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Deep Water
What does Douglas mean to say, “piece by piece, he built a swimmer’?
Each time the instructor started by relaxing his hold on the safety rope, making Douglas go under water to decrease the tension. Then it was to exhale putting face under water and to inhale raising nose to shed panic. Finally, he had him kick with his legs to command them.
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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?
How did this experience affect him?
Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water?
How did the instructor 'build a swimmer’ out of Douglas?
How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror?
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.
How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?
Why does Douglas as an adult recount a childhood experience of terror and his conquering of it? What larger meaning does he draw from this experience?
“All we have to fear is fear itself.” Have you ever had a fear that you have now overcome? Share your experience with your partner.
Find and narrate other stories about conquest fear and what people have said about courage. For example, you can recall Nelson Mandela’s courage and his struggle for freedom, his perseverance to achieve his mission, to liberate the oppressed and the oppressor as depicted in his autobiography. The story “We’re Not Afraid To Die,” which you have read in class XI, is an apt example of how courage and optimism that helped the family service under the direst stress.
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