Of Men and Mountains: William O. Douglas

What does the author mean when they say they felt paralysed under the water?

What is the significance of the 'yellow glow' the author sees in the water?

How does the author's perception of time change while they are struggling in the water?

What does the line 'the curtain of life fell' suggest about the author's state?

What is the most likely reason that the author uses the word 'oblivion'?

Which of the following best explains why the author thinks of their mother while losing consciousness?

What is the purpose of the author's detailed description of their failed attempts to save themselves?

The phrase 'a touch of reason' is mentioned in the story, what does it represent?

Which of the following best describes the immediate psychological impact of the pool incident on William Douglas?

How did Douglas's fear of water manifest itself in his later life?

What specific physical sensation is most closely associated with Douglas's recurring terror?

Why did Douglas decide to seek the help of an instructor to learn how to swim?

What was the instructor's method of teaching Douglas how to swim?

What was the significance of Douglas's experience with the waters of the Cascades?

Why did the narrator call his experience a 'misadventure'?

What does the phrase 'it held me firmly in its grip' suggest about the narrator's fear?

What was the significance of swimming across Lake Wentworth to Stamp Act Island?

Why did the narrator choose Warm Lake as the final location to confront his fear?

What does the narrator mean when he says, “All we have to fear is fear itself.”?

How did the narrator's method of confronting his fear evolve over time?

What is the main idea of the passage?

What does the phrase 'vestiges of the old terror' suggest about the narrator's progress?

How does the instructor contribute to the narrator's transformation?

Why does the narrator personify 'terror' as 'Mr. Terror'?

What underlying psychological strategy did William Douglas employ to transform his fear of water into eventual mastery?

Considering the author's description of the Yakima River and the Y.M.C.A. pool, which statement best captures the contrast in their perceived safety?

How might William Douglas's experience with and conquering of his fear of water be interpreted as a broader metaphor for overcoming personal obstacles?

Which of the following best describes the role of the swimming instructor in Douglas's journey?

What can be inferred from William Douglas's willingness to subdue his pride and expose his 'skinny legs' at the Y.M.C.A. pool, regarding his mindset towards overcoming his fear of water?

What was the primary factor that contributed to Douglas' initial fear of water?

What is the most significant difference between the real danger presented by the Yakima River and the perceived danger William Douglas associated with the Y.M.C.A. pool?

How does William Douglas's narrative style in recounting his early experiences with water contribute to the reader's understanding of his fear?

How did Douglas’s experience at the pool impact his life beyond swimming?

What is the most likely reason William Douglas included the detail about his mother's warnings regarding the Yakima River in his narrative?

Which of the following best describes the literary device used when Douglas recounts his near-drowning experience in vivid detail?

Why did Douglas continue to test himself in different bodies of water even after his formal swimming lessons?

In the context of the reading, what does William Douglas's decision to learn to swim at the Y.M.C.A. pool, despite his fear, primarily signify about his character?

What does Douglas's journey suggest about the nature of fear?

What effect does telling the story from Douglas's first-person perspective have on the reader?

Which statement reflects the broader theme about the human condition conveyed through Douglas's personal triumph?

What internal conflict does the narrator experience regarding water, based on his early experiences?

How does the author use sensory details to convey the narrator's growing panic while submerged?

What does the episode with the 'big bruiser of a boy' primarily symbolize in the context of the narrator's fear?

In what way does the narrator's planning 'on the way down' reflect on his character?

Why does the author include the detail about the narrator's legs feeling 'paralysed and rigid'?

The phrase 'frightened out of my wits' suggests that

The narrator uses the simile 'bob to the surface like a cork'. What is the purpose of this?

What is the purpose of the author writing 'Those nine feet were more like ninety'?