Douglas takes us through his near death experience at the Y.M.C.A. pool by detailing
every little aspect associated to it. He details minutes of his emotional, mental andphysical struggle with the paralyzing fear of being drowned in the water. The first person
narration of the incident also helps us to associate with his experience more deeply.
Though he did not lose his wits initially, he panicked when his strategy didn't work. His
feeling of suffocation, fear and losing hold on sense perceptions make the readers
experience what he does. His eyes couldn't see beyond the dirty yellow water. His voice
did not assist him. His nose and mouth could only manage to take water to the
lungs. His limbs became paralyzed with fear and his mind dizzy. His desperation to
save himself kept him struggling until he ,•