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Deep Water Class 12 English Chapter 3

Summary, Explanation and Question
Answers

CBSE Class 12 English Flamingo Book Chapter 3

Deep Water Summary, Explanation with Video
and Question Answers
Deep Water – CBSE Class 12 English Flamingo book Chapter 3 Deep Water Summary of
the story along with meanings of di몭cult words. Also, the explanation is followed by an
explanation of the lesson. All the exercises and Questions and Answers given at the back
of the lesson, CBSE board questions have also been solved. Also, Take Free Online MCQs
Test for Class 12

Theme of the Lesson

Deep Water Summary
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Character Sketch of Class 12 English

Theme of the Lesson

This lesson is taken from William Douglas’ autobiographical book “Of Men and
Mountains,” which deals with the subject of conquering fear. He talks about how he
몭nally overcame his early phobia of the sea. The incident in the swimming pool where a
bully nearly drowned him as a youngster and the boyhood experience of being knocked
down by the waves at the California beach contributed to a dread of water that haunted
him even as an adult. He ultimately made the decision to face his anxiety because he
was unable to enjoy swimming, 몭shing, or boating like others. His further attempts to
get over the fear, demonstrate his guts and willpower. Therefore, the message being
sent to us is that one must get above their fear.
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Deep Water Summary
The story has been taken from the author’s autobiography- ‘Of Men and Mountains’.
In this piece, he tells about his fear of water and how he conquered it by determination
and willpower.

As a child, when he was 3 or 4 years old, he would go to the beach in California with his
father. He would get scared by the might of the huge waves which swept over him and it
instilled fear in his subconscious mind.

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A few years later, in his eagerness to learn swimming, he joined a swimming pool where
an incident further increased his terror. He was pushed into the pool by another boy
and experienced death closely.

Many years after that incident, he stayed away from water but the desire to go 몭shing
and swimming in nature was strong enough to motivate him to overcome his fear.

He learned swimming with the help of an instructor who ensured that William knew
swimming well enough to be able to swim in huge lakes and waterfalls also.
Still, when he would swim, the fear from his childhood experiences, embedded in his
subconscious mind would grip him over and over again. He wanted to conquer that fear.

He faced it sarcastically, thinking that now, as he knew how to swim, what harm could it
do to him. He challenged his fear in the face of it and 몭nally, it would vanish.
It was a baseless fear instilled in his subconscious mind. This experience was valuable
for him. He had experienced terror and death. He overcame it and 몭nally conquered it.
William realized that death is peaceful and it is the fear of death that is terrorizing. His
will to live life grew intensely as he had overcome his fear and started living fearlessly.

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Deep Water Summary in hindi

कहानी ले
खक की आ몭कथा- ‘ऑफ मे
न एं
ड माउं
ट몭
स (Of Men and Mountains)’ से
ली गई है
।

इस टु
कड़े
म몭
, वह पानी केअपने
डर केबारे
म몭
बताता है
और कै
सेउसने
몭ढ़ सं
क몭 और इ몭ाश몭몭 से
इस पर
िवजय 몭ा몭 की।

एक ब몭े
के몭प म몭
, जब वह 3 या 4 साल का था, तो वह अपने
िपता केसाथ कै
िलफोिन몭
या केसमु
몭 तट पर
जाता था। वह उन िवशाल लहरों
की ताकत से
डर जाता था जो उसकेऊपर बह रही थीं
और इसने
उसके
अवचे
तन मन म몭
भय पै
दा कर िदया था।

कु
छ साल बाद, तै
राकी सीखने
की अपनी उ몭ु
कता म몭
, वह एक 몭몭िमं
ग पू
ल म몭
몭몭िमं
ग सीखने
गया , जहां
एक
घटना ने
उसकेआतं
क को और बढ़ा िदया। उसे
एक लड़केने
पू
ल म몭
धके
ल िदया और ले
खक ने
मौत को करीब
से
अनु
भव िकया।

उस घटना केकई साल बाद तक वह पानी से

दू
र रहे
लेिकन मछली पकड़ने
और 몭कृ
ित म몭
तै
रने
की इ몭ा इतनी
몭बल थी िक वह अपने
डर को दू
र करने
केिलए एक बार िफर 몭े
몭रत 몭ए ।

