The Third Level Author-Jack Finney Walter Braden “Jack” Finney was an American author . He was born on October 2, 1911 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. Finney was given the name Jack Finney. After his father died when he was three years old, he was renamed Walter Braden Finney in honor of his father, but he continued to be known as “Jack” throughout his life.
The narrator interweaves fantasy with the reality in the most futuristic projection of time travel. Charley, a young New York commuter loses his way. He finds himself in what he thinks is the third level of the Grand Central Station in New York. The Grand Central Station has subways on two levels from where the commuters take trains to different destinations. No third level was ever built. However Charley believes in the existence of a third level, operating in a time-frame of 1890s.
Jack Finney’s story ‘The Third Level’ interweaves between fantasy and reality. The Third Level is medium of escape for Charley from the present harsh realities of modern life which is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and tension. It is a safe route for Charley to go to Galesburg in order to escape from trouble.