The Elevator – William Sleator

1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions

that follow:
“It was an old building with an old elevator—a very small
elevator, which could carry only three people... ‘Hello,
Martin,’ she said, and laughed, and pushed the stop button.”

1. Who was Martin? Where was he always uncomfortable

and why?
Ans: Martin was a thin twelve-year-old boy. He was always
uncomfortable in elevators because he was afraid, he might
fall.

2. Why did the elevator in the apartment that Martin and

his father had moved into make Martin feel nervous and
especially unpleasant?
Ans: The elevator made Martin nervous because it was very
old and small, with a capacity to carry only three people. The
poor lighting, dirty walls, the door that slammed shut with a
loud clanging noise, and the way it shuddered as if exhausted
when moving, made it especially unpleasant. Even with just
two people inside, it felt cramped and suffocating to him.

3. How did Martin find the stairs of the apartment? On

which floor was his home located? Why was he gasping for
breath one day upon reaching home?
Ans: The stairs were just as unpleasant as the elevator, with
no windows and non-functional lights. Martin's home was on
the seventeenth floor. One day after school, when he tried
using the stairs, he heard footsteps echoing behind him,
making him feel as if someone was following him. By the time
he reached the seventeenth floor, he was gasping for breath.

4. Why did Martin later always take the elevator? What did
he tell himself in such situations?
Ans: Martin’s father, who worked at home, scolded him for
being out of breath and mocked him for being weak, bad at
sports and cowardly. After that, Martin started taking the
elevator regularly and told himself that he had to get used to
it—just like he had to get used to being bullied at school.

5. Did Martin really get used to the elevator? Why or why

not?
Ans: No, Martin never really got used to the elevator. He was
always afraid it would stop suddenly and trap him inside. He
also disliked being in close proximity to other passengers and
found it uncomfortable how people avoided looking at each
other by staring at nothing.

6. What happened one morning when the elevator stopped

at the fourteenth floor?
Ans: (Refer to page 147, second paragraph — “One
morning… stared at Martin”)
One morning the elevator stopped at the fourteenth floor,
and the fat lady entered. She was so big

7. What did Martin observe when he looked at the fat old

lady for a moment?
Ans: Martin noticed her large, fleshy cheeks, with no chin—
just a huge mass of neck. Her tiny blue eyes were sharp and
seemed to bore into his face.
8. What did Martin notice about the lady when the elevator
creaked down to the eleventh floor? What happened when
the elevator finally reached the first floor?
Ans: Martin noticed that the lady’s small, piercing eyes
continued to stare at him. He thought she must be crazy and
wondered what she might do next. When the elevator
reached the first floor, she still said nothing—just continued
staring and breathing loudly. Martin wanted to run past her
but had to wait until she moved slowly into the lobby. Then
he ran nearly all the way to school.

9. Why did Martin feel nervous when he got back to the

building after school? What happened after he stepped into
the elevator?
Ans: (Refer to page 148, first two paragraphs — “Martin felt
nervous… the fat lady watched him.”)
Martin felt nervous because he feared encountering the fat
lady again. When he entered the elevator, she was already
there and continued to stare at him, heightening his fear.

10. What did Martin tell his father about the woman? What
was his father’s reply and Martin’s reaction?
Ans: Martin told his father that the strange lady had been in
the elevator twice that day, staring at him the entire time.
His father responded impatiently, questioning why he was so
afraid of an old woman and accusing him of being timid.
Martin didn’t want to cry in front of his father and waited
until he was in his room. He slept very little that night.
11. How did Martin react when he saw the fat lady waiting
as soon as the elevator door opened? What happened
thereafter? What were his father’s feelings for Martin?
Ans: Martin stood frozen and then backed away. He ran
down the dark stairwell but fell and broke his leg, which
forced him to use crutches. He could no longer avoid the
elevator. His father remained silent on the way to the
hospital, clearly disappointed and angry, thinking Martin was
a coward and a fool.

12. Why did Martin feel quite safe from the fat lady on his
return from the hospital?
Ans: On the way back from the hospital, Martin was in the
elevator with his father, and there was no space for the fat
lady to get in. Once home, he could rest in the apartment for
a few days on doctor’s advice. That made him feel
temporarily safe from her.

13. Why did Martin’s father press number nine all of a

sudden while in the elevator? What did Martin plead with
his father? What was the result of it?
Ans: Martin’s father suddenly pressed number nine and,
looking at his watch, stepped out of the elevator, saying he
had promised to visit Mrs. Ullman.
Martin, struggling to move on his crutches, pleaded with his
father to let him go along. However, the elevator doors were
already closing when his father asked if he was afraid to be
alone in the elevator. Before Martin could reply, the door
slammed shut, and his father told him to "Grow up."
14. What happened when Martin hobbled (walked with
difficulty) to the buttons and pressed nine?
Ans: When Martin hobbled to the panel and pressed number
nine, the elevator did not stop there but instead halted at the
tenth floor. The fat lady was waiting for him. She quickly
entered the elevator, and Martin was too slow to get out in
time. The door closed behind her, and the elevator began to
move again.
She greeted Martin with a chilling “Hello” and laughed, then
pressed the stop button, trapping them both inside.