उ몭ों
몭ने
एक 몭िश몭क की मदद से
तै
रना सीखा, िजसने
यह सु
िनि몭त िकया िक िविलयम डगलस तै
रना अ몭ी
तरह से
सीख गए ह몭
तािक वे
िवशाल झीलों
और झरनों
म몭
भी तै
रने
म몭
स몭म हों
।

िफर भी, जब वह तै
रता, तो उसकेअवचे
तन मन म몭
उसकेबचपन केअनु
भवों
का डर उसे
बार-बार जकड़ ले
ता।
वह उस डर पर िवजय पाना चाहता था।

उसने
몭ं
몭ा몭क ढं
ग से
इसका सामना िकया, यह सोचकर िक अब जब वह तै
रना जानता है
, तो इससे
उसका
몭ा नु
कसान हो सकता है
। उ몭ों
몭ने
इसकेसामने
अपने
डर को चु
नौती दी और अं
त म몭
, यह गायब हो जाएगा।

पानी म몭
डूबने
की घटना ने
उनकेअवचे
तन मन म몭
एक िनराधार भय पै
दा कर िदया था। यह अनु
भव उनकेिलए
अमू
몭 था। ले
खक ने
आतं
क और मौत का अनु
भव िकया था। उसने
इस पर िवजय 몭ा몭 की और अं
त म몭
एक
अ몭ा तै
राक बना।

िविलयम ने
महसू
स िकया िक मृ
몭ु
शां
ितपू
ण몭
हैऔर यह मृ
몭ु
का भय ही है
जो हम몭
आतं
िकत करता है
। इसके
बाद जीवन जीने
की उसकी इ몭ा ती몭ता से
बढ़ी 몭ों
몭िक उसने
अपने
डर पर काबू
पा िलया था और िनडर होकर
जीने
लगा था।

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Deep Water Class 12 Video Explanation

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Deep Water Explanation

Passage: It had happened when I was ten or eleven years old. I had decided to learn to
swim. There was a pool at the Y.M.C.A. in Yakima that o몭ered exactly the opportunity.
The Yakima River was treacherous.

Word Meaning
Y.M.C.A. – Young Men’s Christian Association
Yakima – a place in Washington, USA
Yakima – a place in Washington, USA
Treacherous – dangerous

Explanation of the above Passage: The writer narrates his experience. He was ten or eleven
years old when he had joined the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool to learn swimming. He did not go
to the Yakima river to swim as it was considered dangerous. This shows that he had a prior
fear of water.

Passage: Mother continually warned against it, and kept fresh in my mind the details of
each drowning in the river. But the Y.M.C.A. pool was safe. It was only two or three feet
deep at the shallow end; and while it was nine feet deep at the other, the drop was
gradual. I got a pair of water wings and went to the pool. I hated to walk naked into it
and show my skinny legs. But I subdued my pride and did it.

Word Meaning
Drop – slope from the shallow area to the deep area
Water wings – A pair of in몭atable waterproof bags designed so that one can be
attached to each arm, especially of a child learning to swim
Skinny – thin
Subdued – to overcome
Pride – self-respect

Explanation of the above Passage: William’s mother would warn him not to go near the
Yakima river and would discuss the various incidents of drowning. He felt that the pool at
Y.M.C.A. was safer. The shallow area of the pool was only two to three feet deep while the
deep area was nine feet in depth. The slope from the shallow area to the deep area was not
steep. He also got a pair of water wings to prevent drowning. He did not like to wear the
swimming costume which exposed his thin legs but as he was keen to swim, he gave up his
self-respect and wore it.

Passage: From the beginning, however, I had an aversion to the water when I was in it.
This started when I was three or four years old and father took me to the beach in
California.
He and I stood together in the surf. I hung on to him, yet the waves knocked me down
and swept over me. I was buried in water. My breath was gone. I was frightened.
Father laughed, but there was terror in my heart at the overpowering force of the
waves.
waves.

