The story, Deep Waters tells us how the writer overcame his fear of water and learned swimming

with sheer determination and will power. He had developed a terror of water since childhood. When he was three or four years old the writer had gone to California with his father. One day on the beach, the waves knocked the child down and swept over him. The child was terrified but the father who knew there was no harm laughed. The experience bred a permanent fear of water in the childs sub-conscious mind. Still another incident, more serious, increased his terror. The writer was trying to learn swimming in the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool in Yakima. One day while he was waiting for other boys, a big boy suddenly played a dangerous prank and pushed him into the water. The writer was terribly frightened. He went down nine feet into the water. His lungs were full of the unreleased air. When he reached the bottom, he jumped upward with all his strength. He came up but very slowly. He tried to catch hold of something like a rope but grasped only at water. He tried to shout but no sound came out. He went down again. His lungs ached, head throbbed and he grew dizzy. He felt paralyzed with fear. All his limbs were paralyzed. Only the movement of his heart told him that he was alive. Again he tried to jump up. But this time his limbs would not move at all. He looked for ropes, ladders and water wings but all in vain. Then he went down again, the third time. This time all efforts and fear ceased. He was moving towards peaceful death. The writer was in peace. When he came to consciousness, he found himself lying on the side of the pool with the other boys nearby. The terror that he had experienced in the pool never left him. It haunted him for years and years to come. It spoilt many of his expeditions of canoeing, swimming and fishing. It spoilt his pleasures in Maine Lakes, New Hampshire, Deschutes, Columbia and Bumping Lake etc. But the writer was determined to conquer his terror. He took help of a swimming instructor to learn swimming. The instructor taught him various actions necessary in swimming part by part. He put his face under water and exhaled and inhaled raising it above water. He practiced it for several weeks. He had to kick with his legs a few weeks on the side of the pool. At last he combined all these actions and made the writer swim. He learned swimming but the terror continued. So deep goes our childhood experiences! So fearful is the fear of fear! Whenever he was in water the terror returned. Hence forward the writer tried to terrorize terror itself. He tried to face the new challenge. When terror came, he confronted it by asking it sarcastically as to what it can really do to him? He plunged into the water as if to defy the fear. Once he took courage the terror vanquished. He faced the challenge deliberately in various places like the Warm Lake. He conquered it at last. The experiences of the writer throw some important lights on certain aspects of life. Experiences of pain or pleasure in childhood remain in the sub-conscious mind and influence our feelings later too. The fear of water acted on the writer in that way. Even after being an expert in swimming, the writer felt terror. There was no reason at all. Once he took courage, the fear vanished. That shows most of our fears are baseless. Fear creates dangers where there is none. The writers experiences further confirm the proverbial truth, Where there is a will, there is a way.

Deep Water

2 marks When Douglas realized that he was sinking how did he plan to save himself? When Douglas realized that he was sinking he made a plan that when his feet would hit the bottom, he will make a big jump, come to the surface, lie flat on it and move to the edge of the pool.

How does Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror? To make sure he had conquered fear, Douglas went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire, dived in and swam two miles across the lake to Stamp Act Island. Only once when he was in the middle of the lake, did the terror return. But he confronted it and swam on. He then swam across Warm Lake to the other shore and back. Thus he was sure of having conquered his fear of water.

What is the misadventure that William Douglas speaks about? One day William Douglas was sitting alone on side of the Y.M.C.A pool. He was waiting for the others to come so that he could start swimming. By chance there came a big boy. He asked, Hi skinny! Howd you like to be ducked? He picked and tossed and threw him into the deep end of the pool. He speaks about this misadventure, which caused a last of trouble to him.

How did the drowning experience affect Douglas? William Douglas feared water and whenever he went back to the pool, terror seized him. He avoided water as far as he could. When he tried to enter water, the stark fear would seize him. His legs became paralysed and icy terror would grab his heart.

How did Douglas overcome his fear of water? He was a man of courage, strong determination. He realized that fear of water has become his sworn enemy. It was following him everywhere. He decided to get rid of. Under the e guidance of an expert instructor he learnt swimming and became confident to face this terror. He dived into the Warm Lake, swam across to the other shore and back. In this way he conquered his old terror.

What does the mother of Douglas say about the YMCA pool? He wanted to learn swimming. His mother had advised him against his visit to the Yakima River since it was treacherous in nature. She considered Y.M.C.A pool as the safest place because it was 2 or 3 feet at the shallow end and nine feet at the deeper end.

