message/summary-The Third Level Summary
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 (which doesn̢۪t
actually exist). 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 Galesburg, Illinois;
one for himself and the other for his wife. 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.
The Third Level Lesson and Explanation
THE presidents of the New York Central and the New York, New Haven
and Hartford railroads will swear on a stack of timetables that there
are only two. But I say there are three, because I̢۪ve been on the
third level of the Grand Central Station. Yes, I̢۪ve taken the obvious
step: I talked to a psychiatrist friend of mine, among others. I told
him about the third level at Grand Central Station, and he said it was a
waking dream wish fulfillment. He said I was unhappy. That made my wife
kind of mad, but he explained that he meant the modern world is full of
insecurity, fear, war, worry and all the rest of it, and that I just
want to escape. Well, who doesn̢۪t? Everybody I know wants to escape,
but they don̢۪t wander down into any third level at Grand Central
Station.
Stack- a pile of objects, typically one that is neatly arranged
Timetables- a schedule showing the departure and arrival times of trains, buses or aircraft
Waking dream- an involuntary dream occuring while a person is awake
Wander- walk; roam
The story begins with the mention of a third level at the Grand
Central Station (which only has two levels in real). The protagonist
himself is aware that even the Presidents of New York Central and the
New York, New Haven and Hartford railroads would express great
confidence in the existence of only two levels but he himself has been
to the third level. Considering the entire scenario, Charley, the
protagonist had a word with his psychiatrist friend. He explained that
Charley was experiencing a ‘waking dream wish fulfillment’ or in
other words, hallucination. According to the psychiatrist, Charley was
unhappy (the fact her wife did not like). Upon explaining further, it
became clear that it is the burden of all the modern problems that is
pushing him to experience the apparent perception of something not
present. He tends to escape the reality. Charley agreed with what his
psychiatrist friend had to say but he still found it a bit odd to have
been to the third level of the Grand Central Station.Â
But that̢۪s the reason, he said, and my friends all agreed.
Everything points to it, they claimed. My stamp collecting, for example;
that’s a ‘temporary refuge from reality.’ Well, maybe, but my
grandfather didn̢۪t need any refuge from reality; things were pretty
nice and peaceful in his day, from all I hear, and he started my
collection. It̢۪s a nice collection too, blocks of four of practically
every U.S. issue, first-day covers, and so on. President Roosevelt
collected stamps too, you know.
Refuge- the state of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger or difficulty
Charley begins to believe in the possibility that he has been
experiencing all this to escape the harsh realities of the modern world.
His friends agreed to it as well. Even his stamp collecting is a sort
of asylum he resorts to in order to feel protected. On the other hand,
he starts thinking otherwise. His grandfather started his stamp
collection but in those days, they had not seen the consequences of war
and there was peace, harmony and security. His grandfather must have not
been insecure. The collection, moreover was amazing, with blocks of
four of practically every U. S. issue. Even President Roosevelt
collected stamps.
Anyway, here̢۪s what happened at Grand Central. One night last
summer I worked late at the office. I was in a hurry to get uptown to my
apartment, so I decided to take the subway from Grand Central because
it̢۪s faster than the bus.
He starts explaining what exactly happened and begins with how he
chose to take the Subway to his apartment instead of the usual bus
after a late night shift. He did this in order to save time.
Now, I don̢۪t know why this should have happened to me. I̢۪m just
an ordinary guy named Charley, thirty-one years old, and I was wearing a
tan gabardine suit and a straw hat with a fancy band; I passed a dozen
men who looked just like me. And I wasn̢۪t trying to escape from
anything; I just wanted to get home to Louisa, my wife.
Gabardine- a smooth, durable, twill-woven worsted or cotton cloth
He describes himself as an ordinary man of 31 dressed in a tan
gabardine suit and a straw hat with a fancy band. It was so ordinary
that he could see other similar men at the station. He explains how he
was in his normal state of mind not wanting to escape from anywhere. All
he wanted was to be with his wife Louisa at that hour. He still
doesn̢۪t understand why this happened with him.
