- Summary of Deep Water by William Douglas
- Theme: A real-life personal account of experiencing fear and the steps taken to overcome it
- Sub-theme: Psychological analysis of fear
- Think as you read – I (Q&A Deep Water)
- Think as you read – II (Q&A Deep Water)
- Understanding the text (Q&A Deep Water)
- Talking about the text (Q&A Deep Water)
- Extract-based MCQs from Deep Water
- Thinking about language (Deep Water)
- Writing
- Things to do
Summary of Deep Water by William Douglas
Deep Water is a story about William Douglas‘s personal experience of overcoming his fear of water. As a child, Douglas loved being outdoors, but he was afraid of water because of an incident that happened when he was young. While swimming at a beach, a big wave knocked him over and scared him. Later, he decided to learn how to swim and joined a swimming pool at the YMCA.
One day at the pool, a big boy suddenly pushed him into the deep end. Douglas didn’t know how to swim well and panicked. He sank to the bottom of the pool and tried to push himself up, but he kept sinking back down. He felt helpless, couldn’t breathe, and thought he was going to die. Finally, someone pulled him out of the pool, but the experience left him traumatized. From that day, he became very afraid of water and avoided it for many years.
Douglas didn’t want to live with this fear forever. So, he decided to overcome it. He hired an instructor who taught him to swim step by step. The instructor made him practice different techniques and slowly built his confidence in the water. Although he learned how to swim, Douglas still felt some fear whenever he entered deep water.
To make sure the fear was gone, he started swimming in lakes and rivers, testing himself in different situations. Finally, he conquered his fear and felt free, no longer controlled by his old terror.
Through this experience, Douglas learned that fear can be overcome with determination and effort. Once we defeat our fears, we can live life more freely and confidently.
Theme: A real-life personal account of experiencing fear and the steps taken to overcome it
The theme focuses on how individuals face and overcome fear through personal effort. In William Douglas’s story, Deep Water, he shares his own experience of almost drowning and the paralyzing fear it caused. The theme highlights how such fears can control our lives, but with determination and perseverance, we can conquer them. Douglas illustrates that by facing his fear of water through professional instruction and continuous practice, he eventually felt free from it. This theme is universal as it applies to anyone facing personal fears—showing that the path to overcoming them requires patience, effort, and a positive mindset.
Sub-theme: Psychological analysis of fear
The sub-theme explores the mental and emotional impact of fear. In Deep Water, Douglas delves into the psychological aspects of his fear, describing how it affected his thoughts, emotions, and behavior. Fear caused him to panic, freeze, and avoid water for many years, illustrating the deep influence it had on his mind. The story further explores how repeated exposure and systematic desensitization helped him regain control over his fear. This sub-theme examines how fear works within our minds and how overcoming it requires not only physical action but also mental resilience. It emphasizes the need for understanding the root of fear to successfully conquer it.
Think as you read – I (Q&A Deep Water)
1. What is the “misadventure” that William Douglas speaks about?
Douglas calls the incident at the YMCA pool a “misadventure.” It happened when a big boy suddenly pushed him into the deep end of the pool. He didn’t know how to swim well, so he almost drowned.
2. What were the series of emotions and fears that Douglas experienced when he was thrown into the pool? What plans did he make to come to the surface?
When Douglas was thrown into the pool, he felt shocked and scared. He sank to the bottom and was terrified. His heart was pounding, and he couldn’t breathe properly. To survive, he planned to push himself up from the bottom and float to the surface. But each time he tried, he sank back into the water.
3. How did this experience affect him?
This near-drowning experience made Douglas very afraid of water. The fear stayed with him for years, and he avoided swimming or being near water because he was scared it could happen again.
Think as you read – II (Q&A Deep Water)
1. Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water?
Douglas didn’t want to live with this fear of water anymore. It was stopping him from enjoying outdoor activities like swimming, boating, and fishing. He wanted to conquer the fear so he could live freely and confidently.
2. How did the instructor “build a swimmer” out of Douglas?
The instructor used a step-by-step approach to help Douglas learn to swim. He made Douglas practice different swimming techniques daily. He also used a rope to support Douglas in the water so he would feel safe while learning. Slowly, Douglas became a confident swimmer.
3. How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror?
Even after the lessons, Douglas still felt some fear. To be completely sure he had conquered it, he swam in different lakes and rivers. He tested himself in challenging situations to see if the fear came back, and eventually, he felt free from it.
Understanding the text (Q&A Deep Water)
1. How does Douglas make clear to the reader the sense of panic that gripped him as he almost drowned? Describe the details that have made the description vivid.
