Deep Water, Summary, Theme, Questions & Answers, Previous Years' Question & Answers

Chapter: 3

Deep Water                                                                         William Douglas

SUMMARY The story begins with the mention of an incidence showing how as a young boy Douglas developed an aversion to water. When he was three or four, his father took him to a beach in California. He was swept away by the waves and got very much afraid. Later when he joined Y.M.C.A., he was thrown into the pool by a bully. This incidence left a terrible impression upon his mind. He got so much afraid that he could not enjoy water sports, fishing etc. for a long time. Later he engaged a trainer to train him. The trainer trained him for six months from October to March. Douglas was still doubtful and so he tested himself at several places. Tiny vestiges of terror returned to him but he managed to overcome them. Douglas had experienced both the sensation of dying and the terror that fear of it can produce, so the will to live somehow grew in intensity.

Theme

The story revolves around the element of fear i.e. how Douglas had two misadventures in water making him obsessed with the fear of water and how with his determination and with the help of an instructor, he was able to overcome his fear of water.

Setting

The action of the story is set in Yakima where he goes to learn swimming at Y.M.C.A. pool and is faced by a misadventure. After that he learns swimming at the same pool and goes to several places such as – Triggs Island, Stamp Act Island and Warm Lake to test himself. But all this started on a beach in California.

Characters

i.          Douglas -         He is the main character in the story. He had two misadventures in his life.                               First, on the beach in California with his father and the other at the Y.M.C.A.                             pool. Where a big bruiser of a boy threw him into the pool. But with the help                             of an instructor and the strong will,  he was able to overcome his fear.

ii.       A Bully -          He was probably 18 years old. He had thick hair on his chest. He was beautiful                         physical specimen with his hands and legs showing rippling muscles. He came                          and threw Douglas into the pool.

iii.       Instructor -     When Douglas failed to learn swimming on his own, he hired an instructor in                            October. The instructor taught him inhaling, exhaling, kicking and all other                                things. In April, he finished his training.

Main Points

1.         When Douglas was 3 or 4, his father took him to a beach in California.

2.         They were standing together in a surf and suddenly he was knocked down by a wave.

3.         His father laughed but he had terror in his mind at the overpowering force of waves.

4.         When he was 10 or 11 years old, he went to the Y.M.C.A. pool to learn swimming.

5.      The Y.M.C.A. pool was safer than the Yakima river as it was two or three feet deep at the shallow end and though it was nine feet at the other end but the drop was gradual.

6.         One day when Douglas was sitting along at the pool, a big bruiser of a boy came to him and with some words, he threw him directly into the middle of the pool.

7.         Doulas was afraid but not yet out of his wits.

8.         He made a plan and tried. Three times he moved up and down in the pool.

9.         Finally, he was unconscious and saved by some people there.

10.       When he came into senses, he lying at the side of the pool and vomiting.

11.       When he moved back home he was weak and trembling.

12.       After this he never went back to the pool. He feared water and avoided it whenever he could.

13.       A few years later when he wanted to get into the waters at the Cascades, he felt that his fear of water was not yet gone.

14.       Wherever he was in water, the fear of water follow him. It would ruin his fishing trips and deprive him of the joy of canoeing, boating and swimming.

15.       Douglas tried all the ways to overcome his fear of water but all was useless.

16.       In October, he hired an instructor who taught him inhaling, exhaling, kicking and everything else needed to learn swimming.

17.       In April, the instructor’s task was over and he asked Douglas to dive off the length of the pool.

18.       Douglas was not sure that all the fear had left. He tried and tested himself at several places.

19.       Finally he went to Warm Lake and swam across to the other shore and back just as Doug Corpron used to do.

20.       He shouted with joy as he had conquered his fear of water.

GLOSSARY

Treacherous                 -           Deceitful, Unsafe

Water wings                 -           Floatation device

Subdued                      -           Suppressed, Subjugated

Aversion                      -           Dislike, Hatred

Overpowering              -           Overwhelming, Irresistible

Revive                         -           Bring back, Animate

Aping                           -           Copying, Imitating

Bruiser                         -           Bully, Rowdy

Yelled                          -           Shouted, Called out

Duck                            -           Dip, Plunge

Swallowed                   -           Gulp, Slurp

Panicky                        -           Frightened, Hysterical

Flailed                          -           Beat up, Struck

Expending                   -           Spending, Outlaying

Nightmare                    -           Bad dream

Irresistible                    -           Uncontrollable, Untamable

Dizzy                           -           Giddy, Unsteady

Throbbed                     -           Pulsated, Pounded

Sheer                           -           Absolute, Complete

Stark                            -           Plain, Clear

Awful                          -           Unpleasant, Dreadful

Oblivion                      -           Unconsciousness, Senselessness

Wobbly                        -           Shacky, Trembling

Seized                          -           Grab, Capture

Handicap                     -           Disability, Defect

Canoe                          -           Small and light boat pointed at both ends

Haunting                      -           Persistent, Unforgettable

Deprive                        -           Divest, Strip

Slack                            -           Relax, Loose

Vestige             -           Remains, Remnant

Scare                            -           Frighten, Terrify

Miniature                     -           Small, Mini

Conquered                   -           Overcome, Surmount

Trails                           -           Path, Course

Brush aside                  -           Dismiss, Ignore

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

1.         How was YMCA pool safer than the Yakima river?

Ans:   YMCA pool was safer because it was 2 or 3 feet deep at the shallow end and while at the other end it was 9 feet deep, the drop was gradual. But the Yakima river was treacherous. There could be high surge anytime in the river.

