Deep Water

by William Douglas

An inspiring true story about overcoming your own limitations, and conquering your fears.

“All we have to fear is fear itself.”

Answer the following questions:

1) How did William Douglas develop hydrophobia (extreme fear of water)?

First, when William was three or four years old, his father took him to the beach in California. A strong wave knocked him down and swept over him. He was buried in water. His breath was gone. He was frightened. Later, when he was ten or eleven years old, he decided to learn to swim in a pool. One day, before he had completely learned to swim, a boy threw him in the deep end of the pool where he almost drowned.

2) What is the ‘misadventure’ the author talks about?

One day, William Douglas was at the pool when no one else was there. He was timid about going in the pool alone, so he just sat and waited at the side of the pool. One big bruiser of a boy came, picked him up, and tossed him into the deep end of the pool.

3) What were the series of emotions and fears that Douglas experienced when he was thrown into the pool? What plans did he make to come to the surface?

​At first, he was frightened. Later, he became desperate to hang onto anything that was available, a rope, a stick or anything. But there was nothing for his help. He could not breathe properly, and all he saw was just water around him. Finally, when his plans were not working, he grew panicky. Sheer, stark terror took such a complete control of him that he felt paralysed and rigid.

​ When he was just thrown into the pool, on the way down, he devised a strategy. When his feet would hit the bottom, he would make a big jump, come to the surface, life flat on it, and paddle to the edge of the pool. However, this plan did not work both the times he tried it. He could not attempt it again after he went down the third time.

4) How did this experience affect him?

​This was a terrifying experience for William Douglas. It had a deep impact on him psychologically. He developed a deep and strong fear of water.

On the same day, he felt weak and he was trembling. He shook and cried when he lay on his bed. He couldn’t even eat that night. The haunting fear stayed in his heart for many days. Even the slightest exertion upset him, made him wobbly in the knees and sick to his stomach. He could never go back to the pool. He feared water, and avoided it whenever he could.

5) Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water?

Because of his fear of water, William Douglas was not able to enjoy the routine water activities like swimming, canoeing, boating and fishing. He was deprived of the joy of these activities. He could not tolerate it. Therefore, he determined to get over his fear of water.

6) How did the instructor ‘build a swimmer’ out of Douglas?

After fixing a schedule of an hour each day for five days a week, they began with their first exercise.

The instructor put a belt around William Douglas. A rope attached to the belt went through a pulley that ran on an overhead cable. The instructor held on to the end of the rope, and Douglas swam back and forth across the pool repeatedly. This continued for many weeks.

After three months, the instructor taught him to put his face under water and exhale, and to raise his nose and inhale. He repeated the exercise hundreds of times. Bit by bit, Douglas was able to lose the fear inside him.

Next, the instructor held him at the side of the pool and had him kick with his legs. For weeks, he did just that. At first, his legs refused to work, but gradually they relaxed, and finally Douglas could command them.

This way, piece by piece, brick by brick, he built a swimmer.

7) How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror?

​After learning from the instructor, Douglas wondered if he would be terror-stricken when he was alone in the pool. So he tried swimming in the pool when no-one was around. Small remnants of the fear returned, but Douglas took up the challenge and defeated the fear.

He was not satisfied even after this. He wanted to make sure that all the terror had left. So, he went to Lake Wentworth and swam two miles across the lake. Only once did the terror return. But again, treating the terror as an enemy, Douglas challenged it and overcame it.

After this, Douglas went to Warm Lake, dived and swam to the other shore and back. This way, he made sure that he had completely conquered his fear of water.

Important value-based questions:

• If we are determined, we can overcome anything. Justify this statement with reference to the personal experience described by William Douglas in Deep Water.

• ‘All we have to fear is fear itself.’ Discuss this sentence keeping in mind what you have learned in the chapter Deep Water by William Douglas.

Note: In the answers to such questions, it is advisable to include other examples of courage and determination when you write the part where you include your own ideas. Nelson Mandela’s struggle for freedom, and the fight of the sailors in the Class XI chapter ‘We are not afraid to die’ are such examples.