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Deep Water
How did Douglas react sharply to get over his fear of water?
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Write down the efforts made by William O. Douglas to overcome his terror of water. How did he conquer it?
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How did the instructor build a swimmer out of Douglas? (Expected)
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How did the swimming instructor build a swimmer out of Douglas?
On two different occasions, Douglas developed a stark terror of water. At the age of three or four he was standing on the beach of California with his father. There the waves swept over him and buried in the water. On the second occasion, he was thrown deep into the Y.M.C.A. pool by a muscular boy. He struggled hard and made three different attempts to get out of water but he went on deeper and deeper. A stark terror overpowered him. The very sight of the pool, river or lake seized him. He was followed by terror wherever he went. He realised that he could not enjoy boating, fishing, swimming or canoeing. He decided to overcome his fear.
He engaged an instructor and practised five days a week, an hour a day. He taught him swimming piece by piece. In the beginning he put a belt round Douglas. A rope was attached to the belt. The rope went through a pulley and the pulley ran on a overhead cable. He held on to the end of the rope. They went back and forth across the pool. A bit of panic seized Douglas. After three months his tension began to slacken. Then the instructor taught him to exhale under water and inhale outside it. This exercise was repeated hundreds of times. He made him a perfect swimmer piece by piece but Douglas had fear in his mind. To have a complete grip over it, he went to lake Wentsworth and dived off a dock at Triggs Island. He swam two miles across the lake. To remove his residual doubts, he dived into the Warm Lake and swam across to the other shore and backs. He shouted with joy that he had conquered his fear of water. Thus the writer bade goodbye to the terror for ever.
At one time he held the writer at the side of the pool and had kicked himself with his own legs. After weeks of practice, he could command his legs for swimming in the water.
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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.
If some one else had narrated Douglas’s experience how would it have differed from this account. Write out a sample paragraph or paragraphs from this text from the point of view of a third person or observer, to find out. Which style of narration would you consider to be more effective? Why?
Doing well in any activity, for example a sport, music, dance or painting, riding a motorcycle or a car, involves a great deal of struggle. Most of us are very nervous to begin with until gradually we overcome our fears and perform well.
Write an essay of about five paragraphs recounting such an experience. Try to recollect minute details of what caused the fear, your feelings, the encouragement you got from others or the criticism.
You could begin with the last sentence of the essay you have just read – “At last I felt relased – free to walk the trails and climb the peaks and to brush aside fear.”
Write a short letter to someone you know about your having learnt to do something new.
Are there any water sports in India? Find out about the areas or places which are known for water sports.
What does the mother of Douglas say abot the Y.M.CA. pool?
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