DEEP WATER (William O. Douglas)
Main Character William Douglas-He is the Narrator and relating about his fear of water. Instructor - He is the person who boosted narrator and made him perfect swimmer.
Brief Summary
The Narrate developed an aversion to water at the age of three or four when he was 3-4 year-old, his father brought him at a beach of California. Unfortunately the web knocked him down and swept over him. He was frightened badly and a fear developed in his mind about water.
The Misadventure / Struggle for life / losing hope: Now he was 10-11 year old and collected some self-belief He started swimming with the help of wings to see other boys. He couldn't continue his practice for long time. A masculine came there, picked up Douglas and threw into the water. Narrator was terrified but did not lose his sense. took place with him at Y.M.C.A pool. Once, narrator was sitting alone on the pool. Just then a heavy box quite While going down he made a plan to hit the bottom of pool hard and would take a big jump. He thought, by doing this he would I come to the surface. He was totally out of breath when his feat touched the bottom. He tried to come up, but couldn't Second time he hit the bottom with all his strength, cam came slowly and opened his eyes, found water everywhere/ Now his lungs were about to burst. He tried to cry but sound did not come out. He swallowed water & was Suffocating. His arms & legs stopped moving. He tried to come out many times but he failed. He had lost his breath. realized that he would not survive. At last he lost his hope and everything went quiet. Finally he fainted. Fortunately he was taken out from the pool and saved by the same boy who threw him inside the pool. Anyhow he reached his house and never went back to the pool. He started having fear of water and avoiding it.
Fear Spoilled Douglas's life / Effort to overcome it: After few years he tried to get into the water and overcome but his fear came back. Now he was unable to enjoy fishing, boating and swimming. Narrator tried to overcome his fear but did not get success. At last he hired an instructor train him week. A rope was attached to his belt went through a pulley. In the practiced one hour daily and five dayg beginning, whenever he went into the water, his terror returned and froze his leg. But he did not stop his practice. He repeated his practice numbers of times. It took him three month to get over this fear. He learnt how to breathe while swimming Slowly it started removing his fear. Finally the instructor made him perfect in in swimming. He advised Douglas to di off, to swim across and do other strokes.
Douglas test himself / Impact of these experience: Now Douglas wanted to swim in the absence of the instructor. Douglas dived into the pool and swam up to other end. He felt little bit fear but he drove away his all fear. Douglas was still not satisfied so he went to Wentworth Lake in New Hampshire. He swam across the lake. He scared little bit but his fear went away soon and he started to swim. Next time he went to Warm Lake and dived into the lake. He swam across the lake and back also. He enjoyed it a lot. Finally be had overcome his fear of water. According to Douglas, these experiences have a deep meaning for him. He explained death is all about plece, but fear of death is terror only. Once Roosevelt said, "All we have to fear is fear itself. Douglas experienced both the feeling of dying and the terror that fear of dying generates.
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