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Themes and Colors
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Third Level, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
In “The Third Level,” Jack Finney uses time travel to explore the melancholy of modern life and the common desire to return to simpler times. The story’s protagonist, Charley, is exhausted by life in the mid-20th century, and his generation is especially traumatized from living through both World Wars. He expresses envy of those older than him, such as his grandfather, who he believes was a happier person because he grew up in a kinder, more stable era of history. As a result, when Charley discovers a third level of Grand Central Station that takes him back to 1894, he attempts to buy tickets to permanently return to what he views as a more peaceful and simple time. However, his modern currency prevents him from buying tickets, and though he later obtains enough 19th-century currency to make a life for himself in 1894, he is unable to find the third level again and therefore misses his chance to escape modernity. While Charley’s failure initially seems to suggest that a return to the past is impossible, the story reveals that Sam, Charley’s psychiatrist who told Charley that the third level was a figment of his imagination, succeeds in finding the third level and time-travelling to live in the past. This twist ending hints that even the most cynical and modern individual can find solace in the past when faced with an unfavorable present. What’s more, the fact that Charley’s psychiatrist is the one to leave behind modernity suggests that even the most seemingly emotionally balanced people in modern times still feel the pull of nostalgia.
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Modernity and Nostalgia ThemeTracker
The ThemeTracker below shows where, and to what degree, the theme of Modernity and Nostalgia appears in each chapter of The Third Level. Click or tap on any chapter to read its Summary & Analysis.
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The Third Level
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Modernity and Nostalgia Quotes in The Third Level
Below you will find the important quotes in The Third Level related to the theme of Modernity and Nostalgia.
The Third Level Quotes
I told him about the third level at Grand Central Station, and he said it was a waking-dream wish fulfillment. He said I was unhappy. That made my wife kind of mad, but he explained that he meant the modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and all the rest of it, and that I just want to escape. Well, hell, who doesn’t? Everyone I know wants to escape, but they don’t wander down into any third level at Grand Central Station.
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After telling his psychiatrist friend about discovering the third level, Charley’s friend responds by rationalizing the event as a form of mental escapism that Charley is subconsciously partaking in. The psychiatrist’s rationale is that the modern world is an unhappy place, so it’s natural that Charley would want to escape it. However, Charley refutes this explanation by arguing that he’s not unique in wanting to escape; according to him, everyone wants to get away from the modern world. This quote is significant in that it highlights the tension Charley has with the status quo. Charley, in accepting his experience with Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corru
My stamp collecting, for example; that’s a “temporary refuge from reality.” Well, maybe, but my grandfather didn’t need any refuge from reality; things were pretty nice and peaceful in his day, from all I hear, and he started my collection.
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To give him another example of his escapist tendencies, Charley’s friends cite his hobby of collecting stamps as a way that he temporarily gets away from reality. Charley disagrees with this, since his grandfather was the one who started his stamp collection despite growing up in peaceful times. This quote further deepens the tension between the past and present by introducing generational differences. Charley has established that he believes modern society is broken; in contrast, his grandfather grew up in peaceful times, which further emphasizes the misery of modernity. This is underscored by the subtle envy in Charley’s tone as Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Co
There were brass spittoons on the floor, and across the station a glint of light caught my eye; a man was pulling a gold watch from his vest pocket. He snapped open the cover, glanced at his watch, and frowned. He wore a derby hat, a black four-button suit with tiny lapels, and he had a big, black, handle-bar mustache. Then I looked around and saw that everyone in the station was dressed like eighteen-ninety-something; I never saw so many bears, sideburns and fancy mustaches in my life.
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After arriving on the third level, Charley observes his surroundings and immediately notices many unusual things. He notices spittoons—receptacles for spitting into—as well as the unusual attire of a nearby man. As he looks around, he realizes everyone is in old-style attire. This passage has the most imagery out of any in the story, which makes sense given that its purpose is to establish the titular third level. Finney introduces details slowly at first, starting with the slightly unusual detail of the spittoon. From there, he transitions to the man’s golden watch. Both of these details provide clues as to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus
Have you ever been there? It’s a wonderful town still, with big old frame houses, huge lawns and tremendous trees whose branches meet overhead and roof the streets. And in 1894, summer evenings were twice as long, and people sat out on their lawns, the men smoking cigars and talking quietly, the women waving palm-leaf fans, with the fireflies all around, in a peaceful world. To be back there with the First World War still twenty years off, and World War II over forty years in the future … I wanted two tickets for that.
