This page offers The Third Level summary Class 12 pdf in easy language. We have presented short and long summaries from 50 words to 300 words. Go through to get a deep insight of the chapter The Third Level from the Book Vistas.  It is useful for exam point of view and quick learning of the chapter. Downloadable PDF is also available.

1- Short Summary of the Chapter “The Third Level”-

Charley is 31 years old and lives in New York City. He believes Grand Central Station has a hidden third level. This level can take him back to the year 1894. Charley sees it as a way to escape from his stressful life.

One day, while at the station, Charley gets lost. He accidentally finds the third level. Everything there looks old. People are dressed in clothes from the 1890s. The station is lit by gas lamps.

Charley tried to buy tickets to Galesburg, Illinois, in 1894. But the clerk refuses his modern money. The next day, Charley buys old-style currency. He tries to find the third level again but fails.

Also Read:

• Hard Words : The Third Level
• The Third Level Introduction
• Justify the title The Third Level
• The Third Level Moral and Message
• The Third Level Theme
• The Third Level Value Points

Later, Charley finds a letter from his friend Sam. Sam has travelled to 1894. He tells Charley to keep searching for the third level. Charley and his wife, Louisa, decide to keep looking. They hope to escape to the peaceful past.

2- Detailed Summary of the chapter “The Third Level“- 

Charley’s Belief in the Third Level  

Charley is a 31-year-old man living in New York City. He believes that Grand Central Station has three levels. But everyone else says there are only two levels. Charley is sure that there is a third level. He even says he found it. For Charley, the third level is not just another part of the station. It is a magical place that takes you back in time, to the year 1894. Charley thinks the third level could help him escape the stress of modern life.

Talking to the Psychiatrist  

Charley tells his psychiatrist friend about his discovery of the third level. The psychiatrist doesn’t believe him. He tells Charley that he is imagining it because he is unhappy with his life. He says that the world today is full of stress, fear, and insecurity, which makes people want to escape. Charley’s wife, Louisa, is also worried about him. She thinks his story about the third level is strange, but she supports him because she loves him.

How Charley Finds the Third Level – 

One night, Charley was at Grand Central Station after work. He wanted to get home quickly, so he chose to take the subway. He walked down to the second level, where the trains usually leave. But then, he got lost. As he wandered around, he ended up in an old-fashioned part of the station. It was a place he had never seen before. There were fewer ticket windows, and the lighting was dim. It looked like it belonged to another time.

The World of 1894  

Charley soon realised this was the third level. It had taken him back to the year 1894. Everything looked like it was from the past. People were dressed in old clothes, like long skirts and hats. The station had gaslights and spits, which people used to spit in. The trains were much older. Charley even saw a newspaper called The World. It was dated June 11, 1894. This proved to him that he had really travelled back in time.

Charley’s Plan to Escape to Galesburg  

Charley thought life in 1894 would be peaceful and calm. So, he decided to buy two train tickets to Galesburg, Illinois. He wanted to go there with his wife, Louisa. Galesburg was a quiet town, and Charley believed they could live a happier life there. But when he tried to buy the tickets, the clerk noticed Charley’s money was not from 1894. The clerk didn’t accept it. So, Charley couldn’t buy the tickets.

Searching for the Third Level Again  

The next day, Charley went to the bank and withdrew $300 in cash. He bought old-style money from a coin dealer. He hoped to use it if he found the third level again. Charley was determined to return to 1894 and live a simpler life. But when he went back to Grand Central Station, he couldn’t find the third level again. No matter how hard he searched, it was gone.

A Surprise Letter from Sam Weiner  

One day, Charley was looking through his stamp collection. He found something surprising. It was a letter that shouldn’t have been there. The letter was from his friend, Sam Weiner. Sam was also Charley’s psychiatrist. Sam had found the third level too. He had travelled to Galesburg, Illinois, in 1894. In the letter, Sam told Charley to keep searching for the third level. He invited Charley and Louisa to join him in Galesburg. This surprised Charley because Sam never believed in the third level before.

Hope for the Future  

After finding Sam’s letter, Charley and Louisa became more hopeful. They both believed that the third level was real.They decided to keep searching for it. They hoped that one day they would find it again. They dreamed of escaping to a peaceful life in 1894.

Here is a point-wise summary of the chapter “The Third Level” 

1. Charley is a 31-year-old man. He believes there’s a hidden third level at Grand Central Station in New York. But officially, there are only two levels.

2. Charley sees the third level as a way to escape modern life’s stress and worries. He hopes it can take him back in time.

3. Charley tells his psychiatrist about the third level. The psychiatrist says it’s a “waking-dream wish fulfilment.” He believes Charley wants to escape reality.

4. One night, Charley accidentally finds the third level while walking through Grand Central Station. He realises he is in 1894.

5. The third level looks old-fashioned. There are dim gaslights, brass spits, and people wearing clothes from the 1890s.

6. Charley sees an old newspaper, The World, dated June 11, 1894. This proves he has travelled back in time.

7. Charley tries to buy two tickets to Galesburg, Illinois, for himself and his wife, Louisa. But the clerk refuses because his modern money isn’t accepted.

8. The next day, Charley buys old-style currency. However, he can’t find the third level again, no matter how hard he looks.

9. Later, Charley finds a letter in his stamp collection. It’s from his friend Sam Weiner. Sam says he has found the third level and is now living in Galesburg in 1894.

10. Charley and Louisa decide to keep looking for the third level. They hope to one day escape to the peaceful past.