Third Level Summary – It is a story about a 31-year-old man name, Charlie. Besides, this is a psychological story that refers to the subway at the grand central railway station which takes passengers to Galesburg. In addition, this subway becomes the interconnection between the narrator’s harsh reality and fantasy. Moreover, the third level was a way of escape for Charley. As life in the modern world is full of uncertainties worries and stress, it takes Charley to a different world that his friend also calls, “a walking dream wish fulfilment.” Further, the story is about Charley’s tendency to escape from the world. Most importantly, the third level starts because of Sam’s letter written on 18th July 1984. This story shows the connection between time and space.

1. THE THIRD
LEVEL
By : Jack Finny

2. • About Author
• Theme
• Characters
• Summary
• Moral
• Connection

3. About Author
Jack Finney (October 2, 1911 – November 14,
1995) was an American author. His best-known
works are science fiction and thrillers, including
The Body Snatchers and Time and Again. The
former was the basis for the 1956 movie Invasion
of the Body Snatchers and its remakes.

4. • After his father died when Finney was three years old,
he was renamed Walter Braden Finney in honour of
his father, but continued to be known as "Jack". He
attended Knox College in Galesburg, graduating in
1934.
• Finney's greatest success came with his
science fiction novel Time and Again (1970).
It involves Time travel to the past, a theme
he had experimented with previously in
short stories.

5. THEME
‘The Third Level’ is a story that weaves together a psychological
journey of the narrator into past, present and moves towards
future. There is always a natural human tendency to constantly
move between the past, the present and the future. Past, present
and future are strategically and organically interconnected.
‘The Third Level’ is a study of
human mind caught in this cycle
of time.

6. Characte
rs
CHARLEY : Main character, 31 years old, collected
stamps.👨
SAM
:
Charley’s friend( psychiatrist).👬
LOUISA : Charley’s wife.👩

7. 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 . 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

8. 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.

9. MORAL
There is a saying that your PAST
determine your Future , but
actually there is a gift called
PRESENT or reality Which will
determine your coming FUTURE ,
leaving behind the past .

10. CONNECTIO
N
In the world of reality everyone is just concern about
there future, what will happen in future with me. But
they don’t know that there reality in present will only
help in determining the future .
NOTE: I am not saying that you should not think
about your future, yes you should have a dream or a
vision about the future but that dream will only be
fulfilled when you will work on your reality i.e.
present...

11. Thank You