Class-12: English Question and Answers:
gyanmoya
DEEPWATER
--William Douglas
About the author: William
Douglas was born in Maine, Minnesota, on 6th October, 1889. The family moved to
California but his father died soon afterwards. Douglas contracted polio as a
child but escaped long term paralysis.
After graduating from Whitman collage he studied
at Columbia University Law School where he edited the law review. In 1925 he joined
a Wall Street law firm before teaching law at Harvard University.
Douglas was a supporter of Roosevelt's new Deal
and in 1934 he joined the Securities and Exchange Commission. There years later
he became chairman of the commission.
When Louis Brandeis retired from the Supreme
Court in February, 1939, Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Douglas to take his
place. At 40 years of age he was the second youngest Supreme Court justice in
United States history. William Douglas, whose book included - We the Judges
(1956), A living bill of Rights (1961) and A wilderness Bill of rights (1965), retired
from the supreme court in 1975. He died in Washington, on 19th January, 1980.
Summary of the Deep Water: ”Deep Water" is an autobiographical account of William Douglas describing how, as a young boy, he nearly drowned in a swimming pool. It occurred at the pool in Y.M.C.A. in Yakima, when he was eleven or twelve years old. This incident left in him a long lasting fear of water which, however, he was able to overcome with sheet determination and will power. Here, he talks about his conscious efforts to conquer his fear and challenge the water again.
Deep Water NCERT Solution:
TEXTUAL QUESTION &
ANSSWER
Class-12: English Question and Answers:
gyanmoya
1.What is the “misadventure” that William Douglas
speaks about?
Ans: The “misadventure” that Douglas speaker about is the incident of near
drowning in the Y.M.C.A pool. He had a fear of water since childhood but wanted
to get over it. Thus, one day, he went to the pool in Yakima when no one was
around. He was sitting by the side when a bully of a boy picked him up and
tossed him into the deep end of the pool. This misadventure was a traumatic
experience in his life.
2.What were the series of emotions and fears that
Douglas experienced when he was thrown into the pool? What plans did he makes
to come out the surface?
Ans: Douglas landed on the water in a sitting position, swallowed a lot of
water and went straight to the bottom. He was frightened but not out of his
wits. He planned he would makes a big jump as his feet touched the bottom and
come to the surface. He would then lie flat paddle to the edge og the pool.
3.How did this experience affected him?
Ans: This experience traumatised him for a long time. That day, he couldnot
sleep or eat and caried all night. Even the slightest exertion upset him. He
never went to the pool and avoided water whatever he could.
4.Why was Douglas determine to get over his fear
of water?
Ans: This fear because a huge handicap for Douglas because he missed out on
the fun of all aquatic activities. Wherever he went, the haunting fear of water
followed him. It deprived him of the joys of boating, canoeing or swimming and
ruined the excitement of the fishing trips.
5.Wow did the instructor “build a swimmer” out
of Douglas?
Ans: understanding Douglas’s condition, the
instructor put a belt around him attached to a rope which went through a
pulley. He was made to go back and forth the pool for one hour every five days
of the week. The instructor also taught him to inhale and exhale while
swimming. Gradually, Douglas was trained to put his head under water and kick
with his legs. Thus, part by part, the instructor built a complete swimmer out
of him.
6.How did Douglas makes sure that he conquered
the old terror?
Ans: Douglas wanted makes sure that even the last remnants of fear had left
him. So, he went to lake Wentworth and swam across the two miles to an island.
There was a moments uneasiness when he saw the bottomless water in the middle
of the lake but he brushed it aside. His final test was the Warm Lake where he
dived, swam across and back and shouted with joy at his victory over fear.
Understanding the text:
Class-12: English Question and Answers:
gyanmoya
1.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?
Ans: Douglas did not panic initially because he
thought he would make a jump upwards the moment his feel touched the bottom. He
did just that, but could not make it to the surface. It was a slower rise than
expected and there was nothing but water all around. He went down again. The
nine feel deep pool seemed like ninety. Even the second and third try did not
save him. He was terrified, paralysed and suffocated. He tried to scream, to
cell for his mother but only the water heard him. His lungs ached and head
throbbed. Finally, all this efforts ended as drowsiness came over him and he
felt it was the end of his life.
2.How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?
Ans: The traumatic experience at the poll left in
him a deep sense of fear for water. Even proximity to a pool made him shudder.
He felt deprived of all the joy of fishing, boating, swimming, etc. But he made
up his mind to overcome it. Thus, he got an instructor who, learning about his
condition, trained him up gradually. Having learnt the technique of inhaling
above and exhaling under water, kicking with the legs and the different
strokes, Douglas became a complete swimmer. Finally he had to test his courage
and to do that, went to Lake Wentworth. He swam across two miles and knew that
he got over the terror. His ultimate sense of triumph came from the swim up and
down the Warm Lake.
3.What 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?
Ans: Douglas once had a horrifying experience at
a pool in the Y.M.C.A. A big bully picked him up unaware and threw him into the
pool. He had nearly downed even a dread for water that he feared even going
near it. He could not enjoy any activity related to water. Thus, determined to
shad fear, he got an instructor to make him swimmer. Perseverance and seed will
power helped him in achiving his target. He event swam great lakes like the
Wentworth and also the Warm Lake to proved to himself that he had actually
conquered the fear. He recounts thus incidents to show that fear should always
be confronted and conquered. It is all in the mind and grow bigger if we do not
curb it with determination. Roosevelt had righty said that all we need to fear
is fear itself.