How did the instructor make Douglas a perfect swimmer?

He gave Douglas a practice for five days in a week. In the beginning he put a belt around him and it was attached to the rope. The rope went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable. Each time his old fear returned. It went on for three months. Then he taught him to put his face under water and exhale. He taught him a raise his nose and inhale. Thus, piece by piece the instructor built him a swimmer.

What were Douglas unpleasant memories before his introduction to YMCA pool? Douglas unpleasant memories started when he was three or four. His father took him to beach California where he along with his father stood together in the surf. He hung on to him yet he was knocked down by the waves. He was buried in the water. He was frightened. His introduction to YMCA pool stirred his childish fears.

What was the strategy planned by Douglas when he was drowning in the water?

Douglas did not lose his courage when he was drowning in the pool. He thought of a strategy to fight with the situation. He planned that he would spring from the bottom of the pool and come like a cork to the surface. Then he would lie flat on the water, strike out his arms and thrash his legs. Then he would get to the edge of the pool and be safe.

How was Douglas benefited by his experience? Douglas had experienced both the sensation of dying and the terror that fear of it can produce. The will to live somehow grew in intensity. After this experience he was free to walk the trails and climb the peaks and to brush aside the fear.

What had happened when Douglas was three or four years old? When Douglas was three or four years old he was on the California beach with his father. There the sea waves knocked him down and swept over him. He felt breathless buried in the water and was frightened; but his father laughed at him.

What was the misadventure of Douglas? How did it end? The misadventure was his being ducked by a big bruiser of a boy of eighteen in the YMCA swimming pool. He was drowned and nearly dying in the pool; but was somehow miraculously saved from the mouth of death

How was the instructor successful in making Douglas a perfect swimmer? The instructor made Douglas a perfect swimmer by removing his fear of being drowned and teaching him swimming piece by piece in a period of three months. During the training he let Douglas swim back and forth of the pool tying him with a pulley. He taught him to put his face under the water to exhale raise above it to inhale.

How did Douglas finally overcome his fear of water? Douglas over came his fear of water by challenging the fear itself and going for several round of swimming in the pool; but finally the residual fear he over came when he went up to Tie ton to Conrad meadows and swam across the other shore and back of the warm lake as Doug Corpron used to do.

What thought of Roosevelt deeply impacted Douglas? How did the thoughts apply to his life? The thought of Roosevelt that there is terror in the fear of death had deep impact on Douglas. He had experienced both the sensation of dying and the terror of the fear of death. But later he brushed aside his fear by challenging it by the will to live and succeeded.

Douglas had a fear of water even before his experience of drowning in the Y.M.C.A pool? Why? At the age of three or four, Douglas had gone with his father to the beach. A powerful wave had struck him and knocked him down as he was with his father in the surf. This experience had terrorized him and this fear stayed even as he grew older.

What is the misadventure that William Douglas speaks about? The misadventure took place when Douglas went to swim in the Y.M.C.A pool. A big boy about eighteen years old picked him up and tossed him into the deep end. He swallowed a lot of water, went at once to the bottom. He planned to hit the bottom and make a big jump and come to the surface, but his plan failed and he almost had a brush with death.

What was the bruising experience that Douglas had at the Y.M.C.A? Douglas wanted to overcome his fear of water and started learning swimming at the Y.M.C.A pool. One day he was tossed into the deep end of the pool by a big boy of eighteen. Douglas almost drowned in the incident and his fear of water became more intense and hard to overcome.

What were the series of emotions and fears that Douglas experienced when he was thrown into the pool? What plans did he make to come to the surface? Douglas was frightened when he was thrown into the water, but he did not lose his wits. He made a plan to make a big jump in order to come to the surface; lie flat on it and paddle to the edge of the pool. He summoned all his strength and made a great spring upwards but instead he came up slowly. He opened his eyes and saw nothing. He tried again but was ceased by terror that knew no control. He was shrieking under water and was paralyzed- stiff and rigid with fear. He only knew one thing-that he was alive.

How did this experience affect him? This experience revived the fear of water. He felt weak and trembled as he walked home. He shook and cried when he lay on his bed and could not eat anything that night. He was haunted by the frightening experience. The slightest exertion upset him, making him wobbly in the knees and sick in the stomach.

What strategy did the author remember when he was drowning in the Y.M.C.A pool? Douglas thought that as he would hit the bottom of the tiled pool, he would spring up like a cork to the surface, and then lie flat on the water, strike out with his arms and thrash with his legs and reach the edge of the pool. However, this plan failed.

