CLASS 12 ENGLISH PROJET

DEEP WATER
DONE ARJUN Y
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION THIS IS TO CERTIFY ARJUN Y OF
CLASS 12 HAS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THIS ENGLISH PROJECT
ON DEEP WATER UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF MR. SAVARINATHAN SIR.
IT IS FURTHER CERTIFIED THAT THIS IS THE PROJECT WORK FOR THE
PRACTICAL EXAMINATION OF CENTRAL SECONDARY EDUCATION
(2024- 25) AND IS THE INDIVIDUAL WORK OF THIS CANDIDATE.

ENGLISH SIR PRINCIPAL SIR

EXTERNAL EXAMINER
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO MY ENGLISH TEACHER
FOR HIS GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT. I WOULD ALSO THANK MY
PRINCIPAL FOR PROVIDING AMPLE TIME FOR THE COMPLETION OF
PROJECT. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MY PARENTS AND FRIENDS FOR
THEIR VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS.

DONE BY ARJUN Y
 Deep Water
-William Douglas
(1898-1980)

INDEX
1.About the Author

2.Theme, Sub-theme, Plot 3.

Characters

4. Summary

5. Key-Points
6. Vocabulary
7.Points to Ponder
8. Assignments
Deep Water
-William Douglas
(1898-1980)
About the Author :

William Douglas was born in Maine, Minnesota. After graduating

with a Bachelors of Arts in English and Economics, he spent two
years teaching in high school in Yakima. However, he got tired of this
and decided to pursue a legal career. He met Franklin D. Roosevelt
at Yale and became an adviser and friend to the President. Douglas
was a leading advocate of individual rights. He retired in 1975 with a
term lasting thirty-six years and remains the longest- serving Justice
in the history of the court. The following excerpt is taken from Of
Men and
Mountains by William O. Douglas. It reveals how as a
young boy William Douglas nearly drowned in a swimming
pool. In this essay he talks about his fear of water and
thereafter, how he finally overcame it. Notice how the
autobiographical part of the selection is used to support his
discussion of fear.
 Deep Water
-William Douglas
(1898-1980)
Introduction :
Deep Water, an excerpt from “Of Men
and Mountains” is a psycho-analytical
study of fear. It reveals how fear can
paralyse a normal person mentally
and also, the ways to overcome it.
The lesson emphasises the
significance of one’s desire to fulfill
one’s passion supported by
meticulous planning and the ‘never
say die attitude’. The title ‘Deep
Water’ is quite justified as it reveals
deep psychological imprint of fear in
author’s mind.
 Deep Water
-William Douglas
(1898-1980)
Background of the story :
In his autobiographical account Deep
Water, author William Douglas recollects
a horrifying experience of drowning at the
Y.M.C.A. swimming pool during his
childhood. The incident left a deep
psychological imprint in his mind. He was
so terrified that he avoided water for a
long time. However, he was passionate
about swimming. He made up his mind to
overcome the fear of water. He hired an
instructor and fulfilled his desire. The
entire episode emphasises how courage
and determination help an individual to
accomplish his goal. The incident taught
Douglas the larger meaning of life.
 Deep Water

Theme A–real-life personal account of experiencing fear and the

steps taken to overcome it
Sub-Theme – Psychological analysis of fear
Plot– Aversion to water–Experience at YMCA pool–Impact-Training
Session–Overcomingthefear–therealisation
Characters :
WilliamDouglas-thenarratorandprotagonist Douglas’Mother-
aconcerned mother An eighteenyear oldboy–careless,
thoughtless,muscular TheInstructor-highlyskilled,intuitive
(insightful)
 Deep Water
SUMMARY
The story talks about how terrifying memories of childhood may haunt
even the adult mind and the shadow of these frightening experiences
continue to lurk in the mind and rob one of all the confidences. It is
imperative to make deliberate planned efforts to get over that fear
which otherwise can lead to a lifelong constraint. William O. Douglas
had a desire to learn swimming since childhood. At the age of three or
four, he was knocked down and buried by a wave at a beach in
California. He developed a great aversion to water. At the age of ten or
eleven he decided to learn to swim with water wings at the Y.M.C.A
pool since it was safe at the shallow end. A misadventure : While sitting
alone and waiting for others to come at the Y.M.C.A pool, a big boy
came and threw Douglas into the deep end of the pool. Douglas
swallowed water and went straight down to the bottom of the pool.
While going down he planned to make a big jump upwards but came up
slowly.
 Deep Water
SUMMARY
Stark terror seized him. He tried to shout but could not. As he went down
the pool for the second time, he tried to jump upwards but it was sheer
waste of energy. Terror held him deeper and deeper. During the third
trial, he sucked water instead of air. Light was going out and there was no
more panic. So, he ceased all efforts and he became unconscious. He
crossed to oblivion. When revived, he found himself vomiting beside the
pool. He was in the grip of fear of water and it deprived him of the joys of
canoeing, boating, swimming and fishing. Later, to overcome his phobia
for water, he hired an instructor to learn swimming. The instructor taught
him swimming piece by piece. He went to different lakes to swim and
found tiny vestiges of fear still gripped him. He challenged the fear and
swam. Swimming up and down the Warm Lake he finally overcame his
fear of water. He realised that in death there is peace and there is terror
only in fear of death. Will to live is stronger than fear of death.
down the memory lane…
down the memory lane……
“All we have to fear is fear itself ”
➢Author’s plan to learn to swim (Yakima, YMCA Pool)
➢Aversion to Water resurfaces (California Beach)
➢The start off at the pool (lack of confidence, aping, water wings)
➢The misadventure
➢Douglas’ plan to save himself **
➢Douglas’ experience of drowning **
➢Efforts to survive
➢Ceasing all efforts (peace in death, mother’s tender arms)
➢Effects of the experience
➢Determination to overcome the fear
➢Training lessons by the instructor (bit by bit, synchronisation)
➢Perfecting the art & Douglas the perfectionist -Lake Wentworth in New Hamshire,
TriggsIsland, Stamp Act Island, Tieton–Conrad Meadows, Conrad Creek (bay)
Trail –Meade Glacier, Warm Lake
➢The larger/deeper meaning of life (only thing to fear is fear itself)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
CHAT GPT
META AI
OSWALL
NCERT
WIKIPEDIA
THANK
YOU
DONE BY ARJUN Y