Word Meaning
Aversion – dislike
Surf – wave of the sea
Knocked me down – threw him down

Explanation of the above Passage: William says that he had always disliked water and
recounts an older experience when he was three or four years old. He went to the beach in
California with his father. They stood as a wave leapt towards them. William stuck to his
father to save himself, but the strong wave threw him down and he was covered in water. He
was scared as he could not breathe. His father laughed and tried to make him feel
comfortable, but the little child was scared when he realized that the waves were so powerful.

Passage: My introduction to the Y.M.CA. swimming pool revived unpleasant memories

and stirred childish fears. But in a little while I gathered con몭dence. I paddled with my
new water wings, watching the other boys and trying to learn by aping them. I did this
two or three times on di몭erent days and was just beginning to feel at ease in the water
when the misadventure happened.

Word Meaning
Revived – brought back to mind
Aping – copying
To feel at ease – to feel comfortable

Explanation of the above Passage: When William joined the swimming pool at the Y.M.C.A.,
the fear of water resurfaced in his mind. He gathered con몭dence by watching other boys
swim and tried to copy them. He had done this twice or thrice at di몭erent occasions and had
started gaining con몭dence when the incident happened. He had a narrow escape from death.

Passage: I went to the pool when no one else was there. The place was quiet. The water
was still, and the tiled bottom was as white and clean as a bathtub. I was timid about
going in alone, so I sat on the side of the pool to wait for others.
Explanation of the above Passage: When William reached the pool, no one was there and
so he sat on the edge waiting for other boys to arrive. He was afraid to swim all alone in the
pool. As the swimming pool was empty, William could see the bottom also. It had white
coloured tiles on it and looked white and clean like a bathtub.

Passage: I had not been there long when in came a big bruiser of a boy, probably
eighteen years old. He had thick hair on his chest. He was a beautiful physical specimen,
with legs and arms that showed rippling muscles. He yelled, “Hi, Skinny! How’d you like
to be ducked?”

Word Meaning
Bruiser – a person who is tough and aggressive and enjoys a 몭ght or argument
Specimen – example
Skinny – a thin person
Ducked – push or plunge someone under water

Explanation of the above Passage: It had not been long since William had been sitting by
the pool when a boy arrived. He was around eighteen years of age, had a well – built body
with rippling muscles. He seemed to be a bully. He asked William if he wanted to be thrown
into the pool.

Passage: With that he picked me up and tossed me into the deep end. I landed in a
sitting position, swallowed water, and went at once to the bottom. I was frightened, but
not yet frightened out of my wits. On the way down I planned: When my feet hit the
bottom, I would make a big jump, come to the surface, lie 몭at on it, and paddle to the
edge of the pool.

Word Meaning
Tossed – threw
Wits – intelligence

Explanation of the above Passage: The boy picked William and threw him into the deep
end of the swimming pool. William landed on the surface of the pool in the same position as
he had been sitting in. His mouth was open and as he did not know swimming, he swallowed
water as he sank into the pool. He was frightened, but he used his intelligence and on his way
down the pool, planned to push himself up when he reached the bottom. He thought that he
would make a big jump to the surface, lie on his back and swim to the edge of the pool.
Passage: It seemed a long way down. Those nine feet were more like ninety, and before
I touched bottom my lungs were ready to burst. But when my feet hit bottom I
summoned all my strength and made what I thought was a great spring upwards. I
imagined I would bob to the surface like a cork. Instead, I came up slowly. I opened my
eyes and saw nothing but water — water that had a dirty yellow tinge to it. I grew
panicky. I reached up as if to grab a rope and my hands clutched only at water. I was
su몭ocating. I tried to yell but no sound came out. Then my eyes and nose came out of
the water — but not my mouth.

Word Meaning
Summoned – gathered
Spring – push
Bob – jump
Tinge – touch of colour
Su몭ocating – unable to breathe due to lack of air
Yell – scream

Explanation of the above Passage: William took a long time to reach the bottom of the
pool. It seemed that the depth was ninety feet instead of nine feet. He could not hold his
breath and felt as if his lungs would burst. When his feet touched the bottom of the pool, he
gathered all his strength and jumped upwards. He had thought that the next moment, he
would come out of the pool, but the opposite happened. His movement upwards was slow
and when he opened his eyes, he saw water all around which was yellowish in colour. William
got scared and tried to grab something – a rope which would help him reach the edge of the
pool, but he got nothing other than water. William was at a loss of breath and tried to
scream for help, but no sound came out of his mouth. His nose and eyes came out of the
water, but his mouth remained in it.