I turned into Grand Central from Vanderbilt Avenue, and went down the
steps to the first level, where you take trains like the Twentieth
Century. Then I walked down another flight to the second level, where
the suburban trains leave from, ducked into an arched doorway heading
for the subway — and got lost. That’s easy to do. I’ve been in and
out of Grand Central hundreds of times, but I̢۪m always bumping into
new doorways and stairs and corridors. Once I got into a tunnel about a
mile long and came out in the lobby of the Roosevelt Hotel. Another time
I came up in an office building on Forty-sixth Street, three blocks
away.
Suburban- residential
Ducked- lower the head or body quickly
Arched- curved
Bumping- knock or run into something
Charley comes to the part of the incident where he entered the
Grand Central from Vanderbilt Avenue and took the stairs to the first
level where one boarded trains like the Twentieth Century. Then he went
down another floor to reach the second level from where the suburban
trains leave. From there he entered an arched doorway and got lost. It
was nothing unusual for him because even if he had come to that station a
thousand times, there were occasions he bumped into new corridors and
doorways. Once he entered the wrong lobby and reached Roosevelt Hotel
and another time in an office building which was three blocks away.
See: CBSE Class 12 English Lesson The Interview
Sometimes I think Grand Central is growing like a tree, pushing out
new corridors and staircases like roots. There̢۪s probably a long
tunnel that nobody knows about feeling its way under the city right now,
on its way to Times Square, and maybe another to Central Park. And
maybe — because for so many people through the years Grand Central has
been an exit, a way of escape — maybe that’s how the tunnel I got
into... But I never told my psychiatrist friend about that idea.
He wondered that Grand Central was expanding at a very fast rate
just like a tree and with its roots. He it is no big deal that they
even have a secret tunnel under the city to the Times Square or maybe
the Central Park. He feels it might be because Grand Central is a place
of exit for innumerable people, he also managed to escape reality
because of the same reason. Although he never shared it with his
psychiatrist.
The corridor I was in began angling left and slanting downward and I
thought that was wrong, but I kept on walking. All I could hear was the
empty sound of my own footsteps and I didn̢۪t pass a soul. Then I heard
that sort of hollow roar ahead that means open space and people
talking. The tunnel turned sharp left; I went down a short flight of
stairs and came out on the third level at Grand Central Station. For
just a moment I thought I was back on the second level, but I saw the
room was smaller, there were fewer ticket windows and train gates, and
the information booth in the centre was wood and old looking. And the
man in the booth wore a green eyeshade and long black sleeve protectors.
The lights were dim and sort of flickering. Then I saw why; they were
open-flame gaslights.
The unusual corridor he had entered into began angling left and
slanting downward which he felt odd about but nevertheless, he kept on
walking. There was no one except him and the voice of his feet echoed.
He finally heard the sound of people talking from a distance, then he
took a left and walked down the stairs again only to reach the third
level of the Grand Central. He thought he had somehow made his way back
to the second level but as he noticed, the room was smaller, there were
fewer ticket windows and train gates, and the information booth in the
centre was wood and old looking. The man in the booth was also different
and the station was dim-lit for there were open-flame gaslights.
There were brass spittoons on the floor, and across the station a
glint of light caught my eye; a man was pulling a gold watch from his
vest pocket. He snapped open the cover, glanced at his watch and
frowned. He wore a derby hat, a black four-button suit with tiny lapels,
and he had a big, black, handlebar mustache. Then I looked around and
saw that everyone in the station was dressed like
eighteen-ninety-something; I never saw so many beards, sideburns and
fancy mustaches in my life. A woman walked in through the train gate;
she wore a dress with leg-of-mutton sleeves and skirts to the top of her
high-buttoned shoes. Back of her, out on the tracks, I caught a glimpse
of a locomotive, a very small Currier & Ives locomotive with a
funnel-shaped stack. And then I knew.