The
larger meaning of his conquest is the incident of near drowning, he had
experienced the sensation of dying the fear of death. But when he surpassed
both, he had nothing more to fear in life. He was a free man.
Deep Water Additional Questions Answer:
(Important questions)
Class-12: English Question and Answers:
gyanmoya
1.What made
Douglas feel safe about the Y.M.C.A. poll?
Ans: Douglas felt quite safe about the Y.M.C.A.
pool because the shallow end was only two to three feet deep, and while the
deep end was nine feet, the drop was gradual. It was also white and clean as a
bath tub.
2.Who was it that caused the traumatic incident in
his life?
Ans: It was a well built boy of around eighteen who tossed him into the poll. This bully of a boy, without any reason or provocation, threw Douglas into the deep end of the pool just to have some fun.
3.Did Douglas panic the moment he fell into the
poll why?
Ans: Douglas did not panic initially. He landed
in a sitting position, swallowed a lot of water but was not out of his wits. As
he went down, he kept thinking of the strategy he would adopt to come back to
surface.
4.When did all his efforts cease?
Ans: All his efforts ceased when he failed to
come up to the surface again and again. He was exhausted and his legs went
limp. He had no more strength or any other strategies to work on. Finally, he
gave up.
5.What happened when all his efforts ceased?
Ans: When Douglas gave up trying, he was relieved
of the fear or terror. There was a no panic; he was rather calm and peaceful.
His consciousness gradually failed and very gently his senses faded into
oblivion.
6.Why was Douglas sitting by the pool when no
one was around?
Ans: Thought Douglas arrived at the pool before anyone else, he was hesitant
to enter the water all alone. So he sat by the pool and waited for others to
come.
7.Where did Douglas go for his final conquest of
fear?
Ans: At first Douglas went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire and swam two
miles across to stamp island. Thereafter, as a final test, he swam across Warm
Lake and proved to himself that he had conquered fear itself.
8.Which fear of Douglas satisfied the instructor
that his job was over?
Ans: When Douglas could dive and swim the entire length of the pool and
crawl stroke, the instructor knew his job was done. He could now let Douglas
swim on his own.
9.Why did he fell handicapped after the pool
incident?
Ans: The near drowning incidence at the pool traumaticed him so much that he
would feel terrified by any water activity even after years. The idea of
swimming or bating in the lakes gripped his heart with icy horror. This
handicapped his fishing trips, and deprived him of the joys of boating,
swimming or canoeing.
10.Why was there and aversion to water since his
childhood?
Ans: A minor incidence at a beach in California created his aversion to
water. When he was three or four years old, his father took him to a beach.
Thought he was clinging to his father, a wave knocked him down and buried him
under water. He was breathless and terrified.
11.Why did Douglas have an aversion to water
from the beginning?
Ans: Douglas aversion to water began when he was
merely three or four years old. He was with his father at a beach in
California. They stood together in the surf. Thought he was clinging on to his
father, he waves knocked him down and swept over him. Buried under water he
felt suffocated and frightened. His father thought it was an enjoyable
experience, but Douglas was terrified by the overpowering force of the waves.
Since that day, he had always felt an aversion to water.
12.Did the fear of water haunt Douglas after the
incident?
Ans: This incident at the swimming pool haunted
Douglas for many years to come. Several house after he rescued, he walked back
home, weak and trembling. He couldn’t eat anything and cried all night. For
days, fear gripped his heart and even the slightest exertion upset him. He
never went back to the pool and avoided water whenever he could. The haunting
fear of water followed him even years later and ruined his fishing trips and
also deprived him of the joys of swimming, boating or canoeing.
Deep Water Previous year questions:
(most important question)
Class-12: English Question and Answers:
gyanmoya
2012 YEAR
1.Where was the Y. M. C. A. pool?
(1 marks)
2.Who is the Sir Edward Gait? (1 marks).
3.How did Douglas make sure that he had conquered the old terror? (2 marks)
2013 YEAR
1.How old was the author when he
decided to learn swimming at the Y. M. C. A. pool? (1
mark)
2.How and why did Douglas develop an aversion to the water when he was in
it? (2 marks)
2014 YEAR
1.How was the Y.M.C.A pool? (1 marks)
2015 YEAR
1.Who is the Sir Edward Gait? (1 mark)
2016 YEAR
1.error
2017 YEAR
1.error.
2018 YEAR
1. error.
2019 YEAR
1.
error.
2020 YEAR
1.How did William Douglas’s fear of water start? (2
mark).
2.How did Douglas experience at the beach in California after him? (2 mark).
Deep Water Question answer PDF coming soon
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FLAMINGO (Prose)
Chapter -1: The Last Lesson
Chapter -2: Lost Spring
Chapter -3: Deep Water
Chapter -4: Indigo
Chapter -5: Going Places
Chapter -6: Memoirs of a Chota Sahib
All Chapter: 1 too 6
FLAMINGO (poem)
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Chapter - 2: Journey to the End of the Earth
Class-12: English Question and Answers:
gyanmoya