Passage: I 몭ailed at the surface of the water, swallowed and choked. I tried to bring my
legs up, but they hung as dead weights, paralysed and rigid. A great force was pulling
me under. I screamed, but only the water heard me. I had started on the long journey
back to the bottom of the pool.

Word Meaning
Flailed – waved his hands
Choked – unable to breathe
Rigid – hard

Explanation of the above Passage: William waved his hands at the surface of the water for
help, but he swallowed water and choked himself. He tried to pull his legs up, but they were
very heavy and lifeless. He felt that something was pulling him towards the depth of the pool.
He screamed but his voice did not go out of the water. Once again, William started going
down towards the bottom of the pool.

Passage: I struck at the water as I went down, expending my strength as one in a

nightmare 몭ghts an irresistible force. I had lost all my breath. My lungs ached, my head
throbbed. I was getting dizzy. But I remembered the strategy — I would spring from the
bottom of the pool and come like a cork to the surface. I would lie 몭at on the water,
strike out with my arms, and thrash with my legs. Then I would get to the edge of the
pool and be safe.

Word Meaning
Expending – losing, giving out
Ached – pained
Throbbed – felt pain in a series of beats
Dizzy – faint, unsteady
Strategy – plan of action
Strike out – extend
Thrash – hit with force

Explanation of the above Passage: William tried to save himself from drowning in the pool
and tried to grab something, but as there was water all around, he could not do so. He
compares his situation to a person who sees a nightmare and 몭ghts against the dreadful
dream but is unable to ward it o몭. William was breathless. He felt pain in his lungs and his
head felt a sensation of beating. He was getting unconscious, but he could recollect the plan
to save himself – as his feet touched the bottom, he would take a leap and jump up to the
surface in a ji몭y. Then he would lie on his back, hit the strokes with his limbs and reach to the
edge of the pool to safety.

Passage: I went down, down, endlessly. I opened my eyes. Nothing but water with a
yellow glow — dark water that one could not see through. And then sheer, stark terror
seized me, terror that knows no understanding, terror that knows no control, terror that
no one can understand who has not experienced it. I was shrieking under water. I was
paralysed under water — sti몭, rigid with fear. Even the screams in my throat were
frozen. Only my heart, and the pounding in my head, said that I was still alive.

Word Meaning
Stark – severe
Seized – gripped
Shrieking – screaming
Paralysed – incapable of movement
Pounding – repeated beating

Explanation of the above Passage: William sank into the pool and the journey downwards
seemed endless. He opened his eyes. There was water all around. It had a yellowish glow and
he could not see through it. This terrorized William. He says that his feeling can not be
explained but it can only be understood by those who have experienced a similar situation.
He was screaming in the water, he was unable to move due to the fear. His screams also
froze. Only his heart beat and the beating in his head indicated that he was alive.

Passage: And then in the midst of the terror came a touch of reason. I must remember
to jump when I hit the bottom. At last I felt the tiles under me. My toes reached out as if
to grab them. I jumped with everything I had.

Word Meaning
In the midst of – between

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Explanation of the above Passage: In between the phase of terror, William recollected the
plan that he had to take a jump as he touched the bottom of the pool. As he felt the tiles of
the bottom of the pool, his feet used all the strength he had, and he jumped up.

Passage: But the jump made no di몭erence. The water was still around me. I looked for
ropes, ladders, water wings. Nothing but water. A mass of yellow water held me. Stark
terror took an even deeper hold on me, like a great charge of electricity. I shook and
trembled with fright. My arms wouldn’t move. My legs wouldn’t move. I tried to call for
help, to call for mother. Nothing happened.

Explanation of the above Passage: The e몭ort went in vain. He was still submerged in the
water. He looked around for help, for any rope, ladder or water wing with the help of which
he could rescue himself. He could only see water all around him. It was as if a chunk of yellow
he could rescue himself. He could only see water all around him. It was as if a chunk of yellow
water had grabbed him. The terror grew intense. It was like an electric shock that ran
through the whole body. He trembled with fright. He could neither move his limbs nor call out
for help.

