THIRD LEVEL

What does the third level refer to?

The third level was the subway of the Grand Central Station, and it took passengers from
Galesburg, Illinois. Metaphorically it refers to an escape medium that takes man away from
the harsh realities of life. In the present world, people are lost in the rush to achieve more
and are clouded by worries and anxieties. A man wishes to fulfill the wishes that are rooted
in his subconscious mind. The third level provided space to fabricate fantasy and reality.
Did Sam really go to Galesburg or was it Charley’s figment of imagination?

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.

Would Charley ever go back to the ticket-counter on the third level to buy tickets to
Galesburg for himself and his wife?

No, Charley would never go back to the ticket- counter on the third level to
buy tickets to Galesburg for himself and his wife. He withdrew three
hundred dollars from the bank so that he could arrange some “old
currency” since it belonged to a different time period. He could not find
the third level since it was just a strand of his imagination to escape reality
and has entered the world of romance and fantasy.

4. Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why?

Yes, I think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley.
The third level is an escape for Charley from the modern setting of
worry and insecurity. It is an escape from the unhappy
contemporary world that is full of insecurity, fear, war, and worry
5. What do you infer from Sam’s letter to Charley?
The letter was addressed to Charley but mailed to his grandfather in Galesburg, Illinois.
It was mailed in 1894 and now appears in his grandfather’s collection. The letter was
suddenly found among the first-day covers where it had never been seen earlier.
Moreover, the contents of the letter are exactly what Charley thought about Galesburg
of 1890s.
Sam's letter to Charley is a mystery that blends together the worlds of reality and
fantasy, and thus, needs further exploring. There are two perspectives from which one
can look at the letter. At one level, it proves that Sam has reached Galesburg of 1984.
However, if we look at a deeper level, we can infer that the letter is just another instance
of his hallucination or dreams of escapism. It is possible that while Charley was looking
at the old first-cover letter, he was carried away to a different world where the letter
was sent to Charley by Sam. The letter reflects Sam’s undeterred urge that forces him to
keep looking for the third level.

6. The modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and stress. What are the ways in
which we attempt to overcome them?

We can overcome the anxieties and insecurities bred by our inevitable existence in the
modern world by getting involved in some practical and beneficial activities. Cultivating
hobbies, spending time with family and friends, going on trips and excursions, pursuing
meditation and exercises help us live a balanced and healthy life. Reading good books is
equivalent to having good friends with great insight. They not only enrich us with the
vast store of knowledge but also help us to learn from other’s experience and stay
rooted to some basic qualities of humanity. Joining hobby classes or gym, attending
social events like birthdays and weddings, going for outdoor games, interacting
meaningfully through social-networking sites and writing diaries etc can also help us
relieve our worries and stay focussed and disciplined in life. Simple activities like
listening to music, playing with pets, an occasional dinner out, watching cinema or plays
or going to places like parks etc can go a long way in helping us get rid of stress,
boredom and insecurities.
(The above answer is only a sample provided for students' reference. It is strongly
recommended that students prepare the answer on their own.)

7. Do you see an intersection of time and space in the story?

Yes, there are certain instances in the story that show an intersection of time and space.
Firstly, the first two levels of Grand Central Station were located in the present time
while the third level existed in the 1890s. Secondly, Charley and his wife, Louisa, live in
the present time yet he rushes to get old currency to buy two tickets to go to the
Galesburg of 1894. Further, the old architecture of the platform at the third level is
different from the modern platforms of the first two levels. Besides, the archaic manner
of dressing by the people, and the newspaper, The World, dated June 11, 1984 also
overlaps with Charley’s real time world and existence. Lastly, the letter that was mailed
to Charley’s grandfather on 18th July, 1894 highlights the intersection of time and space
as the sender (Charley’s friend Sam) and receiver (Charley himself) belong to the
present time.

8. Apparent illogicality sometimes turns out to be a futuristic projection?

Discuss.

Yes, apparent illogicality sometimes turns out to be a futuristic projection because

illogicality needs inventions and discoveries. One person has to be illogical and plan
things to make inventions. All the inventions made in the world were just illogical ideas
before they actually turned into reality. An illogical idea is the seed for future projection.

9. 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?

Another way in which philately helps to keep the past alive is by storing things that do
not exist anymore. Such as letters, currencies, manuscripts, ancient utensils, etc. should
be saved and kept. Museums should be built to preserve such ancient and historic items.
This helps to keep the past alive, pass on the knowledge to future generations, and
extract knowledge about what was done, where we have come now, and what can be
done in the future. I think the human tendency to constantly move between the past,
present, and future is quite amazing, since it develops a connection between different
time spaces. People often long from where they have come and still want to grow in the
future. The curiosity about what our past was about led to discoveries of various
monuments, concepts, functions, and lifestyles of ancient people. We were able to learn
about our evolution. The curiosity of what will happen in the future also helps us
prevent some major mishappenings from taking place or maybe it can be used to reduce
the effect of the mishappening. For example: weather forecasting.

Short Questions and answers

How does the narrator describe himself? What made him take the

subway from Grand Central?

The narrator got lost once when he ducked into an arched doorway

heading for the subway. Where did he come out?

What does the narrator think of Grand Central? What does it symbolize?

What strange things did the narrator see when he reached the third
level of Grand Central?

How did the man on the third level appear to the narrator?

What did the narrator do to make sure that he was actually at the third

level of Grand Central?

Why did the narrator turn towards the ticket windows? Why did he run

back from there?

How does the narrator describe Galesburg, Illinois?

What did the narrator do the next day?

How does the narrator’s psychiatrist friend react to the narrator’s

statement that the third level exists?

How did Louisa react when the narrator told his wish to go to the third

level to buy tickets?

Why was going to the psychiatrist the obvious step? Did it help?

Why could Charley not be convinced by his distractions that the third

level was only a wish fulfilment?

What happened to the narrator’s psychiatrist friend Sam Weiner? What

do you deduce from it?

Why was Charley sure that his psychiatrist friend had gone back to the

year 1894 in Galesburg?

What is the first-day cover?

Describe the first-day cover envelope that the narrator found among his

collection.

What had Sam Weiner written on the paper in the first-day cover?
What did the narrator find about Sam Weiner when he went to the

stamp and coin store?

What is the evidence that Charley often sought escape through time

travel?

Discuss the irony at the end of the chapter.