Q.1. What does the third level refer to?
Ans. The third level refers to the imaginary third underground level of the Grand Central Railway Station.
Q.2. Would Charley ever go back to the ticket counter on the third level to buy tickets to Galesburg for himself and his wife?
Ans. No, Charley would never be able to reach the third level again.
Q.3. Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why?
Ans. Yes, I think the third level was a medium of escape for Charley. He had a strange day-dream wish to escape from his present worries. He wanted to escape into the past. He believed that in the old days, life was peaceful. People in his grandfather's time lived a carefree life. All those charms were lost. The present day world is full of worries, wars, tension and haste. Charley was always lost in his own thoughts. He was unaware of his surroundings. One day he found himself in the lobby of the Roosevelt Hotel and some other time he came up in an office building. Another day, he reached the third level.
Q.4. What do you infer from Sam's letter to Charley?
Ans. Sam was a psychiatrist. But he too had his dreams. The description of Galesburg given by Charley infected him. He too wanted to escape from the present world. He did not like to pursue his present profession. He wanted to live in a small town like Galesburg. He wanted to settle as hay, feed and grain businessman. So, he also discovered the 'third level' to escape. The letter he wrote to Charley bore the postmark of July 18, 1894. Probably, it was a first day cover sent to Charley's grandfather by somebody. But strangely, the letter was addressed to Charley by Sam. It meant that Sam had really escaped into the past. He had crossed the boundaries of time and space to reach the Galesburg of 1894. Or else, it was Charley who was day-dreaming.
Q.5. What did the psychiatrist think when Charley told him about the third level?
Ans. There were only two levels at the Grand Central Station. When Charley told the psychiatrist that he had been to the third level, he believed that Charley was day-dreaming. He was trying to escape from the worries and tensions of the present day world.
Q.6. 'The modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and stress.' What are the ways in which we attempt to overcome them?
Ans. The past has always been alluring. Man always believes that the past was pleasant, without haste and worries. People lived carefree lives. So, we try to escape from the present realities to the imaginary past. We do so in different ways. But it is our imagination that pays the major role. We write or read charming stories about the past.
Sometimes we read stories of love and adventure. Some people pursue some hobbies like music, stamp collecting, painting, or reading religious scriptures.