Passage: And then, strangely, there was light. I was coming out of the awful yellow
water. At least my eyes were. My nose was almost out too.
Then I started down a third time. I sucked for air and got water. The yellowish light was
going out. Then all e몭ort ceased. I relaxed. Even my legs felt limp; and a blackness swept
over my brain. It wiped out fear; it wiped out terror. There was no more panic. It was
quiet and peaceful. Nothing to be afraid of. This is nice… to be drowsy… to go to sleep…
no need to jump… too tired to jump… it’s nice to be carried gently… to 몭oat along in
space… tender arms around me… tender arms like Mother’s… now I must go to sleep…

Word Meaning
Ceased – ended

Explanation of the above Passage: Something strange happened, and William saw light.
His eyes came out of the water. His nose was almost out of it.
Then he started going downwards into the pool for the third time. He tried to breathe but
gulped water instead. The light went out as he drowned again. Then he stopped making
e몭orts to save himself. William relaxed, his legs became lifeless and his brain experienced a
black–out. The fear ended, he did not panic. He became quite and experienced peace. He was
not afraid of drowning anymore. He felt sleepy, was tired to jump up, felt nice to be carried in
his mother’s arms as he felt sleepy.

Passage: I crossed to oblivion, and the curtain of life fell.

Word Meaning
Oblivion – the state of being unaware or unconscious of what is happening around
one
Curtain of life fell – life came to an end

Explanation of the above Passage: William became unconscious as he drifted away

towards death.

Passage: The next I remember I was lying on my stomach beside the pool, vomiting. The
chap that threw me in was saying, “But I was only fooling.” Someone said, “The kid nearly
died. Be all right now. Let’s carry him to the locker room.”

Explanation of the above Passage: When William gained consciousness, he was lying on his
stomach, beside the pool and was vomiting. He heard someone scolding the boy who had
pushed him into the pool. The voice said that William had almost died, and the boy replied
pushed him into the pool. The voice said that William had almost died, and the boy replied
that he was fooling with him. The voice asked the boy to carry William to the locker room.

Passage: Several hours later, I walked home. I was weak and trembling. I shook and
cried when I lay on my bed. I couldn’t eat that night. For days a haunting fear was in my
heart. The slightest exertion upset me, making me wobbly in the knees and sick to my
stomach.

Word Meaning
Wobbly – weak

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Explanation of the above Passage: After many hours, William walked home. He felt weak
and shivered. He kept on crying as he lay on the bed. He was unable to eat food. The fear
kept on haunting him for many days. The incident made him physically upset. The slightest
work made him feel that his knees were unable to bear his weight. He would feel like
vomiting.

Passage: I never went back to the pool. I feared water. I avoided it whenever I could.

Explanation of the above Passage: William did not go to the swimming pool as he feared
the water. He remained away from water.

Passage: A few years later when I came to know the waters of the Cascades, I wanted to
get into them. And whenever I did — whether I was wading the Tieton or Bumping River
or bathing in Warm Lake of the Goat Rocks — the terror that had seized me in the pool
would come back. It would take possession of me completely. My legs would become
paralysed. Icy horror would grab my heart.

Word Meaning
Cascades – waterfall

Explanation of the above Passage: After some years, William came to know of a waterfall
Explanation of the above Passage: After some years, William came to know of a waterfall
and wanted to go in it. Whenever he went for swimming in di몭erent rivers like the Tieton,
Bumping river, Warm lake of the Goat Rocks, the fear of water returned. It would grab him
completely, disable his limbs and grab his heart.

Passage: This handicap stayed with me as the years rolled by. In canoes on Maine lakes
몭shing for landlocked salmon, bass 몭shing in New Hampshire, trout 몭shing on the
Deschutes and Metolius in Oregon, 몭shing for salmon on the Columbia, at Bumping
Lake in the Cascades — wherever I went, the haunting fear of the water followed me. It
ruined my 몭shing trips; deprived me of the joy of canoeing, boating, and swimming.

