Deep Water Extra Questions Chapter 3 Flamingo

Deep Water Extra Questions Chapter 3 Flamingo

– By William Douglas (1898-1980)

Deep Water Extra Questions Answers

Q.1. What happened when William Douglas was ten or eleven years old? 

Ans. A ‘misadventure’ happened when William Douglas was ten or eleven years old. He was alone at the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool. A big bully of a boy tossed him into the deep end of the pool. He almost sank into the pool. He got so scared and panic-stricken in those moments. At last, he found himself lying beside the pool. 

Q.2. Why did the narrator join the Y.M.C.A. pool for swimming? Why did his mother warn continually against his going to the Yakima River?

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What factors made Douglas decide in favour of the Y.M.C.A. pool?

Ans. William Douglas had decided to learn to swim. His mother continually warned against it because the river was treacherous. She had heard about a lot of cases of drowning. But the YMCA pool was safe. It was only two or three feet at the shallow end and nine feet at the deeper end. The slope was also gradual. 

Q.3 What did Douglas experience when he went down to the bottom of the pool for the first time?

Ans. As Douglas went down to the bottom of the pool for the first time, he felt the way down the pool to be very long and his lungs were ready to burst. He summoned all his strength and jumped up, but could not reach the surface and began to sink again.

Q.4 How did the instructor make William Douglas a perfect swimmer? 

Ans. The instructor made Douglas practice five days a week, an hour each day. He tied a belt around Douglas’s waist. A rope was attached to the belt. The rope went through a pulley. Douglas was made to go back and forth across the pool. He learned how to exhale and inhale. Thus ‘piece by piece’ the instructor built Douglas into a good swimmer.

Q.5 “All we have to fear is fear itself,” says Roosevelt. Explain the import of the statement.

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What is the message of the lesson “Deepwater”?

Ans. The lesson here is that there is peace in death. It is only the fear of death that causes terror. As Roosevelt once said, “Our greatest fear is fear itself,” It highlights the fact that all fears and terrors are psychological. They can be overcome with determination. For instance, Douglas overcame his fear of water by becoming an excellent swimmer. It means we can conquer any fear or terror by developing the necessary skills and mindset.

Q.6 Douglas says: “The instructor was finished. But I was not finished.” Why did he utter such words?

Ans. The instructor had done his job. He had made a swimmer out of him. His responsibility was over. But the narrator was still not satisfied. When he was alone in the pool, the old fear would return. He was to continue his efforts to be a perfect swimmer. He would continue till he finally overcame his fear of water.

Long Answer type Questions :

Q.1  Fear is something that we must learn to overcome if we want to succeed in life. How did Douglas get over his fear of water?

Ans. The story ‘Deep Water’ is a story of sheer determination and perseverance. It teaches us that our positive attitude and our courage to fight, help us to achieve success in life. The author had a phobia of water or water bodies. It had gripped him for quite a long period of his life. He decided to overcome his fear. At last, he was able to shed it off completely. He adopted a positive attitude and determined that he would fight his fear. He went through a long and hard training. He learned everything patiently without breaking. Douglas’s perseverance and courage teach us that a firm Will power and determination, along with a bold attitude can help us win over all obstacles, and achieve the impossible.

Q.2 Douglas has a near-death experience in his childhood which has a negative as well as a positive outcome. Justify the statement with evidence from the text.

Ans. Douglas has a near-death experience in the YMCA swimming pool during his childhood. It has a negative outcome on him. He was so scared of water for many days and months. The slightest exertion upset him. He stayed away from the water. Even after a few years, whenever Douglas wanted to swim or wade into the waters of different rivers, his old fear would return and would grip his mind and body badly. His legs would not move as if they were paralyzed. A chilling horror would surround him making him motionless. As a result, he was devoid of the pleasures of swimming, rafting, fishing, canoeing, and other water sports. He used every possible way to overcome his fear but it would haunt him again and again.

The positive outcome of this experience was that finally, he decided to get a swimming instructor and learn to swim. He went to a pool and under his guidance he practiced five days a week, an hour each day. After seven months of intense practice, Douglas overcame his fear of water and practiced on his own by swimming across various lakes.