3.Deep Water-2 - Deep Water summary will assist you in understanding the meaning of this chapter. PDF

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Deep Water summary will assist you in understanding the meaning of this chapter. It is an extract from the book ‘Men and Mountains’ by William Douglas. Over here, the author tells us about how he overcomes the deep-rooted fear of water. We learn that the author develops fear of water following two v...

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DEEP WATER 1. Justify the title. Ans. ‘In deep water’ means ‘in trouble; in a dangerous or vulnerable situation; in a difficult or serious situation which is hard to deal with or is beyond the level of one’s abilities’. Douglas is literally and figuratively in deep water as he nearly drowns when thrown into the deep end of the swimming pool. Moreover, his near-drowning affects him psychologically, too: his fear of water leaves him unable to enjoy such outdoor activities as fishing, canoeing, boating and swimming. His hydrophobia was deeprooted and he needed help to rid himself of it. 2. Why was the YMCA pool considered safer than the Yakima River? Ans. The YMCA pool was only two or three feet deep at the shallow end, gradually dropping to nine feet at the deep end. Thus, it was an ideal place to learn swimming. On the other hand, the Yakima River was treacherous and a number of people had drowned in it. Douglas’ mother repeatedly warned him against swimming in the river, keeping fresh in his mind the details of each drowning. 3. Why did Douglas have an aversion to water since early childhood? Ans. When Douglas was three or four years old, his father took him to the beach in California. While standing together in the surf, with Douglas hanging on to his father, the waves knocked the former down and swept over him. Finding himself buried in water, with his breath gone, utterly frightened the child. His father laughed, but there was terror in Douglas’ heart at the overpowering force of the waves. This incident engendered in him an aversion to water and even a fear of it. His mother’s constant warnings about / reminders of each drowning in the Yakima River would only have added to this dislike and fear. 4. What is the “misadventure” that William Douglas speaks about? Ans. William Douglas went to the YMCA pool to practise swimming. Feeling scared to enter it alone, he decided to wait for others. Just then, an eighteen-year-old, muscled bully arrived, picked him up and threw him into the pool’s deep end as a joke. Landing in the water in a seated position, Douglas sank to the bottom. He managed to come up twice but, then, almost drowned the third time he sank. Though he was finally rescued, this incident left him with a haunting fear of water. 5.

What do you think helped Douglas in not giving in to his fear, at least in the beginning, as he struggled to reach the pool surface? Ans. Douglas’ presence of mind and focus on the solution rather than on the problem itself came in handy during his attempts to come to the surface. He concentrated on the strategy he had worked out, letting reason triumph over the sheer stark terror that had engulfed him. 6. How did his near-drowning affect Douglas? Ans. The immediate effect was that, as he walked home several hours after his rescue, Douglas felt weak and kept trembling. He shook and cried when he lay on his bed, nor could he eat that night. For days afterwards, a haunting fear was in his heart. The slightest exertion upset him, making him wobbly in the knees and sick to his stomach / nauseous. The more lasting effect was that he never went back to the pool. His dreadful fear of water made him avoid it whenever he could. Any attempt to enter the water resulted in a return of the terror that had seized him in the pool. His legs would become paralysed as an icy horror grabbed his heart. Therefore, Douglas could no longer enjoy the pleasures of fishing, canoeing, boating and swimming. 7. Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water? Ans. For a person who enjoyed the great outdoors and such activities as fishing, canoeing, boating and swimming, the fear of water was a handicap. Perhaps, Douglas’ desire to once again sample these pleasures, and to live life to the fullest, made him determined to overcome his fear. That he didn’t succumb [submit; surrender] to his fear, but repeatedly sought out ways to overcome it, is a testament to his courage and determination.

8. How did Douglas make sure that, ultimately, he had conquered the old terror? Ans. Having taken swimming lessons from an instructor till proficient, Douglas challenged himself repeatedly. He not only managed to swim the length of the pool without giving in to the remnants of his fear but also successfully swam two miles across Lake Wentworth (in New Hampshire), from Triggs Island to Stamp Act Island. Douglas finally proved to himself that he had conquered the old terror by trekking up to Meade Glacier and then swimming across Warm Lake to the other shore and back. 9.