Word Meaning
Handicap – a circumstance that makes progress or success di몭cult
Canoes – small boats
Ruined – destroyed
Deprived – to take away

Explanation of the above Passage: The fear of water remained with William as he grew up.
On the boating trips to di몭erent lakes in the Maine region, New Hampshire, Deschutes,
Metolius, Columbia, Bumping lake – where he 몭shed di몭erent varieties of 몭sh, namely –
salmon, bass and trout, the fear followed him. His 몭shing trips were destroyed as he did not
enjoy boating and swimming due to the fear.

Passage: I used every way I knew to overcome this fear, but it held me 몭rmly in its grip.
Finally, one October, I decided to get an instructor and learn to swim. I went to a pool
and practiced 몭ve days a week, an hour each day. The instructor put a belt around me. A
rope attached to the belt went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable. He held
on to the end of the rope, and we went back and forth, back and forth across the pool,
hour after hour, day after day, week after week. On each trip across the pool a bit of the
panic seized me. Each time the instructor relaxed his hold on the rope and I went under,
some of the old terror returned and my legs froze. It was three months before the
tension began to slack. Then he taught me to put my face under water and exhale, and
to raise my nose and inhale. I repeated the exercise hundreds of times. Bit by bit I shed
part of the panic that seized me when my head went under water.

Word Meaning
Cable – thick rope
Slack – to reduce
Shed – removed
Panic – fear
Seized – gripped
Explanation of the above Passage: William tried to ward of the fear but was unable to get
rid of it. Finally, in the month of October, he hired an instructor to teach him swimming. He
would practise for an hour each day, 몭ve days a week. William describes the learning
process. The instructor put a belt around William’s waist. The belt was attached to a thick
rope. The rope went through an overhead pulley and was held by the instructor. It ensured
that in case William drowned, the instructor would pull him out. William swam across the
length of the pool for several weeks. Whenever the instructor loosened the rope, he went
down into the water and the fear would return. It would immobilize his legs. It was after three
months of practise that William got comfortable. Then the instructor taught him to breathe in
the water. He taught him to put his face under the water and exhale his breathe. He was
taught to raise his nose out of the water and inhale. William practiced several times.
Gradually, he got rid of the panic that would grab him when he put his head under the water.

Passage: Next he held me at the side of the pool and had me kick with my legs. For
weeks I did just that. At 몭rst my legs refused to work. But they gradually relaxed; and
몭nally I could command them.

Word Meaning
Command – order

Explanation of the above Passage: In the third phase of the learning process, the instructor
taught William to kick the water’s surface with his legs. He did this for many weeks. Initially,
his legs did not move but gradually, they relaxed and 몭nally, William could order them to kick
in the desired way.

Passage: Thus, piece by piece, he built a swimmer. And when he had perfected each
piece, he put them together into an integrated whole. In April he said, “Now you can
swim. Dive o몭 and swim the length of the pool, crawl stroke.”

Word Meaning
Stroke – a particular style of moving the arms and legs in swimming.

Explanation of the above Passage: Finally, the instructor made a swimmer out of William
in phases. When William had perfected each phase, he compiled them. In the month of April,
the instructor told William that now he could swim. He asked him to dive into the pool and
swim the length of the pool in a particular style called the crawl stroke.

Passage: I did. The instructor was 몭nished.

Explanation of the above Passage: William swam and the classes came to an end.

Passage: But I was not 몭nished. I still wondered if I would be terror-stricken when I was
alone in the pool. I tried it. I swam the length up and down. Tiny vestiges of the old
terror would return. But now I could frown and say to that terror, “Trying to scare me,
eh? Well, here’s to you! Look!”
And o몭 I’d go for another length of the pool.

Word Meaning
Vestiges – traces
Vestiges – traces

Explanation of the above Passage: William had not overcome the fear yet and wondered if
the terror would grab him when he would be alone in the water. He tried to swim alone in the
pool. The terror returned in small phases but now, as he knew how to swim, he faced the
terror with con몭dence. He swam another length of the pool.

Passage: This went on until July. But I was still not satis몭ed. I was not sure that all the
terror had left. So I went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire, dived o몭 a dock at
Triggs Island, and swam two miles across the lake to Stamp Act Island. I swam the crawl,
breast stroke, side stroke, and back stroke. Only once did the terror return. When I was
in the middle of the lake, I put my face under and saw nothing but bottomless water.
The old sensation returned in miniature. I laughed and said, “Well, Mr Terror, what do
you think you can do to me?” It 몭ed and I swam on.

