The Third Level

The story is about a young

man of 31 years named
Charley who wanders into a
third level at the Grand Central
station by accident and finds
out that it belongs to a
completely different era from
the past. It creates interest in
the reader’s mind from the
very beginning and slowly
develops into a complex
climax towards the end.
- Charley, a 31-year-old city resident, claims that there is a third level at the Grand
Central Station in New York and he has been there. He talks to a psychiatrist friend
about it, who thinks Charley is trying to fulfill his dreams while walking and
escaping reality.

- The psychiatrist explains that many people want to escape from the fears,
insecurities, and worries of the modern world and find a temporary refuge from it.
The psychiatrist uses his own hobby of stamp collection to illustrate this point.

- Charley finds the Grand Central Station confusing at times and has gotten lost on
the subway a few times. Once, he ended up in the lobby of the Roosevelt Hotel, and
another time he found himself three blocks away from an office building.

- However, during his latest trip, he gets lost again and ends up on the unique third
level!
- Charley walks through a silent hallway, turning left and going downhill until he
reaches an old station that looks very different from the two familiar levels.

- This small room has fewer ticket counters and train gates, a wooden information
booth, and old-fashioned features like wavering gas lights and brass spittoons,
which remind Charley of the architecture from the 1800s.

- He sees people wearing outdated clothes and checks a newspaper called 'The
World' to find that the date is June 11, 1894. When Charley tries to buy two tickets,
he realizes he needs to use old currency.

- He had always dreamed of travelling to Galesburg with his wife Louisa, a town he
remembered as "wonderful" with big houses, large lawns, and trees. The area has
long summer evenings and a relaxed atmosphere, which appealed to him.
- During lunch the next day, he exchanges $300 for old currency, which he believes
will be cheaper there. He's not bothered by the fact that the amount only comes to
two hundred dollars.

- However, he can't find the corridor that leads to the third level again. When his wife
finds out, she tells him to stop searching.

- Charley's friend Sam Weiner, whom he shared his idea about Galesburg with, also
disappears unexpectedly, and his wife spends weekends looking for him.

- Charley inherited the hobby of collecting stamps from his grandfather. One day,
while going through his stamp collection, he discovers a letter addressed to his
grandfather in Galesburg, which has the postmark of a faded six-cent stamp with a
picture of President Garfield.
- What surprises him more is that the letter wasn't there before.

- The letter, written on 18 July 1894, invites Charley and Louisa

to Galesburg and is from his psychiatrist friend, Sam.

- Sam mentions in the letter that he has moved to Galesburg

and invested eight hundred dollars in old currency bills for his
business.
 IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Q1. How does Charley make his description of the third level very realistic?

Charley makes his description of the third level exceptionally realistic by providing intricate details that
draw comparisons to the second level of the Grand Central Station. He notes that the third level's rooms
are noticeably smaller, with fewer train gates and ticket windows. The information booth stands out with its
aged, wooden appearance.

Furthermore, Charley's observation of the people at the third level is incredibly detailed. He points out that
they were dressed in clothing typical of the nineteenth century, and many of the men had elegant facial
hair in the form of beards, sideburns, and stylish mustaches. To add to the realism, Charley purchases
tickets to Galesburg, Illinois, leaving the reader with a strong impression that he had indeed visited the
third level.
 IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Q2. Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why?

Modern life is causing stress and anxiety for people, and Charley is no exception. To escape from the
difficulties of his life, he uses the third level as a way to leave reality behind and enter a world of
imagination. The third level is a product of Charley's own mind, allowing him to escape the worries and
stresses of daily life.

Q3. Why did Charley suspect that Sam had gone to Galesburg?

When Sam disappeared without notice and nobody knew where he was, Charley believed he might have
gone to Galesburg, given Sam's fondness for the city. Charley's suspicion was later confirmed when he
discovered an envelope that Sam's grandfather had mailed from Galesburg to Sam. Therefore, it was clear
that Sam had indeed traveled to Galesburg.
The Tiger King
- This story is about a prince named Maharaja Sir Jilani Hung Bahadur of
Pratibandapuram. When he was only 10 days old, astrologers predicted that a tiger
would kill him.

- But the baby prince said, "Let the tigers be warned!" As he grew up, he lived like
any other royal child, drinking milk from a white cow, being cared for by an English
nanny, and watching English movies.

- When he turned 20, he became the king and found out about the prediction that a
tiger would kill him. To protect himself, he started hunting tigers and stopped
others from doing it in his state.