Spittoons- a metal or earthenware pot typically having a funnel-shaped top, used for spitting into
Vest- a garment worn on the upper part of the body
Snapped- break suddenly and completely
Locomotive- a powered railway vehicle used for pulling trains
Charley could see brass spittoons everywhere when suddenly a
glimpse of light caught his eye and he saw a man pulling his gold watch
from the vest. He was dressed in an old-fashioned style. Suddenly, he
noticed that everyone was dressed like the nineteenth century. It was
basically the time before deadly wars. So many beards and fancy
mustaches all around, something that the protagonist had never seen
before. He even saw a very small Currier & Ives locomotive which
made him sure about which time he is in.
To make sure, I walked over to a newsboy and glanced at the stack of
papers at his feet. It was The World; and The World hasn̢۪t been
published for years. The lead story said something about President
Cleveland. I̢۪ve found that front page since, in the Public Library
files, and it was printed June 11, 1894.
To validate his suspicion, he went over to the newspaper boy who
was selling ‘The World’, a newspaper which was discontinued years
ago. There were some headlines about the then President Cleveland. The
date on the front page was also June 11, 1894. He was now sure.
See: The Tiger King- Class 12 English Explanation
I turned toward the ticket windows knowing that here — on the third
level at Grand Central — I could buy tickets that would take Louisa
and me anywhere in the United States we wanted to go. In the year 1894.
And I wanted two tickets to Galesburg, Illinois. Have you ever been
there? It̢۪s a wonderful town still, with big old frame houses, huge
lawns, and tremendous trees whose branches meet overhead and roof the
streets. And in 1894, summer evenings were twice as long, and people sat
out on their lawns, the men smoking cigars and talking quietly, the
women waving palm-leaf fans, with the fire-flies all around, in a
peaceful world. To be back there with the First World War still twenty
years off, and World War II over forty years in the future... I wanted
two tickets for that.
Immediately, he went to the ticket window to get the tickets for
Galesburg, Illinois for him and his wife. It was a wonderful town with a
lot of greenery. He was well aware that from here one could buy tickets
that would take them anywhere in the United States. He describes how
things were in 1984 before the two World Wars took place. Evenings were
twice as long as they are now and men and women living in peace and
serenity.
The clerk figured the fare — he glanced at my fancy hatband, but he
figured the fare — and I had enough for two coach tickets, one way.
But when I counted out the money and looked up, the clerk was staring at
me. He nodded at the bills. ‘‘That ain’t money, mister,’’ he
said, ‘‘and if you’re trying to skin me, you won’t get very
far,̢̢۪۪ and he glanced at the cash drawer beside him. Of course the
money was old-style bills, half again as big as the money we use
nowadays, and different-looking. I turned away and got out fast.
There̢۪s nothing nice about jail, even in 1894.
Clerk- administrator
As the clerk calculated the fare, he looked at Charley̢۪s fancy
hatband. Charley just had enough for one sided journey. Just as he took
out money, the clerk informed that this is not the acceptable legal
tender and by any chance if he tried to be smart, he won̢۪t be able to
get away with it. He glanced at his cash drawer and realised that
currency used back then was different and almost double the size. He ran
out because he didn̢۪t want to go to jail.
And that was that. I left the same way I came, I suppose. Next day,
during lunch hour, I drew three hundred dollars out of the bank, nearly
all we had, and bought old-style currency (that really worried my
psychiatrist friend). You can buy old money at almost any coin dealers,
but you have to pay a premium. My three hundred dollars bought less than
two hundred in old-style bills, but I didn̢۪t care; eggs were thirteen
cents a dozen in 1894.
The day ended after he came out. The next day he went to withdraw
his entire savings and got them converted into old money by paying some
amount of premium. It cost him much and even worried his psychiatrist
friend but he still went with it. Back then, eggs cost thirteen cents a
dozen.
