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The Third Level by Jack Finney: Complete Guide

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Summary of “The Third Level”

“The Third Level” by is a story about Charley, a man who accidentally discovers a mysterious third level at Grand Central Station in New York. While Grand Central Station is known to have only two levels, Charley stumbles upon a third level that appears to be from the past, specifically 1894. This place feels entirely different from the bustling, modern station he’s familiar with: it has dim gaslights, brass spittoons, and people dressed in 19th-century attire.

Charley, who lives in a world full of stress and anxiety, is fascinated by this peaceful, simpler time. He is convinced that the third level is real and longs to take his wife, Louisa, back in time with him to Galesburg, Illinois—a town he remembers as peaceful and charming. However, when Charley tries to buy tickets, he faces issues because the clerk doesn’t recognise his modern currency.

Later, Charley shares his experience with a psychiatrist friend, who believes that this third level is a product of Charley’s imagination—a form of “waking-dream wish fulfilment.” The friend suggests that Charley created the third level in his mind as a means of escape from the pressures of the modern world.

An unexpected twist occurs when Charley discovers a letter in his old stamp collection. The letter is from his psychiatrist friend, Sam, who claims to have found the third level himself and is now happily living in Galesburg in 1894. This revelation blurs the line between fantasy and reality, leaving readers to wonder whether the third level truly exists or if it’s merely a symbol of Charley’s desire to escape from his hectic life.

In essence, “The Third Level” explores themes of nostalgia, escapism, and the impact of stress in modern society. It invites readers to reflect on the ways we might seek peace in simpler, idealised memories of the past.

Read and Find Out (Q&A)

  1. What does the third level refer to?
    The third level refers to a mysterious, imaginary level at Grand Central Station in New York, which seems to transport Charley to a bygone era of 1894. It symbolises an escape from the harshness of modern life.
  2. Would Charley ever go back to the ticket-counter on the third level to buy tickets to Galesburg for himself and his wife?
    Charley might try to return, as he is deeply drawn to the peaceful world of Galesburg in 1894. However, his past attempts have failed, and the third level appears to be elusive, making it unlikely he could go back.

Reading with Insight

  1. Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why?
    Yes, the third level serves as Charley’s means to escape his stressful reality. Longing for a simpler time, he imagines a way to retreat from modern life’s anxieties through this fantastical gateway.
  2. What do you infer from Sam’s letter to Charley?
    Sam’s letter suggests that he, too, yearned for an escape from modern pressures, perhaps more so as a psychiatrist. His departure to 1894 reveals his need for a life of peace, away from the complexities of the present.
  3. ‘The modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and stress.’ What are the ways in which we attempt to overcome them?
    People often seek hobbies, meditation, travel, or even nostalgic pursuits to counteract stress. Engaging in simpler, comforting activities provides relief from the overwhelming demands of modern life.
  4. Do you see an intersection of time and space in ?
    Yes, the story intersects past and present, blending 1894 with Charley’s modern life. This creates a fantastical twist where both times coexist, allowing a unique escape into an era Charley idealises.
  5. Apparent illogicality sometimes turns out to be a futuristic projection. Discuss.
    Often, ideas that seem illogical at first are proven possible later, as with modern technology. Here, the third level may symbolise humanity’s timeless desire for peace—a concept that could shape future innovations in escapism.
  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?
    Historical preservation through museums, literature, and photos also keeps the past alive. This tendency to revisit time reflects our need for continuity and understanding, grounding us amid rapid changes.
  7. You have read ‘Adventure’ by Jayant Narlikar in Hornbill Class XI. Compare the interweaving of fantasy and reality in the two stories.
    Both stories merge fantasy with reality. In Adventure, blends the present with historic events, while in The Third Level, Charley’s third level is a surreal escape. Both challenge reality, reflecting desires for change or respite.

Important Questions from The Third Level


  1. What was Charley’s initial reaction on finding the third level?
    • Very Short Answer: Charley was surprised and confused, realising it looked like a setting from 1894.
    • Short Answer: When Charley first found himself on the third level, he was puzzled by the old-fashioned surroundings, including the flickering gaslights, antique clothes, and dated newspapers. He gradually realised he might have stepped back in time.

  1. Why does Charley feel the third level is a real place?
    • Very Short Answer: He believes it is real because he physically experienced it and later found Sam’s letter.
    • Short Answer: Charley is convinced of the third level’s existence because he had a vivid experience there. The discovery of a letter from Sam, postmarked from 1894, further solidifies his belief that the third level was not imagined.

  1. How does Charley describe Galesburg, Illinois?
    • Very Short Answer: Charley describes it as a peaceful and idyllic place.
    • Short Answer: Charley describes Galesburg as a serene town with grand houses, expansive lawns, and streets shaded by tall trees. He idealises it as a safe haven, untouched by the stresses and conflicts of the modern world.