- The astrologers warned him to be careful with the 100th tiger, even if he had
already killed 99.
- Once, a British officer visited his state and wanted to hunt tigers, but the king
refused.

- To make sure the officer wouldn't cause trouble, the king sent 50 diamond rings
worth Rs 3 lakh to the officer's wife as a gift.

- The king killed 70 tigers in his state in 10 years, but there were no more tigers left.
He wanted to kill 100 tigers, so he married a princess from a state with more tigers.
Whenever he visited her, he killed 5-6 tigers each time.

- He killed 99 tigers but couldn't find the 100th one. He got angry and threatened his
advisor. To avoid his anger, the advisor put an old circus tiger in the forest and told
the king it was the 100th tiger.
- The advisor told the king about the 100th tiger and he went to hunt it. He shot the
tiger and thought he had won. But nobody told him that he missed and the tiger
was only scared and fell down.

- They didn't want to upset the king, so they killed the tiger and showed it off in a big
parade.

- In the end, the Maharaja was happy and bought a wooden tiger as a present for his
son's birthday. However, the tiger had sharp edges and while playing with it, the
son got a cut that became infected and led to his death.

- This incident is seen as fate taking its course, as the wooden tiger became the
"100th tiger" to avenge (take revenge) the deaths of the real tigers that the Maharaja
had killed.
 IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Q1. Why, do you think, was the Maharaja in danger of losing his throne?

The Maharaja denied permission to a prominent British officer who wanted to go on a tiger hunt.
Subsequently, the officer sought to have his photograph taken with a tiger killed by the Maharaja, which
was also refused. The Maharaja's refusal to fulfill the senior British officer's requests twice could have
jeopardized his reign.

Q2. Why was the Maharaja so anxious to kill the hundredth tiger?

According to the chief astrologer's prediction, the Maharaja's demise would be caused by a tiger,
especially the hundredth one. Therefore, the Maharaja embarked on a tiger hunting expedition, hoping to
eliminate the hundredth tiger that could pose a threat to his life.
 IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Q3. How did the Tiger King become the victim of the hundredth tiger?

As a present for his son, the Tiger King offers a wooden tiger, which is crudely carved and covered in
splinters of wood. While handling the toy, the Maharaja gets a small sliver lodged in his right hand, which
he ignores. However, the injury worsens, eventually becoming infected with pus, and spreading throughout
his arm. Ultimately, the Tiger King falls victim to the hundredth tiger, succumbing to his injury and passing
away due to its effects.

Q4. The manner of his (The Tiger King’s) death is a matter of extraordinary interest.
Comment.

The Tiger King's demise is an exceedingly intriguing topic. In order to guarantee his long life, he made a
promise to eliminate one hundred tigers because the chief astrologer had predicted that a tiger would
cause his death. Eventually, while presenting a wooden tiger as a gift to his son, a tiny splinter pierces his
right hand, which he disregards, resulting in a severe injury that ultimately leads to his death. Therefore,
the hundredth tiger was responsible for the Tiger King's demise.
Journey to the End of
the Earth
- So, the author who's on a cool trip to Antarctica! They've already travelled for 100
hours by car, plane, and ship, and they're finally getting close to their destination.

- Their goal is to explore and learn all about this mysterious and unique place.

- Antarctica is a pretty wild place - it's covered in ice (in fact, 90% of the world's ice
is there), and there aren't any trees or buildings or anything like that.

- And during the summer months, there are 24 hours of daylight! It's also really quiet
there, which is kind of eerie but also kind of cool.

- The author spends a couple of weeks in Antarctica, checking out all the sights and
learning as much as they can. It's a pretty amazing adventure, and you can't help
but be a little bit jealous!
- The author is thinking about something pretty cool - a long time ago, India and
Antarctica were actually connected! They were part of a giant landmass called
Gondwana that existed over 650 million years ago. Back then, the climate was a lot
warmer and there were all kinds of plants and animals living there.

- Of course, that was all a long, long time ago, way before humans even existed.
Eventually, after about 500 million years, Gondwana broke apart and turned into
the countries we know today.

- The author also talks about climate change, which is a big deal these days. They
think that if we want to understand it better, we should go visit Antarctica and see
for ourselves what's happening to the ice there.

- Next, we find out about the ecosystem in Antarctica and how it doesn't have a lot of
different kinds of living things.
- This means that even small changes to the environment can have a big impact. For
example, if the ozone layer keeps getting thinner, it will affect the animals that live in the
area, like sea creatures and birds. It could even mess up the way carbon moves around
the world.

