DEEP WATER

                                                                                                                     -William Douglas

Q.1What is the misadventure that William Douglas speaks about ?

A “misadventure” happened when William Douglas was 10 or 11 years old. He was sitting on the side of the pool waiting for other boys to come. Unexpectedly a big bruiser picked him up and tossed into the deepest part of the pool. The narrator was almost drowned in the pool; but was somehow miraculously saved from the mouth of death.

Q.2 What were the series of emotions and fear that Douglas experienced …………………………….

Douglas experienced series of emotions and fear when thrown into the pool. He was frightened but not out of his wits. While sinking down he made a plan to have a big jump as his feet hit the bottom. He thought that he would come to the surface like a cork but he came up slowly. He grew panicky and suffocated.

Q.3.How did the experience affect him?

The experience at YMCA pool revived his aversion to water. He could not sleep or eat that night. For many days, there was a haunting fear in his heart. The slightest exertion upset him making wobbly in the knees and sick to his stomach. He never went back to the pool. He feared water and avoided it as long as he could.

Q.4 Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water?

The fear of water stayed with Douglas for years. It deprived him of the joy of canoeing, boating and swimming. He used every way he knew to overcome the fear but in vain. He was in the grip of fear even as an adult. So finally he decided to overcome this fear by getting effective training from a professional trainer.

Q.5.How did the instructor “build a swimmer “out of Douglas?

The instructor built a swimmer out of Douglas piece by piece. He put a belt around him. A rope attached to the belt went through a pulley. The instructor held the rope from one end and the narrator went back and forth across the pool. He taught him to put his face under water and exhale and to raise his nose and inhale.

Q.6. How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror?

Even after the training Douglas was not satisfied. He wanted to make sure that he was free from the fear. So he went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire, dived off a dock and swam two miles across the lake. He used all the strokes. Finally he was confident and sure that terror had gone forever. He had conquered the old terror by his determination.

Q.7. What were Douglas’  “Unpleasant Memories” before his introduction to YMCA pool?

Douglas’ unpleasant memories started when he three or four. His father took him to the beach in California. He was standing in the surf with his father. He hung on to him yet he was knocked down by the waves .He was buried in the water .He was frightened and the fear seized him. His introduction to YMCA pool revived his childish fear.

Q.8. What happened when “all efforts ceased”? or “I crossed to oblivion, and the curtain of life fell” How did Douglas experience the sensation of dying before he actually crossed to oblivion?

When Douglas went down the pool the third time, he swallowed more water and all his efforts ceased. Even his legs felt lifeless. A blackness swept over his brain and it wiped out fear and terror. There was no more panic. It was quiet and peaceful. He crossed to oblivion. When he came to senses, he found himself lying beside the pool.

Q.9.Why does Douglas say “The instructor was finished .But I was not finished”?

The instructor’s work was over when he built a swimmer out of Douglas piece by piece. His responsibility was over. Yet Douglas was not entirely satisfied. He had his own fears and anxieties regarding his swimming skills. He thought that the signs of old terror could return when he will be alone in the pool. But finally he was successful.

Q.10.”The experience had a deep meaning for me” says Douglas .Explain the statement.

The experience at YMCA pool had a deep and symbolic meaning for Douglas. He was not just describing a horrible experience but also wanted to leave a message. Only those who have experienced such a stark terror and conquered it, can appreciate it. Nothing is impossible if we have courage and determination.

Q.11. What did Roosevelt mean when he said, ‘All we have to fear is fear itself?’ How did Douglas realize this in his own life? Or What is the message of the lesson “Deep Water”?

Roosevelt had said, ”All we have to fear is fear itself” There is terror only in the fear of death. But all terrors and fears are psychological. when the mind wants to do certain acts, fear stops us. We can conquer them if we are determined. Douglas conquered the fear of water by making himself a perfect swimmer.