Question

Why does Charley say, “He (Sam) certainly can’t go back to his old business”? (The Third Level)

Hint:

Use contextual irony and setting contrast to explain character decisions and motivations.

Answer 1

Charley says this because Sam, his psychiatrist friend, had disappeared and was later found to be living in the past—specifically in Galesburg in 1894. Since Sam had bought old-style currency and travelled to the third level, it was evident that he had embraced the peaceful and stress-free life of the past. Charley ironically notes that Sam can’t go back to his old business—psychiatry—because in the simple, calm world of 1894, no one suffers from the mental stresses of modern life that require psychiatric help.