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Xii s.1 PPT of The Third Level

Charley claims to have discovered a "third level" at Grand Central Station in New York that transports him to 1894. His psychiatrist friend, Sam, dismisses it as imagination but later disappears. Charley finds an old letter from Sam posted from 1894, confirming the existence of the third level. The story explores the theme of time travel and escapism from the present.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
527 views20 pages

Xii s.1 PPT of The Third Level

Charley claims to have discovered a "third level" at Grand Central Station in New York that transports him to 1894. His psychiatrist friend, Sam, dismisses it as imagination but later disappears. Charley finds an old letter from Sam posted from 1894, confirming the existence of the third level. The story explores the theme of time travel and escapism from the present.

Uploaded by

l28558142
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MEENAKSHI AMMAL GLOBAL SCHOOL

ENGLISH PROJECT

NAME : MARIO FIRMIN MR


CLASS : XII
SUBJECT : ENGLISH
TOPIC : THIRD LEVEL
THE THIRD LEVEL
-Jack Finney

1
About the author
Walter Braden ‘Jack Finney’ (1911-
1995) was an American author.
He graduated in 1934 from Knox
College , Illinois. He was best
known for his science fiction and
thrillers. In 1987, he was given
the World Fantasy Award for
Lifetime Achievement.
THEME
’The Third Level’ explores the science fiction genre
of ‘time travel’. It interweaves fantasy with the
reality in the most futuristic projection of time
travel. The story also dwells on the theme of
escapism, not only as a psychological refuge from
the grim realities of the present day world but also
as a desire to stay with the past or to keep the
past alive in the complexities of the present.
This story is about time intersection , an illusion,
a kind of long dream that we do not experience
during our sleep.
SUMMARY

Charley , a 31 year old


American claims of having
been to the third level of the
Grand Central Station, New
York City. However, the rail
authorities swear of only two levels.
Charley consults his psychiatrist friend who
calls it ‘a waking-dream wish fulfilment’.
His wife, Louisa became worried.
LOUISA CHARLEY
PSYCHIATRIST
The friend explains that the modern world is full
of insecurity, fear, war and worry. Therefore, he
wants to escape into the world of dreams and
fancies – the third level. His stamp collecting
is nothing but a ‘temporary refuge from
One night Charley is in a hurry to get to his
apartment and takes the subway from Grand
Central . He goes down the steps to the first level
and then to the second level. The suburban trains
like the Twentieth Century leave from
there. He ducks into an arched-doorway
heading for the subway and gets lost.
It is quite easy to get
lost in the Grand Central.
It is growing like a tree
with endless corridors,
doorways and staircases
like roots.
Charley finds himself
on the third level.
On the third level, Charley
discovers a different world of
open-flame gaslights and
brass spittoons.

Men were dressed like 1890s with derby hats,


black four-button suits with tiny lapels.

They had old-fashioned


beards, sideburns and
handlebar moustaches.
Women wore dresses with leg-of-
mutton sleevesand skirts to the top
of their high-buttoned shoes.

Charley catches a glimpse of a


Currier and Ives locomotive
with a funnel-shaped stack.
Charley walks over to a newsboy and glances at
the newspaper, ‘The World’, dated 11thJune 1894,
with the lead story about President Cleveland.
Charley goes to the ticket
counter to get two tickets,
for himself and Louisa, for
Galesburg, Illinois.

Galesburg is a wonderful
town with big houses,
huge lawns, plenty of
trees and people with lots
of leisure time.
At the ticket
counter, the clerk
is surprised to see
different kinds of
notes in Charley’s
hands.
He warns him,
“That ain’t money, mister.”

Charley turns away and gets out fast, lest he


be putbehind the bars.
Next day, desperate to go to Galesburg,
Charley exchanges new for old currency at the
coin dealer’s store. He gets less than 200 in
old-style bills for his 300 dollars. But he never
again finds the corridor that leads to the third
level at the Grand Central Station.
Vikram Singh Nagore 13
Louisa gets pretty worried and does not want her
husband, Charley to look for the third level.
Meanwhile, his friend Sam Weiner disappears,
nobody knows where. He suspects Sam to be
in Galesburg, Illinois in 1894, as he is fond of the
place.
Charley again engages himself with his
stamps. Among the first-day covers, he finds an
envelope
addressed to his grandfather at his home in
(First day cover- an envelope postmarked with a stamp on the first day it is
issued)
The postmark showed the date, 18th July, 1894.
The stamp was a six-cent ,dull brown, with a
picture of President Garfield. Surprisingly, he
had never seen it before in his grandfather’s
collection.
The paper inside was not blank this time. It read:

941 Willard Street


Galesburg, Illinois
July 18, 1894
Charley
I got to wishing that you were right. Then I got to believing
you were right. And, Charley, it’s true; I found the third level!
I’ve been here two weeks, and right now, down the street at
the Daly’s, someone is playing a piano, and they’re all out on
the front porch singing ‘Seeing Nelly Home.’ And I’m invited
over for lemonade. Come on back, Charley and Louisa. Keep
looking till you find the third level! It’s worth it, believe me!
Sam
The letter asserts the presence of
the third level and Sam is there.
Charley rushes to the stamp and
coin store and finds that Sam had
bought old currency worth eight
hundreddollars. Sam it seems was
not sceptical of the third level as he
had appeared. While Charley
discovers the third level accidentally,
for Sam it is planned. The most
mysterious thing was that Sam was
his psychiatrist. SAM WEINER,
THE PSYCHIATRIST
BIBLIOGRAPHY

● CBSE Class 12 English Vistas


● Google Chrome Web browser
● Wikipedia
● Rawpixel

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