DEEP WATER-WILLIAM DOUGLAS

SUMMARY OF THE LESSON

Deep Water 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 very dreadful incidents. In this first one, he is four years old
when a wave knocks him down. Similarly, in the second one, he is 11 years
of age. A bully throws him in the deep end of the pool and almost drowns.
Thus, having gone through such scary experiences, he fears water deeply.
However, he does work really hard to overcome it.

Finally, we learn about the measures he takes to overcome this fear.

MIND MAP

ASSERTION REASON QUESTIONS

Reason (R): Fear is an innate emotion that cannot be controlled or

a. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.

b. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.

c. A is true, but R is false.

d. A is false, but R is true.

Answer: c. A is true, but R is false.

EXTRACT BASED QUESTION

My breath was gone. I was frightened. Father laughed, but there was terror
in my heart at the overpowering force of the waves. My introduction to the
Y.M.CA. swimming pool revived unpleasant memories and stirred childish fears.
But in a little while I gathered confidence. I paddled with my new water wings,
watching the other boys and trying to learn by aping them. I did these two or three
times on different days and was just beginning to feel at ease in the water when the
misadventure happened.
1. Choose the correct option with reference to the two statements given below
Statement 1: The author’s father laughed to mock his son’s inability to swim.
Statement 2: The author wanted to swim just to prove to his father that he can
swim.
A) Statement 1 is true but Statement 2 is false.
B) Statement 1 is false but Statement 2 is true.
C) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 cannot be inferred.
D) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 can be inferred.
Ans. C) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 cannot be inferred.
2. “My introduction to the Y.M.CA. swimming pool revived unpleasant
memories and stirred childish fears.” It can be inferred that this was a clear
case of
A) suppression
B) oppression
C) depression
D) repression
Ans. D) repression
3. Identify the word from the extract that is synonymous with 'stirred'.
Ans: Revived
4. State whether the given statement is True or False.
The author's father laughed to mock his son's inability to swim.
Ans: False

5. Based on the context provided in the extract, select the most likely option to
complete the statement:

The misadventure that took place right after the author felt comfortable was that_

(i) the author slipped and fell into the swimming pool.

(ii) a bully tossed him into the pool for the sake of fun.
(iii) his coach forgot to teach him
Ans: (ii) a bully tossed him into the pool for the sake of fun.

6. The author says that he was, "just beginning to feel at ease in the water."
Had the misadventure not happened, he would have overpowered his fear of
swimming' can be best classified as:

(i) a fact

(ii) an opinion

(iii) a theme

(iv) a plot point

Ans: (ii) an opinion

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

1. What handicap did Doughlas suffer from? How did he overcome that?
Ans. Douglas suffered from a handicap that was the fear of water. He had immense
desire of swimming in natural waters but could not fulfil it due to the fear. He
realized that he had to be determined to overcome the fear. Once he got
determined, he hired a swimming instructor and learnt swimming. The fear would
return at times but he would face it and see it vanish. Thus, with determination and
perseverance, William overtook the fear.
 2. Which factors led Douglas to decide in favour of YMCA pool?
Ans: When Douglas decided to overcome his childhood fear of water, he preferred
to go to YMCA swimming pool to learn swimming because it was safe. It was only
two or three feet deep at the shallow end; and although it was nine feet at the other
end, the drop was quite gradual.
3. What efforts did Douglas make to get over his fear of water?
Ans: Douglas was determined to get over his fear of water. He engaged a
professional instructor who understood the intensity of his fear and decided to not
just teach him how to swim but ‘build’ a swimmer out of him slowly and steadily.
4. How did William Douglas’s aversion to water begin?
Ans: William Douglas developed an aversion to water when he was three or four
years old. He stood at a beach with his father when a wave Swept over him and
knocked him down. He was buried under water and became breathless. He was
petrified and developed a permanent fear for water.
5. How did the instructor turn Douglas into a swimmer?
Ans: To ‘build a swimmer’ out of Douglas, the instructor began his training with
extreme caution. He attached a rope to a belt and put it around Douglas. The rope
went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable. Supported by the cable, they
went to and fro in the pool and practiced for weeks together. The instructor taught
Douglas to put his face underwater and exhale and to raise his nose and inhale. He
then taught him to kick in water for many weeks. Finally, after seven months, the
instructor told him to swim the length of the pool and Douglas’ persistent fear
started fading.
LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS
1. Desire, determination and diligence lead to success. Explain the value
of these qualities in the light of Douglas’ experience in ‘Deep Water’.
Ans: The terror of water followed Douglas wherever he went. To get rid of it, he
made a strong determination. He decided to overcome his fear through his will
power. He engaged an instructor who would perfect him in swimming. The
instructor first helped him drive away his fear, and then gave him many exercises
besides teaching him how to exhale and inhale in water. The practice went on for
months together, during which his fear came back to haunt him, but his desire and
firm will made him persist in his efforts. It was only through sheer determination
and diligence that Douglas could not only counter his terror, but also became an
expert swimmer. He swam across and back large distances to ensure that his fear of
water did not return. Hence, desire, determination and diligence succeeded in
removing his fear of water.
2. Describe the significance of the title ‘Deep Water’. How is it both literal
and symbolic?
Ans: The title “Deep Water” is rich in meaning and serves both a literal and
symbolic purpose in the story. On a literal level, it refers to the deep end of the
YMCA swimming pool and the various water bodies that instilled fear in William
Douglas. It is the physical setting where the author faced a life-threatening
situation and later overcame it.
Symbolically, the “deep water” represents the depth of fear and the emotional
turmoil that Douglas experienced. It stands for the psychological challenges and
mental battles that one must fight to grow and transform. Just like deep waters
conceal danger and darkness, the author’s mind was clouded with terror and
helplessness after his traumatic experience.
However, his journey through the “deep water” is also symbolic of his journey
through fear into courage. By confronting his deepest fears, Douglas emerges
stronger, wiser, and more confident. Therefore, the title encapsulates both the
physical and metaphorical essence of the story, making it highly apt and
meaningful.