- We also learn about some of the things that are causing climate change, like burning
fossil fuels. This is bad news for Antarctica, and it could be dangerous for people too.
The author uses the example of phytoplankton to help explain why.

- Finally, the story ends with the author watching some seals hanging out on the ice. It's a
really beautiful scene, but it also makes the author worry about what might happen in the
future. Will we be able to keep this kind of beauty around, or are we headed for disaster?

- In conclusion, the "Journey to the End of the Earth" provides a detailed account of
climate change and its dangerous effects on our lives and the lives of other creatures. It
serves as a reminder to take action and work towards making our planet a healthier
place.
 IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Q1. How is Antarctica a crucial element in the debate on climate change?

Antarctica is a vital factor in the discourse surrounding climate change, being the only location on the planet
that has never supported a human population, thus remaining relatively unspoiled. Furthermore, it preserves
a carbon record dating back half a million years in its ice-caves. Given the current heated debates
surrounding climate change, the world's climate is rapidly changing. Antarctica, with its straightforward
ecosystem and lack of biodiversity, presents an optimal environment to investigate the impact of these
environmental changes. Any increase in Antarctica's temperature due to global warming would have
catastrophic consequences in other regions.

Q2. How was Antarctica a chilling prospect for a South Indian, Tishani Doshi?

Tishani Doshi, a South Indian who enjoys basking in the sun, is apprehensive about spending two weeks in
a location that stores 90% of the Earth's ice volume. The thought is not only chilling for her circulatory and
metabolic functions but also for her imagination.
 IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Q3. Why does Tishani Doshi call her trip to Antarctica a “Journey to the End of the Earth”?
What experience did she have during this expedition?

Tishani Doshi's trip to Antarctica was called the 'Journey to the End of the Earth'. It took her 100 hours to get there,
crossing nine time zones, six checkpoints, three water bodies, and many ecospheres. She was amazed by the
vastness and solitude of the region and found comfort in the wide, uninterrupted blue horizon. Antarctica provides a
unique opportunity for young students to learn about environmental changes and gain a new appreciation for our
planet. It's also an excellent place to study how even small changes in climate can have major consequences,
such as global warming and ozone depletion, which can impact the Antarctic region. Studying Antarctica will
provide insight into the past, present, and future of the Earth.

Q4. Why is Antarctica and its understanding important for the survival of the world?

Antarctica is important for the survival of our planet because it can tell us about the past when a supercontinent
called Gondwana existed, which was home to many plants and animals. This happened before humans existed.
After 500 million years, Gondwana separated into different countries, including Antarctica. Scientists can study the
Earth's past, present, and future by looking at the carbon records in Antarctica's ice-cores, which are more than
half a million years old.
The Enemy
- The Enemy is a tale by Pearl Sydenstricker Buck about a Japanese doctor named
Sadao. He travelled to America to study and met a fellow Japanese student named
Hana. After they got married, Sadao brought her back to Japan during World War II.

- All doctors were required to serve in the Japanese army, but Sadao was allowed to
stay behind because he was taking care of an old General who was dying.

- One night, Sadao's life changed when he came across a dying American Navy man
who had been shot.

- Despite his initial reluctance, Sadao chose to provide medical aid to the young
soldier from the enemy. Sadao knew it was risky to help the enemy, but he still took
the soldier into his home to protect him from danger.

- Unfortunately, Sadao's decision to help the enemy caused his servants to abandon
him, leaving him alone to deal with the consequences of his choice.
- As time passed, the soldier's health improved, and he was no longer under Sadao's
care. However, Sadao couldn't shake off the danger he felt the soldier posed to his
family and country.

- Thus, he decided to kill the soldier while he slept. He shared his plan with the
General, who agreed to help. Together, they arranged to send private assassins to
eliminate the American soldier, as they believed it was the only way to protect their
country and families.

- As Sadao awaited the arrival of the assassins, he noticed that they were taking
longer than expected. However, during this time, Sadao's humanity began to show
itself. He realized that, despite the soldier being from the enemy's side, he was still
a human being whose life was valuable.

- This realization caused Sadao's mind to open up and see beyond the limits of race,
boundaries, and war.
- He ultimately concluded that the American soldier wasn't his enemy solely because
he came from a different country.

- Sadao realized that universal brotherhood and compassion for all people were
more important than the prejudices and biases that had previously guided his
actions.

- As a result, he chose to do the right thing by helping the American soldier escape
and ultimately saving his life.