Douglas makes the reader feel his panic by describing every moment in detail. He talks about how the water felt suffocating, his heart racing, and how he couldn’t breathe. He also describes his helplessness as he sank deeper and his repeated but failed attempts to rise. This vivid description makes the reader understand the intense fear he felt.
2. How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?
Douglas overcame his fear of water with the help of a swimming instructor, who trained him gradually. He also tested himself by swimming in different water bodies to make sure the fear was gone. His determination and practice helped him conquer the fear.
3. Why does Douglas as an adult recount a childhood experience of terror and his conquering of it? What larger meaning does he draw from this experience?
Douglas recounts this experience to show how fear can control us, but with courage and effort, we can overcome it. He draws a larger meaning from this, stating that once we conquer fear, we become truly free, able to face challenges in life without being held back by fear.
Talking about the text (Q&A Deep Water)
1. “All we have to fear is fear itself.” Have you ever had a fear that you have now overcome? Share your experience with your partner.
This question is meant to encourage a personal reflection. You can think of a fear you had, like fear of heights, public speaking, or swimming, and share how you overcame it by facing it step by step, much like how Douglas overcame his fear of water.
2. Find and narrate other stories about the conquest of fear and what people have said about courage.
You can explore the story of Nelson Mandela, who overcame the fear of persecution and imprisonment in his fight for freedom. You could also look at We’re Not Afraid to Die… from Class XI, where a family faced a life-threatening storm at sea and survived through courage and teamwork.
Extract-based MCQs from Deep Water
Extract 1:
“I had an aversion to the water when I was in it. This started when I was three or four years old and my father took me to the beach in California. He and I stood together in the surf. I hung on to him, yet the waves knocked me down and swept over me. I was buried in water. My breath was gone. I was frightened. Father laughed, but there was terror in my heart at the overpowering force of the waves.”
MCQs:
- Why did the narrator develop an aversion to water?
- a) He fell into a lake
- b) He was almost drowned by a wave at the beach
- c) He saw someone else drowning
- d) He had a bad swimming instructor
Key: b) He was almost drowned by a wave at the beach
- At what age did the narrator’s fear of water start?
- a) At three or four years old
- b) At six years old
- c) In his teenage years
- d) As an adult
Key: a) At three or four years old
- Where did the incident that caused the narrator’s fear of water occur?
- a) In a swimming pool
- b) At a lake
- c) At a beach in California
- d) In a river
Key: c) At a beach in California
- How did the narrator’s father react to the incident with the waves?
- a) He was angry
- b) He was scared
- c) He laughed
- d) He saved the narrator immediately
Key: c) He laughed
- What emotion did the narrator feel after being knocked down by the waves?
- a) Joy
- b) Excitement
- c) Terror
- d) Confusion
Key: c) Terror
Extract 2:
“I struck at the water as I went down, expending my strength as one in a nightmare fights an irresistible force. I had lost all my breath. My lungs ached. My head throbbed. I was getting dizzy. But I remembered the strategy — I would spring from the bottom of the pool and come like a cork to the surface. I would lie flat on the water, strike out with my arms, and thrash with my legs.”
MCQs:
- What does the narrator compare his struggle to?
- a) A race
- b) A nightmare
- c) A dream
- d) A challenge
Key: b) A nightmare
- Which part of the narrator’s body ached as he struggled underwater?
- a) Arms
- b) Legs
- c) Lungs
- d) Stomach
Key: c) Lungs
- What was the narrator’s strategy to get to the surface?
- a) To swim fast to the edge
- b) To call for help
- c) To spring from the bottom and float up like a cork
- d) To stop moving and let the water carry him
Key: c) To spring from the bottom and float up like a cork
- What effect did the struggle have on the narrator’s head?
- a) His head was calm
- b) His head felt numb
- c) His head throbbed
- d) His head was full of noise
Key: c) His head throbbed
- How did the narrator plan to move once he reached the surface?
- a) Swim straight up
- b) Lie flat and strike out with his arms and legs
- c) Float without moving
- d) Let someone rescue him
Key: b) Lie flat and strike out with his arms and legs
Extract 3:
“This handicap stayed with me as the years rolled by. In canoes on Maine lakes fishing for landlocked salmon, bass fishing in New Hampshire, trout fishing on the Deschutes and Metolius in Oregon, fishing for salmon on the Columbia, at Bumping Lake in the Cascades—wherever I went, the haunting fear of the water followed me. It ruined my fishing trips; deprived me of the joy of canoeing, boating, and swimming.”