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Charley describes Galesburg, Illinois, the town he hopes to travel to in 1894. He describes it in glowing terms due to its old houses, large trees, and friendly people. While Charley still loves Galesburg in the present, he longs to see it in the 19th century, since he believes it will be especially lovely in a time before the two World Wars. His description of Galesburg is a direct contrast to that of New York City. While New York is cold, hectic, and impersonal, the imagery associated with Galesburg establishes it as a warm and peaceful place. This is especially Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. S
He nodded at the bills. “That ain’t money, mister,” he said, “and if you’re trying to skin me you won’t get very far,” and he glanced at the cash drawer beside him. Of course the money in his drawer was old-style bills, half again as big the money we use nowadays, and different-looking. I turned away and got out fast. There’s nothing nice about jail, even in 1894.
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Charley attempts to buy tickets to Galesburg, but the clerk won’t accept his modern currency; money in 1894 looked different and was much smaller. Sensing that the clerk is suspicious of him, Charley quickly leaves, not wanting to get arrested. This encounter serves as the moment in which Charley ultimately fails to accomplish his goal of making it to 1894 Galesburg. Significantly, his failure comes about because of his modernity; his present-day money marks him as an outsider and attracts suspicion. The fact that Charley’s existence as a 1950s individual bars him from 1894 suggests that bridging the past and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Comm
My friend Sam Weiner disappeared! Nobody knew where, but I sort of suspected because Sam’s a city boy, and I used to tell him about Galesburg—I went to school there—and he always said he liked the sound of the place.
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Although Charley is unable to make it to the third level, he suspects that his friend Sam made it there after Sam’s disappearance. Although Sam grew up in the city, he always liked hearing about Galesburg from Charley, hence Charley’s hunch that he returned to 1894 Galesburg. The revelation of Sam’s disappearance is significant in that it provides a hint that Charley was right: the third level wasn’t simply in his head. If Charley is correct about his hunch, it also vindicates his belief that he is not the only one trying to escape. Indeed, the fact that Sam was Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor
Charley, it’s true; I found the third level! I’ve been here two weeks, and right now, down the street at the Daly’s, someone is playing a piano, and they’re all out on the front porch singing, “Seeing Nellie home.” And I’m invited over for lemonade. Come on back, Charley and Louisa. Keep looking till you find the third level! It’s worth it, believe me!
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In a letter to Charley sent through his grandfather’s stamp collection, Sam confirms Charley’s suspicion that he made it to the third level. Sam describes Galesburg as a wonderful place, where everyone is playing music and he’s invited over to the neighbor’s house for lemonade. He tells Charley and Louisa to keep looking for the third level, insisting that it’s worth it. The fact that Sam went to 1894 Galesburg vindicates the worldview Charley has expressed throughout the story: namely, that the past is better than the present and that Galesburg specifically is a wonderful place to be, especially in Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus
I found out that Sam bought eight hundred dollars’ worth of old-style currency. That ought to set him up in a nice little hay, feed, and grain business; he always said that’s what he really wished he could do, and he certainly can’t go back to his old business. Not in Galesburg, Illinois, in 1894. His old business? Why, Sam was my psychiatrist.
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After receiving Sam’s letter, Charley later discovers that he bought $800 of old currency, which would be enough for him to set up a business in 1894, since Sam cannot continue his present-day profession in 1894 Galesburg. Charley reveals that this is because Sam is his psychiatrist friend, who initially told him at the beginning of the story that his encounter with the third level was in his imagination. The story’s twist ending—that Sam, the one person who was able to make it to 1894, is Charley’s psychiatrist—suggests that the romanticism of the past is stronger than the pragmatism of Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum.