2.         How did Douglas develop an aversion to water?

Ans:    At the age of three or four, Douglas went to a beach in California with his father. A powerful wave struck him and knocked him down when he was with his father in the surf. This experience terrorized him and the fear stayed even when he grew older. 

3.         What is the ‘misadventure’ that William Douglas speaks about?

Ans     The misadventure took place when Douglas went to swim in the Y.M.C.A pool. A big boy about eighteen years old picked him up and tossed him into the deep end. He landed in a sitting position, swallowed water and went at once to the bottom.

4.         What plans did Douglas make to come to the surface when he was thrown into the pool?

Ans:    Douglas was frightened when he was thrown into the water, but he did not lose his wits. He made a plan to come to the surface. He decided that when his feet hit the bottom, he         would make a big jump, come to the surface, lie flat on it and paddle to the edge of the pool.

5.         How did the misadventure at YMCA pool affect Douglas?

Ans:    Douglas feared water. He never went back to the pool, avoided it whenever he could. The haunting fear of water ruined his fishing trips and deprived him of the joy of canoeing, boating and swimming.

6.         “This experience had a deep meaning for me.” Which experience and why did it have a deep meaning for him?

Ans:    The experience that Douglas talks about is the experience of trying and testing himself at different places and thus overcoming his fear of water. It had a deep meaning for him because he had done it after two misadventures in his life and it had given him a lesson of life that any fear can be overcome with determination and perseverance.

7.         What did the author mean by ‘But I was not finished’ after his swimming lessons with the instructor were over?

Ans:    The author’s remark meant that he was not sure whether his old terror had left him. He still felt scared and frightened while swimming the length of the pool up and down. 

8.         How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror?

Ans:   To make sure that he had conquered fear of water, Douglas swam at different places. First he swam at the pool without the help of the instructor then he went to Lake Wentworth, dived off the Triggs Island to Stamp Act island and finally went to Warm lake and swam back and forth off the shore.

9.         “All we have to fear is fear itself”Explain?

Ans:    It means we don’t have to fear at all .There is no such thing in the world that can make us fear except fear itself. It is fear that deprives us of all the joys of life .Once we eliminate fear from our life, it becomes all the more enjoyable.

10.       ‘I crossed to oblivion and the curtain of life fell’. Why did the author make this remark?

Ans:    The author had made three futile attempts to spring up to the surface but as his strength failed and energy exhausted, he gave up and stopped all his efforts. He relaxed and passed into a state of unconsciousness and then there was no fear after that.

11.       What joys did his fear of water deprive him of?

Ans:    The author’s fear of water deprived him of the joy of having fun with his friends during   their fishing trips and also the thrill of canoeing, boating or swimming. The moment he would go near water, his fear of water would start haunting him.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

1.         How did the instructor build a swimmer out of Douglas?

Ans:     The instructor put a belt around Douglas and attached a rope to the belt which went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable. He held on to the rope and they went back and forth across the pool for three months, after which his terror of water slackened a bit. Next he taught Douglas to put his face under water and exhale and raise his nose and inhaleDouglas repeated the exercise hundreds of times. Next he held Douglas at the side of the pool had him kick with his legs. After weeks of practice he could command his legs. Thus piece by piece he built a swimmer out of Douglas and when he had perfected each piece, he put them together into an integrated whole and asked Douglas to swim the length of the pool.

2.         How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?

Ans:   After the misadventure at the YMCA pool, Douglas never went back to the pool. He avoided water whenever he could. But he wished to enjoy water sports and picnic. He tried all the ways he knew to overcome his fear of water but it held him firmly in its grip. Finally he hired an instructor. In six months, the instructor developed a swimmer out of Douglas. But he was still unsure that all the fear had left. He tested himself alone in the pool. Later he went to Lake Wentworth and swam from Triggs Island to Stamp Act Island. But still he had some doubts so next he went to Warm Lake and dived off the shore and back. In this way he overcame his fear of water.

3.     Why does Douglas as an adult recount a childhood experience of terror and his   conquering of it?

Ans:   Douglas recounts his childhood experience of terror and his conquering of it because he had two misadventures in life which left a deep impression upon his mind so much so that he never went back to the pool. He feared water and avoided it whenever he could. But even after such a phase in his life he was determined to overcome it and did it with       the help of an instructor so it was an achievement for him.

The larger meaning that he draws from this experience is, one should not fear at alland with determination and perseverance any fear can be overcome.

PREVIOUS YEARS' QUESTIONS

(2018)  Fear is something that we must learn to overcome if we want to succeed in life. How did                     Douglas get over his fear of water?                                                                             [6 Marks]

(2015)  How did the instructor make Douglas a good swimmer?                                            [3 Marks]

(2013)  How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror ?                                 [2 Marks]

(2012)  How did Douglas develop an aversion to water?                                                      [10 Marks]

(2011)  Which factors led Douglas to decide in favour of Y.M.C.A. pool?                            [2 Marks]

(2010)  ".....there was terror in my heart at the overpowering force of the waves." When did Douglas              star fearing water? Which experience had further strengthened its hold on his mind and                        personality?                                                                                                                [10 Marks]

(2008)  What was Douglas' fear? How did he overcome that fear ?                                      [10 Marks]