I crossed to oblivion and the curtain of life fell. Why did the author make this remark? The author had made three futile attempts to spring up to the surface but as his strength failed and energy exhausted, he gave up and stopped all his efforts. He relaxed and passed into a state of unconsciousness and then there was no fear after that.

Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water? Douglas was determined to get over his fear of water because he was not able to enjoy anything related to water, he was not able to enjoy his fishing, and deprived them of the joy of canoeing , boating and swimming.

What joys did his fear of water deprive him of?

The authors fear of water deprived him of the joy of having fun with his friends during their fishing trips and also the thrill of canoeing, boating or swimming. The moment he would go near water, his fear of water would start haunting him.

How did the instructor build a swimmer out of Douglas? The instructor put a belt around Douglas and attached a rope to the belt which went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable. He held on to the rope and went back and forth across the pool for three months, after which his terror of water slackened a bit. He could put his face underwater and exhale and inhale with the nose out of water. Then he learnt to kick with his legs for many weeks till he could relax. After seven months, he could swim the entire length of the pool.

How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror? Douglas would still feel the old terror even after the instructor built a swimmer. To overcome that completely, he went to Lake Wentworth, dived at Triggs Island and swam two miles across the lake. Only once did the fear return but finally he was able to conquer his fear of water.

What did the author mean by But I was not finished after his swimming lessons with the instructor were over? The authors remark meant that he was not sure whether his old terror had left him. He still felt scared and frightened while swimming the length of the pool up and down.

What impression do you get of Douglas from the essay? Douglas was a brave and strong-willed person. Despite his horrifying experiences in water when he was almost drowned, he didnt give up. He resolved to overcome his fear by learning to swim. He hired an instructor and with complete focus and determination, he could succeed in learning to swim.

What did Douglas experience as he went down to the bottom of the pool for the first time? The movement towards the bottom of the pool after being tossed in it by the big bruiser' of a boy was gradual as he was in the deep side. He felt these nine feet to be like ninety. His lungs were ready to burst before he touched the bottom. He did not lose his presence of mind and tried to make a great jump upwards.

What two things did Douglas dislike to do? Which one did he have to do and why? Douglas was very thin and hated to show his skinny legs. He was also scared of going into the pool alone. So he sat by the poolside and waited for others to come.

On the way down I planned, remarks Douglas. What plan had he devised and how far did it succeed? After being tossed into the deep side of the pool, Douglas planned to save himself from being drowned. He decided to spring back to the surface like a cork after touching the bottom. Then he lay flat on it and paddled to the edge. Three times he tried to put his plan to action but swallowed a lot of water.

In what connection does Douglas mention a big bruiser of a boy? Douglas talks about the boy who tossed him into the deep end of the Y.M.C.A pool. This boy was about eighteen, had a good physique and was a big bruiser according to Douglas. When Douglas almost drowned, the boy had the audacity to exclaim that he was only joking.

How did Douglas initially feel when he went to the Y.M.C.A pool? What made him feel comfortable? As Douglas started going to the Y.M.C.A pool to learn how to swim, his childhood fears and memories of the unpleasant experience was revived. He gradually regained some confidence and started paddling with the help of water wings. He watched other boys and copied their style. Slowly he started feeling more comfortable.

Give two character traits of Douglas that enabled him to overcome his fear of water. Douglas had a strong-will and steadfastness of purpose. It is with the help of these two traits that he was able to conquer terror and learn swimming.

What are the thoughts that came in Douglass mind when he was going towards the bottom of the pool for the third time? The third time, Douglass effort ceased. He relaxed and his legs felt limp. He felt there was nothing to be afraid of. He felt drowsy and felt like sleeping. He was in a state of forgetfulness.

Long answers

There was terror in my heart at the overpowering force of the waves when did Douglas start fearing water? Which experience had further strengthened its hold on his mind and personality? The author started fearing water when he was three or four years old .It happened when his father took him to the beach in California. He and the author stood together in the surf. The waves of the water knocked the author down and swept over him. He was frightened and his breath was gone. Since then he started fearing water. Later when the author was about ten or twelve years old the fear of water further strengthened on his mind ad personality. He went to YMCA swimming pool to learn swimming. There a terrible incident occurred which increased his fear of water. When he reached the swimming pool, no one else was there. He was timid about going in water alone and as he sat on the side of the pool to wait for the others. Then a big bully of a boy threw him into the pool. He was already in fear of water and did not know swimming, he feared he would he drowned. This incident greatly terrorized him and the fear of water further gripped his mind and personality.