But I̢۪ve never again found the corridor that leads to the third
level at Grand Central Station, although I̢۪ve tried often enough.
Louisa was pretty worried when I told her all this, and didn̢۪t want me
to look for the third level any more, and after a while I stopped; I
went back to my stamps. But now we̢۪re both looking, every weekend,
because now we have proof that the third level is still there. My friend
Sam Weiner disappeared! Nobody knew where, but I sort of suspected
because Sam’s a city boy, and I used to tell him about Galesburg — I
went to school there — and he always said he liked the sound of the
place. And that̢۪s where he is, all right. In 1894.
But unfortunately he could never find the way to the third level
corridor again despite hard efforts. His wife Louisa was pretty worried
when she got to know about it all. After a while, he went back to
finding distractions with the help of stamps. Somehow, Sam, the
psychiatrist disappeared out of the blue.Charley suspected that he had
gone to Galesburg. He finds himself in the time space of 1894.
Because one night, fussing with my stamp collection, I found —
Well, do you know what a first-day cover is? 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. They̢۪re never opened; you just
put blank paper in the envelope.
Fussing- show unnecessary or excessive concern about something
One night Charley came across a first-day cover. It is an
envelope (with a stamp on it) that stamp collectors mail to themselves
on the first day of its sale to mark the date. They̢۪re just blank
inside and are not meant to be opened.
That night, among my oldest first-day covers, I found one that
shouldn̢۪t have been there. But there it was. It was there because
someone had mailed it to my grandfather at his home in Galesburg;
that̢۪s what the address on the envelope said. And it had been there
since July 18, 1894 — the postmark showed that — yet I didn’t
remember it at all. The stamp was a six-cent, dull brown, with a picture
of President Garfield. Naturally, when the envelope came to Granddad in
the mail, it went right into his collection and stayed there — till I
took it out and opened it. The paper inside wasn̢۪t blank. It read:
That night he found by surprise one of his grandfather̢۪s old
first day covers. Someone had mailed it to his father at his home at
Galesburg, as he saw from the address on the envelope. The post mark
showed that it had been there since July 18, 1894. The stamp had a
picture of President Garfiled on it. It was a six cent, dull brown
colour stamp. His grandfather had put put it in his stamp collection and
the Charley now discovered it. The paper inside and a letter written in
it. The letter read as:
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, it̢۪s true; I found the third level! I̢۪ve
been here two weeks, and right now, down the street at the Daly̢۪s,
someone is playing a piano, and they̢۪re 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! It̢۪s worth it, believe me!
The letter talked about how the writer wished his third level
story was true until he actually started believing it to be true. He had
found the third level and had been there for two weeks. He describes the place he was at that time. He asks Charley and Louis to never stop searching for the third level and come back.
The note is signed Sam.
At the stamp and coin store I go to, I found out that Sam bought
eight hundred dollars̢۪ worth of old-style currency. That ought to set
him up in a nice little hay, feed and grain business; he always said
that̢۪s what he really wished he could do, and he certainly can̢۪t go
back to his old business. Not in Galesburg, Illinois, in 1894. His old
business? Why, Sam was my psychiatrist.
The letter had been signed off as Sam. Charlie found out from
the coin store that he used to visit that Sam had bought old currency
worth eight hundred dollars., which was to be utilised in a hay, feed
and grain business, which what he always wished to do. He could not go
back to his old business certainly not in Galesburg, Illinois. The story ends at a mysterious note where Charlie is wondering that Sam is psychiatrist.
See: My Mother at Sixty Six Class 12 English Explanation
The Third Level Question and Answers
Read and Find out
1. What does the third level refer to?
A. Third level refers to an additional floor at the Grand Central
Station which originally only had two levels. Charley was hallucinating
one night while going home when he reached the third level.