- In summary, The Enemy teaches us that love and compassion can help us become
better people, rather than allowing prejudices and biases against those who are
different from us to guide our actions. Ultimately, we are all connected through our
shared humanity.
 IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Q1. Why did the messenger come to Dr. Sadao? What did Hana think about it?

Dr. Sadao receives a message from a messenger in uniform, informing him that the old General is in pain
again. Hana is relieved to know that the messenger has only come to inform Dr. Sadao about the
General's health, as she had feared that the servants had told the police, who then sent the messenger in
uniform to their home.

Q2. Did Hana think the Japanese tortured their prisoners of war? Why?

Hana saw the deep red scars on the American soldier's neck and worried that he had been tortured by the
Japanese. She knew that it was common for the Japanese to torture their prisoners of war in brutal ways.

Q3. What forced Dr. Sadao to be impatient and irritable with his patient?

Hana had never witnessed a surgical operation before, and the sight of Dr. Sadao operating on the soldier
made her feel nauseous. She rushed out to the garden to vomit. Dr. Sadao was aware of Hana's distress,
and his inability to comfort her made him impatient and irritable with his patient, who was preventing him
from being with his wife.
 IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Q4. Do you think Dr. Sadao’s final decision was the best possible one in the
circumstances? Why/Why not? Explain with reference to the story, ‘The Enemy’.

Dr. Sadao acted with compassion and bravery when he chose to save the young American soldier's life
and help him escape, despite the soldier being his enemy. He recognized the universal value of human life
and the responsibility of his profession as a doctor to save anyone in need, regardless of their nationality.
He put aside any prejudices or narrow-minded thinking and acted based on the principles and ethics of his
profession. This decision was not an easy one, but he ultimately chose to respect his duty as a doctor and
his love for humanity above all else.

Q5. What did Dr. Sadao understand more about the wound on peering into it?

Upon examining the American soldier's injury, Dr. Sadao realized that the soldier had been shot several
days prior and had not received medical treatment. The bullets had not yet reached the soldier's kidney,
but were still lodged in his body.
On the Face of it
- The story is about a boy named Derry who has a scarred face and is afraid to face
people because they make fun of him.

- He goes into a garden to hide, but there he meets an old man called Mr. Lamb who
owns the garden. Derry tries to leave, but Mr Lamb stops him.

- Derry feels bad for coming to the garden without asking, but Mr. Lamb is kind and
invites him to stay. Derry wants to leave because he thinks people don't like his
face, but Mr. Lamb encourages him to stay.

- They talk about how Derry is treated badly by others and Mr. Lamb tries to comfort
him.

- Mr. Lamb tells Derry about his own disability, but how he still enjoys his life despite
people making fun of him.
- They continue talking, and Derry opens up about his fear, anger, and sadness over
his own situation. Mr. Lamb encourages him to focus on the good things in life.

- They become friends, and Mr. Lamb asks Derry to help him pick crab apples from
the garden.

- Derry admits to Mr. Lamb that he came to the garden without telling his mother and
is far from home. Mr. Lamb suggests that he should get permission from his
mother, but Derry is hesitant, causing a small argument between them.

- Eventually, Derry agrees to ask for permission and promises to return. However,
when he does ask his mother, she doesn't want him to go, but Derry comes back to
the garden anyway because he made a promise to Mr. Lamb.
 - While Derry is away, Mr. Lamb climbs a ladder to pick crab apples, even though it's
hard for him because of his disability. He falls off the ladder and dies.

- When Derry returns to the garden, he finds Mr. Lamb lying on the ground and tries
to help him, but he doesn't respond. Derry soon realizes that Mr. Lamb has passed
away and he starts to cry.

CONCLUSION:

From the summary, it appears that the author's message is that we should not be
ashamed of our appearance and should have a positive and optimistic attitude towards
ourselves.
 IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Q1. What peculiar things does Derry notice about the old man, Lamb?

Derry perceives Mr. Lamb, the elderly man, as peculiar and prone to making odd remarks. Derry becomes
aware that despite Mr. Lamb's references to his friends, he never receives any visitors, living all alone.
When Derry inquires about Mr. Lamb's friends, Mr. Lamb is unable to provide any names, but refuses to
acknowledge his loneliness. Additionally, Mr. Lamb poses questions to Derry that he struggles to
comprehend. Unusually, Mr. Lamb's house lacks curtains on its windows, and he prefers the play of light
and dark, listening to the wind through an open window.

Q2. In what sense is the friendship between Mr. Lamb and Derry fruitful?