Word Meaning
Miniature – small size

Explanation of the above Passage: William swam like this till the month of July but was not
satis몭ed. He wanted to be sure that all of the fear had left him. So, he went to Lake
Wentworth in New Hampshire, dived into it from Triggs island and swam for two miles, up to
Stamp Act island. He swam in di몭erent styles – crawl, breast stroke, side stroke and back
stroke. The terror returned only once when he was in the middle of the lake. When he put his
head under water, he saw water all around and the fear returned. This time, William laughed
at the terror and said to it that it could not harm him. He saw that the terror vanished, and
he resumed swimming.

Passage: Yet I had residual doubts. At my 몭rst opportunity I hurried west, went up the
Tieton to Conrad Meadows, up the Conrad Creek Trail to Meade Glacier, and camped in
the high meadow by the side of Warm Lake. The next morning I stripped, dived into the
lake, and swam across to the other shore and back — just as Doug Corpron used to do. I
shouted with joy, and Gilbert Peak returned the echo. I had conquered my fear of water.

Explanation of the above Passage: William still had some doubt about the fear. So, he
hurried towards the western direction. He went up the Tieton, reached Conrad meadows,
walked up the Conrad creek trail to Meade glacier. He camped at the meadow by the Warm
lake. The next morning, he wore the swimming costume and dived into the lake. He swam
across it to the other end and returned just like the famous American Doug Corpron used to
do. William shouted with joy as he had overcome his fear. His voice resounded as the
mountain peak named Gilbert peak reverberated it. He had overcome the fear.
mountain peak named Gilbert peak reverberated it. He had overcome the fear.

Passage: The experience had a deep meaning for me, as only those who have known
stark terror and conquered it can appreciate. In death there is peace. There is terror
only in the fear of death, as Roosevelt knew when he said, “All we have to fear is fear
itself.” Because I had experienced both the sensation of dying and the terror that fear of
it can produce, the will to live somehow grew in intensity.
At last I felt released — free to walk the trails and climb the peaks and to brush aside
fear.

Explanation of the above Passage: The experience had a great importance in William’s life.
He realized that death was peaceful and only the fear of death was fearful. He recollects the
words of one of the Presidents of America – Roosevelt. Roosevelt had said that all we have to
fear is fear itself. As William had experienced death and the fear of death, his desire to live
grew immensely. He felt released from fear and was free to walk up the trails and climb up
the mountains fearlessly.

 Top

Deep Water Question Answers

Q1. How does Douglas make clear to the reader the sense of panic that gripped
him as he almost drowned? Describe the details that have made the description
vivid.

A. William describes his experience where he had a close brush with death at the Y.M.C.A.
Swimming pool. As it a first­person account, he has described it deeply. The emotional,
mental and physical struggle and the paralyzing fear of drowning have been discussed in
mental and physical struggle and the paralyzing fear of drowning have been discussed in
detail.

William retained his intelligence and had a plan to come to the surface. He tried it but I
did not work and after a few trials to save his life, death dawned upon him. All these
details make the description vivid.

Q2. How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?

A. William Douglas was not able to come out of his fear. So, he hired a swimming
instructor. Once he had learned swimming, he wanted to check if he had overcome the
fear as well. He would swim in lakes and found the fear to return in small phases. William
was no longer scared as he knew that he could swim. Hence, he overcame the fear.

Q3. 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?

A. William Douglas gives a detailed description of his childhood experience so that the
reader gets familiar with the kind of fear that he had as a child.

When he quotes Roosevelt ““All we have to fear is fear itself” he tries to draw a larger
meaning from this experience. He wants to highlight the fact that life became
meaningful and the desire to live grew intense once he had conquered his fear.

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Board questions

Q1: Answer the following question in 120 – 150 words: (10)

[CBSE paper, 2012]

How did Douglas develop an aversion to water?

OR

Q2: Answer the following question in 120 – 150 words: (6)

[CBSE paper, 2015]

What happened at the YMCA swimming pool which instilled fear of water in
Douglas’ mind?

