NOTES-DEEP WATER

Deep Water Class 12

Chapter 3 Deep Water Exercise Answers

Exercise : Solutions of Questions on Page Number : 23

Q1 :

Notice these words and expressions in the text. Infer their meaning from the

context.

Answer :

 treacherous - unpredictable danger; not dependable or trustworthy

 subdued my pride - to lower or restrain the intensity of self-respect and confidence

 flailed at the surface - to strike or lash out vigorously at the surface of the water in trying to

come out

 fishing for landlocked salmon - to go fishing for a specific variety of salmon available in

certain lakes

 misadventure - an incident that turns out to be a disaster

 bob to the surface like a cork - to float or show the characteristics of buoyancy as a cork in

water

 curtain of life fell - to indicate that life has ended or a near-death experience

 back and forth across the pool - to swim across the swimming pool from one side to the

other

Think as you read : Solutions of Questions on Page Number : 27

Q1 :

What is the "misadventure" that William Douglas speaks about?

Answer :

Douglas refers to the incident at the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool where he almost drowned as a "misadventure." The author was about ten or eleven years old at the time and hadbarely begun to learn swimming.

 Q2 :

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?

Answer :

Douglas was frightened when he was thrown into the pool. However, he was not frightened out of his wits. While sinking down he made a plan. He would make a big jump when his feet hit the bottom. He would come to the surface like a cork, lie flat on it, and paddle to the edge of the pool.

Q3 :

How did this experience affect him?

Answer :

The near death experience of drowning had a very strong impact on his psychology. He was deeply disturbed. A haunting fear of water took control of his physical strength and emotional balance for many years.

 

THINK AS YOU READ
Q1. Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water?
Ans. Douglas was determined to get over his fear of water because it has ruined his fishing trips and deprived him of the joy of canoeing, boating, and swimming.

Q2. How did the instructor “build a swimmer” out of Douglas?
Ans. The instructor built a swimmer out of Douglas piece by piece. For three months he held him high on a rope attached to his belt. He went back and forth across the pool.  The instructor taught Douglas to put his face under water. Then Douglas had to kick with his legs for many weeks till these relaxed. After seven months the instructor told him to swim the length of the pool.

Q3. How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror?
Ans. Douglas still felt terror-stricken when he was alone in the pool. The remnants of the old terror would return, but he would rebuke it and go for another length of the pool. He went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire, dived off a dock at Triggs Island and swam two miles across the lake. He also went to Meade Glacier, dived into Warm Lake and swam across to the other shore and back. Thus, he made sure that he had conquered the old terror.

Understanding the text : Solutions of Questions on Page Number : 29

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.

Answer :

 Douglas gives a detailed account of his feelings and efforts to save himself from getting drowned. He uses literary devices to make the description graphic and vivid. For example,
‘Those nine feet were more like ninety’, ‘My lungs were ready to burst.’ ‘I came up slowly,
I opened my eyes and saw nothing but water….. I grew panicky1 ‘I was suffocating. I
tried to yell, but no sound came out!’ ‘

Q2 :

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

Answer :

Douglas regretted being deprived of enjoying water activities like canoeing, boating, swimming, fishing, etc. The wish to enjoy them and the craving to regain his lost confidence, while being in water, made him try every possible way to get rid of his fear. He was finally able to overcome this mental handicap by getting himself a swimming instructor and further ensuring that no residual fear was left.

Q3 :

How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?

Answer : When Douglas grew up, he took the help of an instructor to learn swimming. His training went on from October to April. For three months he was taken across the pool with the help of a rope. As he went under, terror filled him and his legs froze. The instructor taught him to exhale under water and inhale through raised nose. He made him kick his legs to make them relax. Then he asked him to swim. He continued swimming from April to July. Still all terror had not left. He swam two miles across Lake Wentworth and the whole length to the shore and back of Warm Lake. Then he overcame his fear of water.

Q4 :

Why does Douglas as an adult recount a childhood experience of terror and his conquering of it? What larger meaning does he draw from his experience?

Answer :

The experience of terror was a handicap Douglas suffered from during his childhood. His conquering of it shows his determination, will power and development of his personality.
He drew a larger meaning from this experience. “In death there is peace.” “There is terror only in the fear of death.” He 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. He felt released- free to walk the mountain paths, climb the peaks and brush aside fear.