood.
As a result, he could not enjoy water sports and swimming. When he was three or four years old, his father took him to the beach
in California. Douglas was knocked down by the sea waves and was almost buried in water. He developed an aversion to water.
Moreover, when he was ten or eleven years old, a bruiser flung him into a swimming pool. At that time he had a terrible
experience. He was almost in the water, which suffocated him and the fear immobilised his limbs. However, he somehow escaped
drowning. Since then he was scared of water and could not enjoy canoeing, swimming, rafting, fishing, etc. This became a
handicap for him, as he was deprived of the joy of water sports and swimming.

8. But I was not finished.’ Describe how Douglas gained confidence as a swimmer after the instructor had left him.

Ans. Douglas was slowly made a swimmer by the instructor. He trained him to overcome his fear of water, swim, move his legs
and inhale and exhale while swimming. In seven months, the instructor made a swimmer out of Douglas. But Douglas was not
confident as yet. The vestiges of fear of water still haunted him. So he decided to swim in various pools and lakes to completely
overcome his fear. He went to the Tieton to Conrad Meadows, up the Conrad Creek Trail, to Meade Glacier and finally swam in
Warm Lake. After this, Douglas was confident that he had completely overcome his fear of water.

9. Do you think that ‘Deep Water’ is an appropriate title? Give reasons in support of your answer.

Ans. ‘Deep Water’ is the most appropriate title for the chapter. Literally ‘deep water’ means ‘in trouble’. The author suffered from
hydrophobia and was really afraid of going deep in water. The misadventure at the YMCA pool made his efforts more difficult
when a big bruiser threw him into deep water. The author underwent a series of emotions under water. He made a plan to come up
to the surface of the water but failed. He was somehow rescued and saved. In order to overcome his fear, he hired an instructor and
mastered each step of swimming. His grit, determination and rigorous practice enabled him to be an expert swimmer. The title
signifies that the phobia of water was very deep rooted and had to be pulled out with great difficulty.

Value Based Questions and Answers of Deep Water

VALUE BASED QUESTIONS

Answer the following questions

Q1. Roosevelt said, “All we have to fear is fear’. Do you agree? Take evidence from ‘Deep Water’ and express your views in 120-
150 words.

Ans. Roosevelt rightly said that it is fear that is the greatest impediment in the path of success. It hampers progress as it limits us. It
is only when we overcome the fear that we can achieve success.

Douglas had an aversion for water. It deprived him of activities like swimming, boating, fishing and canoeing. He decided to take
steps to overcome this fear. He resolved to learn swimming by engaging an instructor. The instructor built Douglas into a
swimmer. In six months he conquered his fear. However, even though he could now swim, he still felt terrified of water. With
willpower and determination, he gradually overcame fear.

Q2. Douglas was tossed into the pool by a bruiser of a boy Bullying is prevalent in schools and colleges. Write an article on
‘Bullying, a threat to the development of a child.’

Ans. Douglas had developed a fear of water since childhood. At the Y.M.C.A Swimming Pool, a big bruiser of a boy suddenly
played a dangerous prank and pushed him into the water. The narrator was frightened.

Bullying can cause long-term problems to the victims of bullying. Educators and students themselves have to take measures to
curb this problem. Children must take the initiative and report the cases immediately to parents and teachers. Douglas, with his
determination and perseverance, could overcome his fear. Similarly, victims of bullying can also do so. It is important for children
to have open communication with parents.

3. Cases of older children bullying younger ones have become alarmingly common, especially in the school How would you
connect it to William Douglas’ experience at the YMCA swimming pool? What is the mindset of the modern youth that is reflected
through such incidents? Which values do you think we must imbibe in order to change?

Ans. Bullying at school or at college is common. Senior students making fun and at times physically assaulting and mentally
torturing the juniors have become very common nowadays. This is what happened with Douglas at the YMCA pool when a big
bruiser threw him into the deep water. The youth today When that by such acts they want to showcase their might. But they fail to
understand that the one who exerts his might on the weaker is the weakest. We need to speculate the reason for bullying others and
also the way to fight such bullies and to save ourselves. The first quality that the youth needs to nurture is confidence in themselves
and to be free from any complexes. They need to be honest and accept their weakness or shortcomings bravely. They should never
pretend to be over smart. On the other hand, they should not allow everyone to order them or unnecessarily overpower them. The
present youth must imbibe the toughness, right approach, willpower and concerted efforts. Thus, if the present generation is
vigilant, confident and cautious, evils like bullying will soon be overcome.

4. There is terror only in the fear of death’, as Roosevelt knew when he said, ‘All we have to fear is fear itself.’ Coming face to
face with fear, instead of suppressing it, helps one to do away with it completely, just like Douglas did in the story ‘Deep Water’.
What qualities should one possess to live a rich and fulfilling life by overcoming fear?

Ans. Fear is just a state of mind and as Roosevelt has rightly said, ‘All we have to fear is fear itself.’ No doubt, if one wants to live
a fulfilled life, one must get rid of all kinds of fears that restrict one’s happiness. But most of us live in the fear of one thing or the
other throughout our life. One needs to be strong and determined, like Douglas, to overcome fear. When he was flung into the pool
by a bruiser, Douglas did not give up. Though fearful, he showed his determination to save himself by attempting three times to
come on the surface. In spite of being hydrophobic, Douglas decided to conquer his fear of water. It was only due to his willpower
and perseverance that the instructor could build a swimmer out of him. His persistent efforts and rigorous practice were the key
factors. Even after the instructor told him that he had become a swimmer, Douglas tested himself by swimming in different lakes
and finally got satisfaction at Warm Lake. It was his steadiness and tenacity which empowered him to fight and shed away the fear
from his mind.