A. 1. What does the third level refer to? What is the significance of the third level ?
Ans -The third level is a medium of escape through which man earns to away from life's harsh realities . Modern life is devoid of peace and tranquility . So man in his quest to seek solace escapes to a place where his aim is to seek the realisation of his dreams and unfulfilled wishes of his subconscious mind .
2. What continued Charley that he had reached the third level at Grand Central Station and not he second level ?
Ans - The general layout of the third level was different from that of the second level . It had comparatively smaller rooms , fewer ticket windows and lesser train gates . The information booth in the centre was made of wood and looked old . The place with brass spittoons did not look very bright . So Charley was convinced it was not the second level .
3. How does Charley , the narrator describe the third level at Grand Central Station ?
Ans - Charley says that the rooms on the third level were smaller then that of the second level . There were fewer ticket windows and train gates and the information booth in the centre was wood and old looking . There were open- flame gaslights and brass spittoons on the floor. Everyone at the station was dressed in nineteenth century dresses .
4. How did Charley make sure that he was not in the present time ?
Ans - To make sure that he was not in the present time , Charley did a reality check. He looked at the newspaper which were on sale at a kiosk and found a copy of the newspaper ' The world ' which carried the main story on President Cleveland . Then he confirmed from the public library files that the newspaper he had seen was dated 11th June 1894.
5. How did Charley often get lost on the Grand Central Station ?
Ans - The Grand Central Station was growing like a tree pushing out endless corridors, doorways , and stairs like roots. It had intricate and tangled path ways . The network of passages was so complicated that instead of reaching his destination . One did tend to move up and down to look for entries and exists . So, Charley often got lost on their station .
6. Why dis Charley suspect that Sam had gone to Galesburg ?
Ans - When Sam disappeared all of a sudden and no one knew about his whereabouts , Charley suspected he had gone to Galesburg as Sam was a city boy and liked Galesburg very much . Then Charley found an envelope mailed to Sam by his grandfather from his home in Galesburg and so it confirmed that Sam was indeed in Galesburg .
7. How did Charley describe Galesburg as it used to be in 1894 ?
Ans - Charley describes Galesburg as a quiet , simple and peaceful place with big old frame houses , huge lawns and tremendous trees. The summer evening were rather long and people sat out their lawns in a peaceful world , men smoking cigars and women weaving palm leaf fans .
8. What did Charley learn about Sam from the stamp and coin store ?
Ans - From the stamp and coin store Charley gets to know that Sam had bought old style currency worth eight hundred dollars . This money was sufficient to set him up in a little hay , feed and grain business in Galesburg .
9. How did Sam reach Galesburg ? What did he advise Charley to do ?
Ans - Sam was fascinated by Charley's description of Galesburg . He was so burdened by the tensions and stress of modern life that he thought of escaping to the peaceful world of Galesburg . His advice to Charley is that , he and his wife , Lousia should come over to Galesburg through the medium of the ' Third Level '.
10. Why did the clerk refuse to accept the money ?
Ans - The booking clerk refuses to accept the money because the notes Charley had given him were of old style. He did not pay in the currency notes that were in circulation in 1894. So the clerk stared at him and told him , " that ain't money Mister ". He thought Charley was trying to cheat him and even threatened to cheat him and even threatened to get him arrested .
11. Why did Charley rush back from the third level ?
Ans - When Charley took out the modern currency to pay for the two tickets to Galesburg , the ticket clerk accused him of trying to cheat him . He threatened to hand Charley over to the police. Charley was frightened and he decided to rush back from the third level .
B. 1. How did Charley reach the third level of Grand Central ? How was it different from the other levels ?
Ans- One night Charley worked till late at the office . Then he was in a hurry to get back to see his wife Louisia . So he decided to take the subway from Grand Central . He went down the steps and came to the first level . Then he walked down to the second level from where the suburban trains left. He ducked into an arched doorway that headed to the subway . Then he got lost knowing that he was going wrong he continued to walk downward . The tunnel turned a sharp left and then taking a short flight of stairs he came out on the third level at the Grand Central station . Here he saw many unusual things . There were very few ticket windows and train gates that were old looking and made of wood . Dim gas lights filckered and men wore derby hats and four button suits . It was rather a strange world of sideburns , beards and fancy moustaches .
2. Do you think that the third level was medium of escape for Charley ?
Ans - The fears , anxieties and insecurities of the modern world are taking a toll on man's mind. He feels helpless and frustrated and seeks temporary respite and frustrated and seeks temporary respite from life's harsh realities . Charley too was unable to cope up with his fastpaced and stress full life , so his flight to the third level was undoubtedly a medium of escape from him . It is nothing but a creation of Charley's own mind . He wants to escape from the modern world's insecurity , fear and worries and stress and so seeks an exit , a medium to get away into the world of dreams and fantacies .