Derry is able to let go of his insecurities and find happiness again after meeting Mr. Lamb. Mr. Lamb
boosts Derry's confidence and inspires him to move forward in life. Derry's brief interaction with Mr. Lamb
leaves a permanent mark on the boy's mind, causing a significant shift in his outlook on life.
 IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Q3. Who was Derry? What problems did he have?

At 14 years old, Derry is burdened by a multitude of complexities, stemming from an inferiority complex
resulting from an accidental acid spill that burned one side of his face. His disability has left him bitter, and
his own negative beliefs about how others view him amplify his pain. Meanwhile, Mr. Lamb delights in his
bountiful garden, which boasts an array of fruits, flowers, trees, and herbs. He takes pleasure in harvesting
ripe crab apples from the trees and crafting jelly for the young children who frequent his garden.

Q4. Both Derry and Lamb are victims of physical impairment, but much more painful for
them is the feeling of loneliness. Comment.

It is my duty as a responsible member of society to comprehend and assist individuals with disabilities. I
am committed to offering my support and showing consideration towards them, treating them as equals
and encouraging their participation in all activities. I will strive to prevent them from experiencing feelings of
isolation and will advocate for inclusive education. By promoting their social acceptance, I aim to instill
hope and empowerment in them. Each one of us has a responsibility to make a difference in the lives of
those who are physically impaired and facing loneliness.
Memories of the
Childhood
The cutting of my long hair

- The story starts with Simmons, an American Indian who spoke up against discrimination,
sharing her experience on the first day of the Carlisle Indian School. Zitkala SA, another
American Indian, also had a bad first day at the school because everything was new and
different, and she was forced to wear clothes that went against her cultural beliefs.

- Zitkala was new to the school and didn't know the rules at breakfast. She made a lot of
mistakes, like sitting down too early or too late.

- She felt ashamed and humiliated when she made mistakes. She was scared of the
teacher and cried because she was afraid of doing something wrong.

- Zitkala's friend, Judewin, told her that they would cut her hair in school. In her culture,
only warriors who lost their skills and mourners had short hair. Zitkala tried to hide, but
they caught her and tied her to a chair to cut her long hair. This made her feel sad and
hopeless. It also made her miss her home a lot.
We too are Human Beings

- The second part of the chapter "Memories of Childhood" titled "We Two Are
Human Beings" is autobiographical, except for "Karukku" written by Bama
under a pen name. In this part, Bama, a Tamil Dalit, shares her experience in
the third grade.

- She had not yet learned about the injustice of untouchability but had already
faced humiliation and embarrassment in her environment.

- Bama talks about her daily routine after school. Even though the distance
from school to her home was just ten minutes, she took around half an hour
to get home because she liked to stop and watch various interesting things
along the way, like temples, puppet shows, monkeys, snake charmers, and
food stalls.
- She would even stop to watch people chopping onions or selling vegetables.

- One day, she saw an elder person carrying a small packet without touching
it, and Bama found it amusing. She later told her brother about the incident.

- Bama's brother, Annan, clarified that the man who held the packet did so
because he was from a low caste and believed that the food would become
impure if touched by him.

- Bama felt disgusted and sad when she understood the event, wondering why
the poor showed respect to the rich who didn't treat others as human beings.
 IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Q1. Why did the landlord’s man ask Bama’s brother, on which street he lived? What
was the significance?

In the past, when untouchability was widespread, people could determine someone's caste by asking
about the street they lived on since each caste typically had their own designated street. This was
exemplified when the landlord's assistant inquired about Bama's brother's street in order to ascertain his
caste.

Q2. When did Bama first come to know of the social discrimination faced by the people
of her community?

Bama, who was in the third grade, walked home from school one day and saw an elderly man carrying a
small package of food. The man held the package by its strings and did not touch it as he extended it to
the landlord, who opened it and began eating. Bama found it amusing, but her elder brother, Annan,
explained to her that the man was not trying to be funny. Rather, he was from a lower caste and could not
touch the food packet because of social customs.
 IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Q3. What is common between Zitkala-Sa and Bama?

Zitkala-Sa and Bama share a common experience of suffering due to their marginalized status.
Zitkala-Sa faced cultural invasion that threatened her own cultural identity, while Bama
experienced untouchability as a form of class struggle.

Q4. What did Bama’s brother want her to do? Why?

Annan is deeply affectionate towards his sister Bama and serves as her mentor and advisor. He
explained to her that, as Dalits, they would never be afforded any dignity or honor. He
encouraged her to focus on her studies and advance herself in order to escape this indignity. He
counseled her on the traditional strategy of surpassing the upper class by excelling in their exams
and thereby earning their admiration.