  1. What role does philately play in Charley’s life?
    • Very Short Answer: Philately provides Charley a temporary escape from reality.
    • Short Answer: Charley’s stamp collecting, or philately, serves as a mental retreat from his busy life. It’s an activity that connects him to the past, providing a soothing break from his daily worries and allowing him to preserve history.

  1. Explain how the third level reflects Charley’s desire to escape reality.
    • Long Answer: Charley’s life is filled with pressures and anxieties common in the modern world. The third level represents his deep yearning to escape to a simpler, more peaceful past. His fascination with a time before the world wars and technological changes reveals his discomfort with his present life. The third level, thus, is not just a physical location but a mental space where Charley can retreat from reality, underscoring his emotional need for refuge.

  1. What message does Jack Finney convey through the concept of the third level?
    • Very Short Answer: Finney highlights the human need to escape from life’s stresses.
    • Short Answer: Jack Finney uses the third level to illustrate the human desire to find relief from stress and modern anxieties. By showing Charley’s wish to return to a simpler time, he explores how people seek mental escapes and nostalgia to cope with challenges.

  1. Describe Charley’s experience with the ticket clerk at the third level.
    • Very Short Answer: The clerk was suspicious of Charley’s money.
    • Short Answer: When Charley tried to buy tickets, the clerk became wary, noting that Charley’s modern money did not match the 1894 currency. Mistaking him for a cheat, the clerk refused to sell tickets, forcing Charley to leave.

  1. How does Charley’s wife, Louisa, react to his story of the third level?
    • Very Short Answer: Louisa is concerned and skeptical but supportive.
    • Short Answer: Initially, Louisa is worried and doubts Charley’s claims, fearing he’s becoming obsessed. However, when she sees how strongly he believes in the third level, she joins him in trying to find it, showing her support despite her doubts.

  1. How is the theme of nostalgia portrayed in the story?
    • Long Answer: Nostalgia is a dominant theme in The Third Level, as Charley yearns for a peaceful time before the troubles of the modern world. His desire to escape to 1894 reflects a longing for simplicity and security, a world untroubled by wars, stress, and urbanisation. This nostalgia drives his fascination with the third level and the town of Galesburg, underscoring the human inclination to idealise the past as a sanctuary from present worries.

  1. What does the story suggest about modern life and mental well-being?
  • Very Short Answer: It implies that modern life pressures often make people seek escape.
  • Short Answer: The story suggests that the pressures and insecurities of modern life push people to seek mental escapes. Charley’s search for the third level, as his psychiatrist notes, indicates a need to retreat from his anxieties, revealing how modern stresses affect mental well-being.

Extract-based MCQs from The Third Level by Jack Finney


Extract 1

“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 I’ve been on the third level of the Grand Central Station.”

1.1 What does Charley claim in the above extract?

  • A. He works at the New York Central Railroad.
  • B. There is a secret level at Grand Central Station.
  • C. He doesn’t believe in timetables.
  • D. He has never been to the third level.

1.2 Which word from the extract suggests Charley is trying to emphasise his belief?

  • A. Swear
  • B. Presidents
  • C. Timetables
  • D. Grand

1.3 What does the third level at Grand Central Station symbolise for Charley?

  • A. Reality
  • B. Confusion
  • C. Escape
  • D. Disappointment

Answer Key:
1.1 – B
1.2 – A
1.3 – C


Extract 2

“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.”

2.1 Who did Charley consult about his experience on the third level?

  • A. His wife
  • B. His psychiatrist friend
  • C. His neighbour
  • D. His boss

2.2 What does the term “waking-dream wish fulfillment” imply?

  • A. Charley’s experience was a true event.
  • B. Charley’s experience was a figment of his imagination.
  • C. Charley was in a real dream.
  • D. Charley travelled in time.

2.3 According to the psychiatrist, Charley’s desire for the third level is driven by:

  • A. A desire for excitement
  • B. A need for knowledge
  • C. A longing to escape from reality
  • D. A wish to find treasure

Answer Key:
2.1 – B
2.2 – B
2.3 – C


Extract 3

“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.”

3.1 What does Charley notice about the people on the third level?

  • A. They are wearing modern clothes.
  • B. They are dressed in 19th-century fashion.
  • C. They are wearing uniforms.
  • D. They are dressed casually.

3.2 Which of the following suggests that Charley may be in the past?

  • A. People with laptops
  • B. Modern advertisements
  • C. Beards and sideburns
  • D. Cell phones

3.3 The phrase “eighteen-ninety-something” refers to which time period?

  • A. 18th century
  • B. Early 20th century
  • C. Late 19th century
  • D. Early 18th century

Answer Key:
3.1 – B
3.2 – C
3.3 – C


Extract 4

“My stamp collecting, for example; that’s a ‘temporary refuge from reality.’ Well, maybe, but my grandfather didn’t need any refuge from reality; things were pretty nice and peaceful in his day.”