A: Since the age of three or four, when the author accompanied his father to the beach,
he realized that he disliked water. He would get frightened by the power of the waves
which threw him, swept over and he was buried in water.

Later, at the age of ten – eleven years, he decided to learn swimming. He joined
swimming classes at a swimming pool at the Y.M.C.A. He felt that the swimming pool
was safe. Also, the pair of water wings would help him stay on the surface but more,
they instilled a sense of con몭dence in him. It was just when he had started feeling
comfortable that an incident took place. A big boy picked up the author and threw him
in the pool at the deep end. He got water in his mouth and sank to the bottom. He was
frightened but kept his mind working and devised a way out but things did not turn out
as planned. His lungs felt as if they would burst, he was overpowered by fear, reached
out, as if to grab something, but could only get his hands on the water. He got
su몭ocated due to lack of air, could not scream, moved his arms desperately but all his
e몭orts failed and he once again sank to the bottom of the pool. An unexplainable terror
seized him. His limbs were lifeless, rigid due to fear and he could not even scream, the
only sign of life was his heart beat. He sucked in water and then suddenly all his e몭orts
to save himself stopped. He was relaxed, peaceful, fearless and sleepy, almost dead.

It was due to these experiences that the author developed an aversion to water.

Q3: Answer in 30 – 40 words: (2)

[CBSE paper, 2013]

How did the instructor turn Douglas into a swimmer?

A: The instructor made him practice swimming step by step and gradually, piece by
piece, turned him into a swimmer. When he had perfected each piece, he put them
together into an integrated whole.

Q4: Answer the following question in 120 – 150 words: (6)

[CBSE paper, 2015]

Describe the e몭orts made by Douglas to overcome his fear of water.

A: Douglas was in the tight grip of a fear of swimming in water bodies and 몭nally
decided to get rid of it. He hired an instructor who taught him swimming piece by piece
and when he had learnt it all, he combined all the pieces together and made Douglas a
swimmer. Still, he was not con몭dent, and the terror would seize him time and again.
Douglas wanted to get rid of all the fear, he wanted to conquer it. So, he went to various
lakes, dived and swam across them. He reverted sarcastically to the tiny vestiges of fear
that would grip him time and again until all of it vanished away. Douglas realized that
fear was merely a crop of the mind and once he had conquered it, he felt released, free
to walk arduous terrains, climb peaks and brush aside fear. Douglas had faced stark
terror and then by conquering it his desire to live life grew intensely.

Q5: Answer the following question in 30 – 40 words: (2)

[CBSE paper, 2016]

How did his experience at the YMCA swimming pool a몭ect Douglas?

A: Douglas’ experience of drowning and almost being dead instilled a fear of water in
him. He shook and cried, couldn’t eat, for days a haunting fear engulfed him, the
slightest exertion upset him. He never went back to the pool, feared water and avoided
it whenever he could.

 Top

Deep Water Extract based questions

1. It was only two or three feet deep at the shallow end; and while it was nine feet deep
at the other, the drop was gradual. I got a pair of water wings and went to the pool. I
hated to walk naked into it and show my skinny legs. But I subdued my pride and did it.

1. The author subdued his pride and did it. This shows that he –
a. Hated swimming
b. Loved swimming
c. did not want to swim
d. Was forced to swim
A. b

2. What are water wings?

a. A pair of wings to 몭y over the water
b. A pair of life saving tube to swim in water
c. both a and b
d. None of these
A. b

3. He got water wings before going to the pool. This shows that he –
a. Was brave
b. Was courageous
c. was rich
d. Was scared
A. d

4. State true of False –

The writer could drown at the shallow end of the pool
A. False

5. Find a synonym of overpower

A. Subdue
2. But I was not 몭nished. I still wondered if I would be terror-stricken when I was alone in
the pool. I tried it. I swam the length up and down. Tiny vestiges of the old terror would
return. But now I could frown and say to that terror, “Trying to scare me, eh? Well, here’s
to you! Look!” And o몭 I’d go for another length of the pool.

1. Find a synonym of trace

A. Vestige

2. Did the narrator actually speak to the terror?

A. No, he said this in his mind.

3. What quality can be seen in the author?

a. Courage
b. Terror
c. fear
d. All of these
A. a

 Top

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