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Deep Water

The document discusses the themes and analysis of the chapter 'Deep Water' by William Douglas, focusing on overcoming fear and personal growth. It highlights Douglas's vivid sensory descriptions that engage readers emotionally, his struggle with a deep-seated fear of water, and the significance of small victories in life. Additionally, it includes prompts for extended writing, encouraging reflections on accountability and motivation related to the narrative.

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Lia Nelli
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32 views2 pages

Deep Water

The document discusses the themes and analysis of the chapter 'Deep Water' by William Douglas, focusing on overcoming fear and personal growth. It highlights Douglas's vivid sensory descriptions that engage readers emotionally, his struggle with a deep-seated fear of water, and the significance of small victories in life. Additionally, it includes prompts for extended writing, encouraging reflections on accountability and motivation related to the narrative.

Uploaded by

Lia Nelli
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Deep Water

About The Author


Birth: October 16, 1898, Maine, Minnesota, US
Death: January 19, 1980, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
Career: public official, legal educator, and associate justice of the U.S. Supreme
Court
Best known for his consistent and outspoken defense of civil liberties.
1. Douglas uses sensory details to create a vivid image of the unfortunate experience in the pool.
What might be the impact on the reader if the narration were more informative than sensory?

Ans. If more informative than sensory, the impact on the reader would likely be less emotional and
engaging as:

• sensory details help readers connect with the experience being described on a deeper level.

• sensory details allow readers to visualize the scene in their minds and feel like they are a part of
it.

• Even though informative details may provide more factual information but can sometimes feel
detached and impersonal, leaving readers feeling less connected to the story.

2. Getting rid of fear is an extremely difficult task. Elucidate with reference to the chapter “Deep
Water”.

Ans. In the chapter "Deep Water," the narrator's persistent fear of water highlights the immense
difficulty of overcoming deep-seated fears. Despite his efforts to confront it, the fear lingers, affecting
his daily life and causing anxiety. This illustrates the arduous nature of eliminating fear from one's life.

3. Seemingly small every day wins are actually the greatest learnings of life. Comment on the
statement with reference to the chapter “Deep Water”.

Ans. In the chapter "Deep Water," the narrator's small everyday wins, such as overcoming his fear and
diving into the pool, prove to be significant milestones in his life. These victories symbolize his personal
growth and serve as valuable lessons that empower him to face his fears and push his limits.

4. 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.

Douglas has told this story in such a serious way that the reader feels if he or she is sailing in the
same boat. That in itself is commendable. He tells in which position he fell. He moved his arms and
legs, he yell for his mother, tries to jump but could not succeed. Words like “My lungs were ready to
burst.”, “I was suffocating”,” stark terror seized me”,”“I was paralyzed under water” and “and the
curtain of life fell” bring life to the story. All these things presented in detail touch the depths of the
heart.

5. 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.

6. 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.

Extended Writing:

1. Imagine that the bully who threw Douglas into the pool reads this chapter and realizes his
mistake.

As the bully, write a diary entry penning down your response to Douglas’ perseverance and your
own feelings of guilt and regret.

2. Douglas’ mother writes to the YMCA authorities holding them accountable for the mishap
as well as demanding that the authorities employ a team of guards near the pool for
supervision of the children.As the mother, write a letter to the authorities with reference to
the case of your son.

You may begin like this:

Subject: Negligence on Premises

This is with reference to the incident of near fatal drowning of my son, William on your premises.
We were…

3. Imagine yourself to be a motivational speaker who has to address high school students. Write
this address in 120 – 150 words elaborating on occurrences from the two texts to inspire your
audience and convince them about the importance of overcoming fear.

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