MCQs:
- What did the narrator describe as a “handicap”?
- a) His lack of fishing skills
- b) His fear of water
- c) His inability to swim
- d) His poor health
Key: b) His fear of water
- Which activities were affected by the narrator’s fear?
- a) Running and hiking
- b) Fishing, canoeing, and swimming
- c) Camping and hunting
- d) Traveling and driving
Key: b) Fishing, canoeing, and swimming
- What emotion did the narrator associate with his fishing trips due to his fear?
- a) Joy
- b) Excitement
- c) Fear
- d) Disappointment
Key: d) Disappointment
- Where did the narrator go fishing in New Hampshire?
- a) Bumping Lake
- b) The Columbia River
- c) Maine lakes
- d) For bass in New Hampshire
Key: d) For bass in New Hampshire
- What was the narrator deprived of due to his fear of water?
- a) Joy of outdoor activities
- b) His fishing gear
- c) Friends and family
- d) The opportunity to travel
Key: a) Joy of outdoor activities
Thinking about language (Deep Water)
If someone else had narrated Douglas’s experience, how would it have differed from this account?
If someone else narrated the story, it would be less personal. The fear, emotions, and panic might not be described in as much detail. A third-person account might focus more on the events, rather than the intense feelings Douglas experienced. First-person narration makes the story more powerful and engaging.
Writing
1. Write an essay recounting a personal experience of overcoming fear.
Start by describing what you were afraid of (like swimming, public speaking, etc.), how you felt at the beginning, and the steps you took to face your fear. Share how others encouraged or criticized you, and how, in the end, you overcame the fear and felt free, just like Douglas felt after overcoming his fear of water.
Sample
1. Essay: Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking
When I was younger, I had a crippling fear of public speaking. The idea of standing in front of a crowd made my heart race and my hands sweat. I would avoid any situation where I had to speak in public, whether it was in class or at family gatherings. The fear of being judged or making a mistake was overwhelming.
It all started during a school presentation when I was in middle school. I was asked to speak in front of my classmates about a project I had worked on. As soon as I stood up, I felt my legs tremble, and my voice quivered. Halfway through the presentation, I completely forgot what I had to say. I felt embarrassed and ashamed, and that incident stayed with me for a long time.
I knew I had to face this fear if I wanted to succeed in school and later in life. So, I decided to join a public speaking club. At first, it was very hard. My fear was still there, and every time I spoke, I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. But the club members were supportive. They told me that it was okay to make mistakes and encouraged me to keep trying. With each practice, I became a little more confident.
The biggest breakthrough came when I gave a speech in front of a larger audience during a school event. I had practiced a lot, but I was still nervous. However, when I started speaking, I realized that I knew the material well and that the audience was listening attentively. I finished the speech without any major mistakes, and for the first time, I felt proud of myself.
Now, I’m much more comfortable speaking in front of people. The fear doesn’t control me anymore. Just like William Douglas overcame his fear of water, I learned that with patience and perseverance, I could conquer my fear of public speaking. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that I no longer have to run away from situations that used to scare me.
2. Write a short letter to someone about learning to do something new.
In this letter, you can describe a new skill you’ve learned (like playing an instrument or riding a bike). Tell them how difficult it was at first and how you eventually succeeded through practice.
Sample
2. Letter: Learning to Ride a Bicycle
Dear Sarah,
I hope you’re doing well! I just wanted to share some exciting news with you—I’ve finally learned how to ride a bicycle!
It wasn’t easy at first. I was always afraid of falling and getting hurt, so I kept avoiding it. But recently, I decided to give it a serious try. My friend helped me get started by holding the bike steady while I practiced balancing. The first few times, I wobbled a lot and fell down a couple of times, which was a bit discouraging. I even thought about giving up.
But I kept practicing every day. My friend was really patient, and they encouraged me not to worry about falling. Slowly, I started getting better at balancing, and soon, I was able to pedal without help. I still felt nervous, but I realized that with more practice, I was improving.
A few days ago, I finally rode the bike on my own without any fear! It felt amazing to have the wind in my face and know that I had conquered something that scared me for so long. I’m so proud of myself for not giving up, and now I can’t wait to go on longer bike rides!
I just wanted to share this little victory with you. I hope you’re trying new things too. Learning something new might be tough at first, but the feeling of success is worth all the hard work!
Take care,
[Your Name]
Things to do
Are there any water sports in India? Find out about the areas or places which are known for water sports.
Yes, there are many water sports in India, such as scuba diving, kayaking, and parasailing. Places like Goa, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Kerala, and Rishikesh are known for their water sports activities.