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? Ans. His brush with death in the YMCA pool was traumatic and left a lasting impression on Douglas. Even years later, his description of the incident and recollection of his emotions as he sank to the bottom of the pool are very vivid. Recounting this childhood experience of terror and his conquering of it must have been quite cathartic [providing psychological relief through the open expression of strong emotions]. Fear of any kind is what prevents one from taking risks or making changes in one’s life. Thus, this account serves as an inspiration or lesson not to give in to one’s fears. Douglas experienced not only the sensation of dying but also the terror that fear of it produced. This harrowing experience taught him that terror lies only in the fear of death, that is, death itself is not as frightening or torturous as the fear of it. By conquering that fear or by not allowing it to rule or incapacitate [harm, weaken] him, Douglas felt free to enjoy life to the fullest. His near-death experience made him realise the true value of life, only intensifying his will to live. It made him all the more confident and determined to courageously face his fears and life’s challenges. 10. 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? Ans. When Douglas was thrown into the pool, he was shocked and frightened but not out of his wits. While on his way down, he had the presence of mind to remember to make a big jump when his feet finally hit bottom. He would then come to the surface, lie flat on it and paddle to the pool’s edge. Douglas’ downward journey seemed very long and, soon, he began suffocating. On reaching the bottom, he pushed off it but was unable to reach the surface. Starting to panic, he reached up as if to grab a rope but found only water. Choking with fear and water, he couldn’t even yell for help. As Douglas went under again, he lost all his breath, his lungs ached and his head throbbed. Though dizzy, he still recalled his plan. To him, the journey down seemed endless. When he opened his eyes, all he saw was water with a yellow glow — dark water that one could not see through. Then sheer, stark terror seized him — one that knows no understanding or control, one that can be understood only by someone who has experienced it. When his feet finally touched bottom, Douglas pushed off and up with all his might. Halfway to the top, his limbs wouldn’t move and he started sinking once again. That is when Douglas gave up his struggles and lost consciousness. Towards the end, he felt at peace and as secure as if he were in his mother’s arms. 11. How did the instructor “build a swimmer” out of Douglas? Ans. When his own attempts to overcome his fear of water failed, Douglas turned to an instructor to teach him to swim. He religiously attended these one hour sessions five days a week. The instructor would hold one end of the rope [passing through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable] attached to Douglas’ belt, as they went back and forth across the pool. This repetitive exercise, followed over a period of three months, helped Douglas control his paralysing fear to some extent. Then he was taught to exhale under water which, through constant practice, enabled him to shed some of the panic that usually seized him when his head was submerged. Over the next few weeks, with the instructor holding him at the side of the pool and having him kick with his legs, Douglas managed to get them to work. Thus, it took the instructor nearly seven months to perfect each piece and to put them together into an integrated whole — to build a swimmer.

Value-Based Questions: 1.

Fear, unless challenged, is the stumbling block to success. William Douglas proves this by overcoming his fear of water through sheer grit and courage. Justify. / ‘Braving the odds is the key to success.’ Comment with reference to ‘Deep Water’. Admission of having a problem and the need to overcome it, acceptance of that challenge, patience and perseverance, determination to overcome hurdles / obstacles, achieving goals; elaborate on the steps taken by Douglas to overcome his fear of water.

2.

William Douglas was tossed into the deeper end of the pool by a bruiser of a boy. Bullying is a common phenomenon of present times, even in schools in India. Write, in about 120 words, on ‘Bullying: A Threat to the Development of a Child’. Cases of children anyone younger or one who is considered weaker or different; immature mindset of the youth; instils fear and increases sense of inferiority, inequality and insecurity; drastic or fatal results; authorities to accept it is a problem and not turn a blind eye to it; need for introspection on the part of both the bully and the victim; compassion and support to both — seek out the underlying cause of bullying; forgiveness and acceptance; freedom from complexes...