4.1 What purpose does Charley’s stamp collecting serve, according to him?

  • A. A way to make money
  • B. A hobby without meaning
  • C. An escape from reality
  • D. A means to make friends

4.2 How does Charley feel about his grandfather’s time?

  • A. He finds it stressful.
  • B. He thinks it was peaceful.
  • C. He feels it was confusing.
  • D. He thinks it was dangerous.

4.3 Which of the following best describes Charley’s view of modern life?

  • A. Full of opportunities
  • B. Filled with relaxation
  • C. Overly simplistic
  • D. Stressful and complex

Answer Key:
4.1 – C
4.2 – B
4.3 – D


Extract 5

“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.”

5.1 Who wrote the above message to Charley?

  • A. Charley’s wife
  • B. Charley’s psychiatrist, Sam
  • C. Charley’s boss
  • D. A stranger

5.2 What does Sam’s letter suggest about the third level?

  • A. It doesn’t exist.
  • B. It is an illusion.
  • C. It is real, and he has found it.
  • D. It is a trap.

5.3 How long has Sam been in the past, according to his letter?

  • A. A day
  • B. A week
  • C. Two weeks
  • D. A month

Answer Key:
5.1 – B
5.2 – C
5.3 – C

20 MCQs on The Third Level by Jack Finney

  1. What is the unusual element Charley encounters at Grand Central Station?
    • A. A secret train
    • B. The third level
    • C. A hidden platform
    • D. A strange passenger
  2. How does Charley’s psychiatrist explain his experience on the third level?
    • A. As a real event
    • B. As wish fulfillment
    • C. As a dream
    • D. As a hallucination
  3. What time period does Charley find himself in when he reaches the third level?
    • A. 1920
    • B. 1880
    • C. 1894
    • D. 1905
  4. Why does Charley want to go to Galesburg, Illinois?
    • A. It’s his hometown
    • B. It represents peace and simplicity
    • C. He has a job offer there
    • D. His friends live there
  5. Who wrote the letter Charley finds in his stamp collection?
    • A. Louisa
    • B. His grandfather
    • C. Sam
    • D. Charley himself
  6. What does the letter from Sam reveal?
    • A. Sam has also found the third level
    • B. Sam no longer believes Charley
    • C. Sam returned to the present
    • D. Sam advises Charley to stop searching
  7. What makes Charley think he’s in the past on the third level?
    • A. Old-fashioned attire and gaslights
    • B. A familiar newspaper headline
    • C. A distinct train announcement
    • D. An old-fashioned train ticket
  8. What activity does Charley enjoy that connects him to the past?
    • A. Collecting antiques
    • B. Philately (stamp collecting)
    • C. Reading history books
    • D. Playing chess
  9. How does Charley’s wife, Louisa, react to his discovery of the third level?
    • A. She believes him immediately
    • B. She forbids him from going there
    • C. She is worried and asks him to stop looking
    • D. She joins him in searching for it
  10. Which of the following themes best represents the story?
  1. What does Charley plan to do after finding the third level?
  • A. Move to a new town
  • B. Purchase old-style currency
  • C. Write about his experience
  • D. Forget about the third level
  1. Why does the ticket clerk on the third level refuse Charley’s money?
  • A. The bills are too old
  • B. The bills are modern
  • C. The bills are counterfeit
  • D. The bills are foreign
  1. What item does Charley find in his stamp collection that hints at Sam’s whereabouts?
  • A. An old map
  • B. A rare coin
  • C. A first-day cover
  • D. A train ticket
  1. Which publication’s date confirms to Charley that he’s in the past?
  • A. The New York Times
  • B. The World
  • C. The New Haven Chronicle
  • D. The Tribune
  1. What business did Sam set up after he reached Galesburg in 1894?
  • A. A stamp shop
  • B. A feed and grain store
  • C. A hardware store
  • D. A bookstore
  1. How does Charley describe Galesburg in 1894?
  • A. Modern and busy
  • B. Violent and dangerous
  • C. Peaceful and charming
  • D. Boring and dull
  1. What is the symbolic significance of the third level in the story?
  • A. It represents Charley’s ambition
  • B. It represents Charley’s fears
  • C. It represents escape from reality
  • D. It represents Charley’s regrets
  1. What does Charley’s experience at Grand Central suggest about his mental state?
  • A. He is seeking a break from his stressful life
  • B. He wants to meet new people
  • C. He wishes to get a new job
  • D. He wants to learn history
  1. What lesson does the story The Third Level ultimately convey?
  • A. Life is about taking risks
  • B. Escaping reality is necessary for survival
  • C. Nostalgia can sometimes help cope with stress
  • D. Always follow your dreams
  1. Why is The Third Level considered a ?
  • A. It is set in the future
  • B. It involves time travel and alternate realities
  • C. It features talking animals
  • D. It takes place on a fictional planet

Answer Key

  1. B
  2. B
  3. C
  4. B
  5. C
  6. A
  7. A
  8. B
  9. C
  10. B
  11. B
  12. B
  13. C
  14. B
  15. B
  16. C
  17. C
  18. A
  19. C
  20. B

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