English

1. THE THIRD LEVEL
Class XII - ENGLISH
(VISTAS)
Jack Finney

2. THE THIRD LEVEL (RECAP)
Plot & Setting
Grand Central Station: Features the mysterious third level that exists beyond the
two known levels
Time Setting: Contrasts modern-day New York with 1894 Galesburg, Illinois
Main Plot: Charley's journey to locate the third level again after initially
discovering it by accident
Resolution: Charley receives a postcard from Sam dated July 18, 1894,
suggesting Sam found the third level

3. THE THIRD LEVEL (RECAP)
Major Characters
Charley: Protagonist and narrator, a 31-year-old who discovers the third level
Louisa: Charley's supportive but concerned wife who worries about his
obsession
Sam Weiner: Charley's psychiatrist friend who disappears and later sends a
postcard from 1894

4. THE THIRD LEVEL (RECAP)
Themes
Escapism
Desire to flee from modern stress and responsibilities
Using fantasy as a psychological refuge
Romanticizing the past as simpler and happier
Fantasy vs. Reality
Blurred boundaries between imagination and truth
Psychological escape through fantasy worlds
Questioning what constitutes "real" experience

5. THE THIRD LEVEL (RECAP)
Time Travel
Used as metaphor for psychological escape
Portal between different time periods
Represents desire to return to a golden age
Modern Life & Stress
Anxiety from world wars and the atomic age
Fast-paced, insecure modern existence
Critique of contemporary life's pressures
Themes

6. THE THIRD LEVEL (RECAP)
First-person unreliable narrator creating ambiguity
Elements of surrealism and magical realism
Ambiguous ending open to multiple interpretations
Nostalgic tone and vivid descriptions of both time periods
Use of the stamp collection as a symbolic plot device
Literary Techniques

7. THE THIRD LEVEL (RECAP)
 Charley accidentally discovers the third level while taking a new route
 He attempts to purchase train tickets with modern currency but is refused
 Despite repeated searches, he fails to find the third level again
 His psychiatrist friend Sam disappears mysteriously
 Charley discovers a newly-added stamp in his collection with a message
from Sam in 1894
Important Incidents

8. • "The Third Level" is a short story written by Jack Finney, which is set in Grand Central Station
in New York City. It revolves around the protagonist, Charley, who discovers a mysterious
third level at the train station, which leads to a bygone era. The story is a blend of fantasy and
reality, and it explores the theme of escapism.
• The protagonist, Charley, is a man in his thirties who is struggling with his mundane life and
his job. He is fascinated by the idea of time travel and often daydreams about going back to
the past. One day, while going back home, he stumbles upon the third level at the train
station. He finds himself transported to a different time period, the year 1894, where he meets
a psychiatrist who helps him return to the present.
• The story ends on an ambiguous note, leaving the readers wondering whether the third level
was real or just a figment of Charley's imagination. It suggests that people may use escapism
to cope with their present problems and seek refuge in the past or the future.
• In conclusion, "The Third Level" is a thought-provoking story that explores the human
tendency to escape from reality. It highlights the importance of living in the present and
facing our problems instead of seeking refuge in the past or the future.
Summary

9. • Talks about insecurity, fear, and war.
• Narrator is Charlie and he seems anxious.
• Charlie wants to find a peaceful place like Galesburg.
• Ends up in a Grand Central Station corridor that takes him to the year
1894.
• The nice place he imagines is called the "Third Level" by the author.
• "Third Level" is a made-up place that exists only in people's thoughts, not
in real space or time.
• It's a way for people to escape from the stresses of life.
• The chapter is set in Grand Central Station, New York.
• The title "Third Level" is perfect because it represents the imaginary place
in people's minds and the actual place in the story.
Title

10. 1) How did Charley come to know that he had reached the third level?
Ans- Charley came to know that he had reached the third level when he saw fewer
ticket counters and an information booth which looked old as it was made of wood.
He saw gaslights that flickered and brass spittoons on the third level. The men and
women on that level were dressed in the fashion of the 1890s and he also saw a
Currier Ives steam engine which had a funnel shaped stack.
2) What is a First day Cover?
Ans- 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.
3) Why did Charley run away from the Third Level ?
Ans- Charley offered his currency notes to the ticket seller to buy two tickets for
Galesburg in 1894. But in 1894, the currency notes were different. The ticket seller thought
that Charley was trying to cheat him. Charley did not want to go to jail in 1894, so he ran
away.

11. 4) Do you think The Third level was medium of escape for Charley? Why?
Ans- According to me, the third level was a medium of escape for Charley. He lived in
troubled times past World War II when life was full of struggles. In such a situation, it is
natural for a person to find an escape from problems. A chanced experience of going to
the third level, thereby travelling to the past in 1894, made Charley believe that he has
the opportunity to go back to his past and escaping from his problems. Even though he
returned to his real life and tried to forget the third level his friend Sam’s disappearance
forced him to believe in the existence of third level and a hope that he could also travel
in 1894 just like Sam.
5) Do you see any intersection of time and space in the story?
Ans- Yes, an intersection of time and space is seen in the story. Charley, as an escapist
moves in past from present. He reaches in the last century 1894, which is practically
impossible but due to his imagination he was shifted to the third level and found himself
desiring to go to Galesburg. The author Jack Finney is a science fiction writer and
presents the intersection of time and space. Thereby introducing a futuristic concept
which the readers may find illogical and improbable.

12. It's when different time periods (like present and past) connect through a physical
location. In science fiction, this is often called a "portal" or "gateway" between times.
The third level of Grand Central Station serves as a portal
This single physical space connects two different time periods: Present-day New York
(Charley's normal time)1894 Galesburg, Illinois (the past he wants to escape to)
Jack Finney is known for writing science fiction. The story uses the science fiction concept
of time travel. Instead of a machine, he uses a magical/mysterious place (the third level)
This may seem "illogical" or "improbable" but is a common device in science fiction