Is the reader relieved by the way the story ended? Justify your answer.

How did Douglas overcome his fear of water? Or I used every way I knew to overcome this fear. What was the fear and how did William Douglas finally overcome it? Or A man of courage is also a man of faith. How is this borne out by Douglas account of his conquest over the fear of water? Or At last I felt released. Describe the efforts undertaken by Douglas to find this moment of release. The author, William Douglas talks about his fear of water and how he overcomes it. He reveals how he had feared it ever since he was three or four years old and his father had taken him to a beach in California. He was terrified of the waves that swept over the beach and knocked him down leaving him breathless. He decided to learn how to swim at the YMCA Pool. Though the sight of the water revived unpleasant memories he was determined to overcome them and learn to swim. One day, while he was sitting on the side of the pool, a bigger boy flung him into the deep end of the pool. The author hitting the bottom and made a jump to the surface., but he sank to the bottom again. He finally fainted. Then

he decided to hire the services of an instructor and master swimming. Initially, the instructor put a belt round him and the attached rope through a pulley that run on an overhead cable. Hour after hour, day after day till he began to get back his confidence. Thus through sheer will power and practice, William overcame his fear of water and became a swimmer. Though the instructor was satisfied with his progress but to test whether he had lost all the vestiges of panic and fear, he went up to the Tieton, to Conrad Meadows. He dived into it and swam across it and was overjoyed to learn that he had at last conquest his fear of water. This experience is indeed a sign of courage, grit, patience and determination and a lesson to us that any fear can be overcome provided one perseveres.

What was the misadventure at the YMCA swimming pool that the writer William Douglas speaks about? The misadventure referred to happened at the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool. The author, William Douglas had joined the pool to learn to swim. One day he was sitting alone on the side of the pool. There was no one there. He was afraid of going into the water alone. So he was waiting for others to come. Suddenly a big boy came in. He picked the writer up and tossed him into the pool. The writer was frightened but not much. He at once went to the bottom of the pool. On the way down, he made a plan. He would hit the bottom and make a big jump to the surface. But he came up very slowly. He could see nothing but water. He grew panicky. Twice he tried to jump, but the jump made no difference. At last he stopped all efforts. He relaxed. There was no more panic. Everything blanked out. The curtain of life fell. But luckily, before he was dead, he was taken out of the pool and saved.

How did the swimming instructor build a swimmer out of Douglas? William Douglas had the most frightening and nightmarish experience at the Y.M.C.A pool when a boy of eighteen had tossed him into the pool and he had a near brush with death. The terror that he experienced and the resulting fear of water prevented him from enjoying fishing, canoeing, swimming etc. with his friends. The fear became so deep rooted that Douglas decided to overcome it. The first step he took was to get an instructor. The instructor made him swim five days a week and taught him how to exhale underwater and inhale above water. He made him practise very hard five days a week, an hour each day. His safety was ensured when the instructor put a belt around him which had a hook and a rope attached to it. An overhead cable had a pulley in it and the rope going over it. The instructor would hold the rope while Douglas swam from one end of the pool to the other. In about six months, and with a lot of hard-work and determination, Douglas was able to perfect the art of swimming. His instructor had built a swimmer out of him, bit by bit.

A big boy threw Douglas into the swimming pool. How did this experience affect Douglas?

William Douglas had decided to overcome his childhood fear of water when he joined the Y.M.C.A swimming pool. He had gradually gathered confidence and was trying to learn swimming by using water wings and aping other boys. Just when he was beginning to feel at ease, the misadventure happened. A big boy about eighteen years of age saw Douglas sitting above by the pool side and tossed him into the deep side of the pool. Douglas was too frightened, but did not lose his wits. He planned the strategy of giving himself a thrust just as he would touch the bottom and then move up to the surface of the water and float towards the edge. His plans failed and thrice he went up and down the pool, being unable to reach the surface and breathe. He had almost given up, when he was rescued by the boy who had pushed him. The boy said that he was only joking. Douglas had to pay a heavy price for this joke. He was shocked when he recovered from this incident. But worse was the fact that his fear turned into terror and a sort of phobia. Much as he wanted to, he could not enjoy himself. He could not get into the Cascades or bathe in the Warm Lake. He could not even go for fishing, canoeing, boating or swimming. His fear of water deprived him of all the joys that he wanted to experience in water. He tried hard to overcome his fear, but he became paranoid. The fear had a strong hold on him.