Question

Then all effort ceased. I relaxed. Even my legs felt limp; and a blackness swept over my brain. It wiped out fear; it wiped out terror. There was no more panic.

Answer 1

Explanation:

"my legs felt limp and blackness swept over my brain" limp means difficulty to walk. so this phrase means that when author was under the water it became difficult for him to move his legs. and blackness swept over his brain that is when people die, they feel something blackish in front of their eyes. so this phrase is probably about an experience of death.

Answer 2

The given statement is taken from the lesson "Deep Water" authored by William O. Douglas.

What is the theme of the text Deep Water?

• In the text Deep Water, the author focuses on overcoming one's fear and facing it in the eye when it shows up.

• It is about learning from one's past experiences and then moving further with life fearlessly and without any regrets.
• The text also enlightens its readers with the truth of life and death.
• The author expresses through this text that it is fear that one should be scared of because death is peaceful.

What event does the statement signify?

• The statement depicts the moment of childhood where the author did not know how to swim and was drowning in the pool.
• It signifies that after all his efforts to breathe, the author could not breathe and started to faint and at that moment all his efforts ceased.
• The author felt the peace that one feels when comes face-to-face with death.

Hence, the statement is the epitome of the peace that death offers and the terror that fear creates.