NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 3: Deep Water

The following words and expressions from the text can be understood by their context as:

• treacherous: This refers to something that is dangerously unpredictable and unreliable, like the water in the pool which posed a hidden threat to the author.
• subdued my pride: This means that the author's self-respect and confidence were lowered or humbled, likely due to his fear or the embarrassing situation of being unable to swim.
• flailed at the surface: This describes the action of striking or waving the arms and legs wildly and ineffectively at the water's surface in a desperate attempt to stay afloat or reach safety.
• fishing for landlocked salmon: This phrase refers to the specific activity of trying to catch a type of salmon that lives in lakes, not in the sea, indicating a particular kind of recreational pursuit.
• misadventure: This term denotes an unfortunate incident that turns out to be a disaster or a serious mishap, specifically referring to the near-drowning event.
• bob to the surface like a cork: This vividly describes the action of floating or rising to the water's surface in a buoyant manner, similar to how a cork behaves in water.
• curtain of life fell: This is a metaphorical expression indicating the end of the author's life or consciousness, suggesting a moment of complete blackout or a near-death experience.
• back and forth across the pool: This describes the action of swimming from one side of the swimming pool to the other and then returning, a common way to practice swimming laps.

The "misadventure" that William Douglas refers to is the terrifying incident that occurred at the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool when he was about ten or eleven years old. He had just begun learning to swim and was waiting by the side of the pool. Another boy, perhaps in a prank, picked him up and tossed him into the deep end. Douglas, who was still very inexperienced and afraid of water, found himself plunging into the water, unable to swim. This near-drowning experience left him traumatized and instilled a deep-seated fear of water that would affect him for many years to come.

When Douglas was thrown into the pool, his initial reaction was not one of immediate panic, but rather a calculated thought process. However, as the reality of his situation sank in, a profound fear gripped him. He felt himself sinking, and the water enveloped him, making him feel suffocated. His senses seemed to fail him; his heart pounded violently, his limbs felt heavy and paralyzed by fear, and his mind became dizzy. He gulped water, and his lungs ached. Despite this overwhelming terror, he formulated a plan: he would push himself down to the bottom of the pool, and from there, he would make a powerful jump upwards, aiming to reach the surface like a cork. Once on the surface, he intended to lie flat and paddle his way to the edge of the pool.

This near-death experience had a profound and lasting psychological impact on William Douglas. He was deeply disturbed and shaken by the ordeal. A persistent and haunting fear of water, known as hydrophobia, took root in his mind and affected his physical and emotional well-being for years. This fear was so intense that it prevented him from participating in any water-related activities, such as swimming, boating, or fishing, thereby depriving him of the joy and experiences that water could offer.

Douglas vividly conveys the intense panic he experienced during his near-drowning incident by employing a range of sensory details and emotional descriptions. He recounts the sequence of events with a focus on his internal state: the initial shock, the feeling of suffocation as water filled his lungs, the pounding of his heart, the paralysis of his limbs due to fear, and the dizziness that clouded his mind. He describes the desperate, yet ultimately futile, struggle to reach the surface, the feeling of losing consciousness, and the chilling thought that his life was ending, symbolized by the 'curtain of life fell'. The detailed account of his physical sensations—aching lungs, heavy limbs—and his mental state—loss of wits, paralyzing fear—makes the description incredibly vivid and allows the reader to empathize with his terror and the overwhelming sense of helplessness he felt.