About the author

William Douglas (1898-1980) was born in Maine, Minnesota. After graduating with a Bachelors of Arts in English and Economics, he spent two years teaching 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 Deep Water, 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
Deep Water in Hindi
Deep Water Solution

    Deep Water Summary In English

    The author had developed a dislike towards the water when he was 3 years old, his father took him to the beach in California and while they were standing on the surfing board the waves knocked him down. That seems funny but this incident filled terror in his heart.

    Deep Water (Summary In English and Hindi)

    Many years later, his longing to swim and fishing intrinsically motivated him to learn how to swim. So he decided to challenge his fear as he knows that fear stays in a person’s subconscious mind. 

    He tried to learn by imitating others at the pool using water wings. But soon a misadventure happened when a boy with stiff and strong muscles called him skinny and plunged him into the pool. He was struck badly into the pool and swallowed some of it and soon with his wit he came to the surface like a cork and paddled to the edge.

    Those nine feet were like ninety to him. But he made a great jump and come to the surface. He tried to bring his legs up but could as he felt they were dead and paralyzed, he tried to call his mother but in vain. His eyes and nose were almost in water and he was feeling short of breath. He was again going down and soon everything turned black. He forgot everything and after that he found himself lying at the bottom.

    He walked home very feeble and trembling with fear and for many days this incident kept haunting his mind. From that day he decided to learn how to swim and practiced five days a week. When he wished to get into the waters of Cascades an icy terror haunts him and his legs get paralyzed. His fear could not let him enjoy canoeing, boating, and swimming.

    The instructor put a belt around him and held one end. After relaxing him he held and slowly the author went underwater, a bit of panic hovered him, his legs got frozen but soon the instructor relaxed him. After that, the instructor taught him to put his face underwater and exhale, and very soon he was able to do it the right way.

    Slowly he learned to relax and put his legs straight and built a swimmer. He started practicing and told his instructor that he had become a swimmer. When he tried to swim alone he felt that he could overcome his fear but was still not complacent. So he went to Lake Went worth in New Hampshire and there he dived off and swam two miles along with crawl, breaststroke, side, and backstroke.  When he put his face underwater he could see the bottom and he finally said that he has overcome his fear.

    But to remove a little bit of doubt, he again went up to Tieton to Conrad meadows and dived into the lake, shouted out with joy and the Gilbert Peak return his Echo. He has conquered his fear. 

    Deep Water Summary in Hindi

    कहानी लेखक विलियम डगलस की आत्मकथा- ‘मेन एंड माउंटेंस’ से ली गई है। इस कहानी में वे अपने पानी के डर के बारे में बताते है और कैसे उन्होंने दृढ़ संकल्प और इच्छा शक्ति से उस पर विजय प्राप्त की।

    एक बच्चे के रूप में, जब वे 3 या 4 साल के थे, तो वे अपने पिता के साथ कैलिफोर्निया में समुद्र तट पर जाते थे। वे विशाल लहरों की ताकत से भयभीत हो जाते थे जो उनपर पर बहती थी और इससे उनके अवचेतन मन में एक डर पैदा हो गया था।

    कुछ साल बाद, तैराकी सीखने के लिए उत्सुकता में, वे एक स्विमिंग पूल क्लब में शामिल हो गये जहाँ एक घटना ने उनके आतंक को और बढ़ा दिया। उन्हें एक अन्य लड़के द्वारा पूल में धकेल दिया गया और मृत्यु को बारीकी से अनुभव किया।

    उस घटना के कई साल बाद, वे पानी से दूर रहे लेकिन प्रकृति में मछली पकड़ने और तैरने जाने की इच्छा ने उन्हें अपने डर को दूर करने के लिए प्रेरित करने के लिए पर्याप्त था। उन्होंने एक प्रशिक्षक की मदद से तैराकी सीखी, जिसने यह सुनिश्चित किया कि विलियम अच्छी तरह से तैरना जाने जो विशाल झीलों और झरनों में भी तैरने में सक्षम हो।

    फिर भी, जब वे तैरते थे, उनके बचपन के अनुभवों से डर, उनके अवचेतन मन में अंतर्निहित उन्हें बार-बार पकड़ लेता था। वह उस डर पर विजय पाना चाहते थे। उन्होंने इस सोच का व्यंग्यात्मक रूप से सामना किया कि अब उन्हें तैरना कैसे आता है, इससे उन्हें क्या नुकसान हो सकता है। उन्होंने अपने डर को इसके सामने चुनौती दी और आखिरकार यह गायब हो गया।

    यह उनके अवचेतन मन में एक आधारहीन भय था। यह अनुभव उनके लिए मूल्यवान था। उन्होंने आतंक और मृत्यु का अनुभव किया था। उन्होंने इसे पछाड़ दिया और आखिरकार इसे जीत लिया। विलियम ने महसूस किया कि मौत शांतिपूर्ण है और यह मौत का डर है जो आतंकित कर रहा है। जीवन जीने की उसकी इच्छा तीव्रता से बढ़ी क्योंकि उन्होंने अपने डर को दूर किया और निडर होकर जीना शुरू कर दिया।

    Deep Water
    Deep Water in Hindi
    Deep Water Solution

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