2. Would Charley ever go back to the ticket-counter on the third level to buy tickets to Galesburg for himself and his wife?
A. Charley went looking back for the third level that could take him
and his wife to Galesburg because he wanted to go back to his past. He
wanted to go back to the world that has not seen two of its deadliest
wars that changed everything.
Read with insight
1. Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why?
A. Yes, the third level of the Grand Central Station was a medium of
escape for Charley. Modern world offers a lot of challenges and in order
to take refuge from reality, one might resort to day-dreaming or
hallucination We all understand the miseries of the modern world which
is full of worry and pressure, thus, in order to take the burden away
from his shoulders and heap a sigh of relief, Charley resorted to
escaping reality, although unintentionally.
2. What do you infer from Sam̢۪s letter to Charley?
A. The way Charley discovered Sam̢۪s letter was rather peculiar. It
was one of those first-day covers people used to mail to themselves back
in time with a blank page inside. So to begin with, the cover had a
letter in it and not a blank page in it. Secondly, the letter dates back
to 18 July, 1894 when Sam (the writer of the letter) didn̢۪t exist
because both Sam and Charley exist in the present times. Thus, it is
sound to conclude that it was just a product of Charley̢۪s imagination.
3. ‘The modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and
stress.̢۪ What are the ways in which we attempt to overcome them?
A. One cannot count on fingers the negative aspects the modern
lifestyle has to offer. There is stress, pressure, fear, insecurity and
worry. In order to relieve yourself of all these miseries, one can
indulge in creative activities from time to time. Making time for
yourself and what you love without worrying about a productive outcome
is a crucial thing many people tend to ignore in the hustle and bustle
of daily lives. Secondly, one can read a good book or even meditate.
Long walks in the lap of nature are not to be underestimated because
nature has its own healing power. Apart from these, a short weekend
getaway, movie night with friends or even alone at home can be done in
order to dissociate oneself from the routine.
4. Do you see an intersection of time and space in the story?
A. Yes, there are a lot of instances that tell us about the
intersection of time and space in the story. First intersection being
the one between the first two levels of the Grand Central Station and
its third level which is based somewhere in the 1890s whereas the former
exists in the present times. Also when Charley went to buy tickets for
Galesburg which existed in 1894 while he and his wife exists in the
present times. Not to ignore the old fashioned architecture of the
third level in contradiction to the modern interiors of the first two
levels. Lastly, the letter dated 18th July, 1982 that Charley found also
throws light upon the intersection of time and space as both the sender
(Sam) and the receiver (Charley) exist in the present times.Â
5. Apparent illogicality sometimes turns out to be a futuristic projection? Discuss.
A. While a lot of the world̢۪s greatest inventions were made by
people who were criticised for their ideas. Audiences used to mock at
them for being illogical. Sighting the example of Thomas Edison who
invented the light bulb, no one believed in him at first but all he had
was an idea and it̢۪s realistic projection in mind. The idea here tells
us how important it is to sometimes follow one̢۪s insight and have
hope for it holds the capacity to change the world through its
futuristic projections.
6. Philately helps keep the past alive. Discuss other ways in which
this is done. What do you think of the human tendency to constantly move
between the past, the present and the future?
A. Philately does indeed help in keeping the treasures of past alive.
It gives one a chance to revisit and embrace the past of one̢۪s
existence. Some of the other ways in which it can be done is by keeping a
record of all the letters, ancient manuscripts, things that are
discontinued but were a significant part of the past, images, videos and
written records of experiences.
Human beings are a collection of all the experiences they have been
through. Their tendency to connect with the past from time to time helps
them stay connected to the roots while helping them to face the present
and future challenges with more strength. Connecting with the future on
the other hand, is just as important to know the outcome of one̢۪s
current actions and decisions. If one doesn̢۪t seem satisfied with the
realistic interpretation of future, it can certainly help in altering
current actions to direct towards a better future.
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