Chapter 1 - The Third Level

The Third Level is written by sci-fi and thriller author Jack Finney. The story is a proper example of time travel stories. Set in a realistic world where transportation and commutation occur in two levels at the Grand Central Station New York, a normal man named Charley believes in the existence of the Third Level, where time-travelling to the 1890s is possible.

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Summary

The 31-year-old Charley worked at an office in New York. One night, he got late due to work. Eager to return home quickly, he decided to board a train at Graham Central Station. Initially walking down the steps after turning into Grand Central from Vanderveldt Avenue, he passed through an arched doorway at the second level, past the place where people boarded the trains for suburban areas and got lost. While events of “getting lost” had happened to him previously, the incident this time was unique as he had visited the proverbially non-existent Third Level.

The Grand Central of 1894 looked old and antique, with noticeable structural differences at both the levels. The small room consisted of a wooden information booth, flickering open flame gas lights and brass spittoons. There were fewer ticket counters, and people wore backdated dresses. The entire architecture was presumed by Charley to be of the 1800s.

The Third level acts as an escape portal from the present world, which is full of worrisome conditions, stressed situations, insecurity, war and fear. It was never built at the Grand Central Station, New York; it is set in a mock-serious tone, as the author Jack Finney, effortlessly blends between the present and the past. We infer from the ending that the wishful imagination of Charley, the protagonist, was vivid, and he wanted to escape from the present world. Sam Weiner, his psychiatrist, termed it as “waking-dream wish fulfilment”. Charley was keen to meet his wife and take her for a trip to his Galesburg, Illinois. It was the place where his grandfather lived.

He also had a letter in his collection, which was addressed to him. However, the postal address was the place where his grandfather lived. The letter was dated July 18, 1894, and was sent by Sam. While one can assume the letter to be absolute proof of the fact that Sam was in Galesburg in 1894, there also exists a possibility that the letter was just Charley’s hallucination or wish to escape from the modern world.

Worried about his situation, his wife Louisa advises him not to search for the third level anymore. During the weekends they searched for Sam, who was nowhere found.

The story touches upon the theme of acceptance. There might be unpleasant incidents happening in the life of a person. According to Charley, the world in 1894 was much more peaceful and calm than his present world, which is full of hardships and challenges. He wishes to live with his wife, in a world that has not seen the devastating effects of war.

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