DEEP WATER

WILLIAM DOGLAS
1. What is the ‘misadventure’ that William Douglas speaks about?
2. What were the series of emotions and fears that Douglas experienced when
he was thrown into the poor? What plans did he make to come to the surface?
3. How did this experience affect him?
4. Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water?
5. How did the instructor ‘build a swimmer’ out of Douglas?
6. How did Douglas make sure that he conquers the old terror?
7. How does Douglas make clear to the reader the sense of panic that gripped
him as he almost drowned? Describe detail that has made the description
vivid?
8. How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?
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?
10. When did Douglas decide to learn swimming? What options were available to
him to swim in? Which one did he choose and why?
11. Which factors sled Douglas to decide in factor of the Y.M.C.A pool?
12. ‘I had an aversion to the water when I was in it’? Says Douglas. When did he
start having this aversion and how?
13. How did Douglas initially feel when he went to the YMCA poor? What made
him feel uncomfortable?
14. What two things did Douglas dislike to do? Which one did he have to do and
why?
15. In what connection does Douglas mention’ a big bruiser of a boy?
16. Describe the boy who was responsible for the author’s misadventure?
17. How did the ‘misadventure’ happen with Douglas?
18. “I was frightened, but not yet frightened out of my wits”. Says Douglas.
Which qualities of the speaker are highlighted here and how?
19. “On the way down I planned “ remarks Douglas. What plan had he devised
and how far did it succeed?
20. What did Douglas experience as he went down to the bottom of the pool for
the first time?
21. How was the result of the ‘great spring upwards ‘ that Douglas made on
hitting the bottom of the poor for the first time?
22. How did Douglas struggle before hitting of the pool for the second time?
What was the outcome of his struggle?
23. What sort of terror seized Douglas as he went down the ‘water with a yellow
glow? How could he feel he was still alive?
24. “In the midst of the terror came a touch of reason”. How did the two forces
work in opposite direction and how did Douglas fare?

Your passion will define your limits…strive for more.

25. “I crossed to oblivion, and the curtain of life fell” How did Douglas
experience the sensation of dying before he actually crossed to oblivion?
26. In what state did Douglas find himself on regaining consciousness?
27. How did Douglas react to the frightening experience (i) that day and (ii) later
when he came to know the water of the Cascades?
28. “This handicap stayed with me as the years rolled by”. How did it affect his
pursuits for pleasure?
29. What efforts did Douglas make to get over his fear of water and why?
30. What was the first piece of exercise the instructor gave Douglas? How long
did it take to yield the desired result?
31. Which other exercise did the instructor prescribed for Douglas to make him
shed the panic caused by water?
32. Which exercise helped Douglas to loosen his stiff legs and make them work as
he desired?
33. Why does Douglas say: ‘the instructor was finished. But I was not finished.?
How did he overpower tiny vestiges of the old terror?
34. Why did Douglas go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire? How did he
make his terror flee?
35. Why did Douglas have an aversion to water form his childhood?
36. Why Douglas dared not swim in the Yakima River?
37. Why did Douglas choose the YMCA pool to learn swimming?
38. How did Douglas start learning swimming at YMCA pool?
39. Douglas was sinking. How did he plan to save himself?
40. How did his first efforts to come to the surface of the water end?
41. Describe Douglas second downward journey into the pool?
42. Describe Douglas second upward journey in the pool.
43. How did Douglas feel as he went down the third time?
44. How did Douglas realize that he had been saved?
45. How did Douglas feel after he was saved?
46. How did the instructor help him to overcome the fear of water?
47. How did Douglas feel after the instructor had finished?
48. Why did Douglas go to lake Wentworth?
49. How did he test his confidence at Lake Wentworth?
50. What did Douglas do to nourish his passion for swimming?
51. How did the training begin for Douglas?
52. What misadventure took place with Douglas?
53. Narrate in your won words the fearful moment of drowning?
What was the last effort that the narrator made to save himself?
54. What was the effect of drowning incident in Douglas’s life?
55. What did Douglas do to overcome his fear?
56. When did Douglas realize that he had an aversion to water?
57. What was the misadventure? How did he meet with his misadventure?
58. What were the first thoughts as he went down the deep end of the pool?
59. What was the immediate effect of Douglas’s experience of nearly drowning in
the pool? What were the long-term effects?
60. How did Douglas’s experience of almost drowning continue to impact his life
in the years that followed?
61. Describe in brief the efforts that Douglas made to overcome his fear water.
62. Douglas says, ‘ the experience had a deep meaning for me… What does he
mean by this?
63. How did the instructor make a swimmer of Douglas?
64. How did Douglas get rid of all the residual fear that he had of water?
65. Narrate in your words how William Douglas was nearly drowned in his
YMCA pool? (Long)
66. Describe how Douglas overcomes the fear of water?
67. How did Douglas test his fear of water freedom from fear?
68. Douglas conquered his fear of water. Once he had nearly drowned. He says
‘There is terror only in the fear of death. Do you agree? Express your views.
69. “I crossed to oblivion and the curtain of life fell”. What does the writer mean
by this and what were the events that led to this situation?
70. “This handicap stayed with me as the years rolled by” what handicap is being
referred to and how id he finally overcome it?
71. “This experience had a deep meaning for me. What experience is being
referred to? How did this experience impact the life of Douglas?
72. “I had experienced both the sensation of dying and the terror than the fear it
can produce” Describe what William Douglas refers to.
73. “Often the test of courage is not to die but to live” Comment with reference to
the essay. Deep water”.
74. Man courage is also a man of faith. How is this borne out by Douglas’s
account of the conquest over the fear of water?
75. “There was terror in my heart at the over powering force of the waves” When
did Douglas start fearing water? Which experience had further strengthened
its hold on his mind and personality? (150 words)
76. Give an account of the fears and emotions of Douglas as he made efforts to
save himself form being drowned in the YMCA swimming pool? (150 words)
77. How did the misadventure in YMCA swimming pool affect Douglas? What
efforts did she make to conquer his old terror? Did he succeed? (150 words)
78. Comment on the appropriateness of the title “Deep Water”. Give reasons in
support of your answer. (150 words)
79. What impression do you form of William Douglas on the basis of reading
‘Deep Water’ (150 words)
80. “Courage is almost contradiction- it means a strong desire to live taking the
form of a readiness to die’ said, G.K. Chesterton. Comment with reference to
the narrative ‘Deep Water’
Lali Mathew M.A.M.Ed D.A. 564, Sheesh Mahal Apartment 9810312549