15. What is the theme of the short story ‘The Elevator’?

What kind of fiction is it, and why? Justify the title.
Ans: The central theme of “The Elevator” is about
confronting fears instead of avoiding them. It also reflects on
the irrational fears of childhood and how they can be
intensified by lack of support and understanding, especially
from adults.
The story contrasts a sensitive boy (Martin) with an
emotionally distant and harsh father, highlighting the societal
pressure on boys to be strong, fearless, and unemotional.
Martin likely suffers from claustrophobia—fear of enclosed
spaces—as he is terrified of being trapped in the elevator.
The story is a piece of horror fiction, as it builds suspense
and culminates in a terrifying climax when Martin is left
alone and helpless with the mysterious fat lady. The sense of
dread, isolation, and helplessness makes it eerily frightening.
The title “The Elevator” is justified as the elevator is not just
the central setting of the story but also a symbol of Martin’s
fear, isolation, and entrapment. It plays a pivotal role in
creating tension and driving the narrative toward its
unsettling conclusion.
. 13.. Why did Martin’s father press number nine all of a sudden while in
the elevator? What did Martin plead with his father? What was the result of it?
. Martin’s father suddenly pressed number nine and looking at his watch
stepped out of the elevator telling Martin he had promised to visit Mrs.
Ullman.
. Martin, struggling to move on his crutches, pleaded with his father to let
him go with his him to visit Mrs. Ullman.
. However, the door was already closing when his father asked him if he
was afraid to be alone in the elevator. The door slammed shut soon after his
father advised Martin to “Grow up”.
. m. What happened when Martin hobbled(walked with difficulty) to the
buttons and pressed nine?
. The elevator did not do any good when Martin pressed nine but stopped
at ten where the fat lady was waiting for him. She moved in quickly and he was
too slow to get past her in time to get out. The door closed and the elevator
began to move.
. The lady wished Martin with a “Hello” and laughed, pushing the stop
button.
. n. What is the theme of the short story, ‘The Elevator’? What kind of
fiction is it and why? Justify the title.
. In the short story, ‘The Elevator’ the main theme is about overcoming
fears by facing them and not by avoiding them.
. The author also explores the theme of the irrational fears of childhood in
contrasting the characters of a sensitive boy with an insensitive father. It
clearly shows the greater pressure exerted upon boys to be strong, brave and
not to cry. Martin probably has claustrophobia (fear of closed places) as his
greatest fear is being trapped in the elevator.
. The story is a horror fiction which rears its eerie (strange and
frightening) head when the story ends with Martin trapped in the elevator with
a broken leg, unable to escape from the woman.
. The title ‘The Elevator’ is justified as the entire story revolves around the
elevator in the protagonist Martin’s building, which he dreads riding on
because of his fear for elevators.
. o. What are the visual and auditory imagery in the story?
. Ans: a. Visual imagery
. . The elevator was too small
. . It seemed crowded with only two people
. . The elevator trembled and began to go up
. (etcetera)
. b. Auditory imagery:
. . …..the door slammed shut with a loud clanging noise
. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@2
. 13.. Why did Martin’s father press number nine all of a sudden while in
the elevator? What did Martin plead with his father? What was the result of it?
. Martin’s father suddenly pressed number nine and looking at his watch
stepped out of the elevator telling Martin he had promised to visit Mrs.
Ullman.
. Martin, struggling to move on his crutches, pleaded with his father to let
him go with his him to visit Mrs. Ullman.
. However, the door was already closing when his father asked him if he
was afraid to be alone in the elevator. The door slammed shut soon after his
father advised Martin to “Grow up”.
. m. What happened when Martin hobbled(walked with difficulty) to the
buttons and pressed nine?
. The elevator did not do any good when Martin pressed nine but stopped
at ten where the fat lady was waiting for him. She moved in quickly and he was
too slow to get past her in time to get out. The door closed and the elevator
began to move.
. The lady wished Martin with a “Hello” and laughed, pushing the stop
button.
. n. What is the theme of the short story, ‘The Elevator’? What kind of
fiction is it and why? Justify the title.
. In the short story, ‘The Elevator’ the main theme is about overcoming
fears by facing them and not by avoiding them.
. The author also explores the theme of the irrational fears of childhood in
contrasting the characters of a sensitive boy with an insensitive father. It
clearly shows the greater pressure exerted upon boys to be strong, brave and
not to cry. Martin probably has claustrophobia (fear of closed places) as his
greatest fear is being trapped in the elevator.
. The story is a horror fiction which rears its eerie (strange and
frightening) head when the story ends with Martin trapped in the elevator with
a broken leg, unable to escape from the woman.
. The title ‘The Elevator’ is justified as the entire story revolves around the
elevator in the protagonist Martin’s building, which he dreads riding on
because of his fear for elevators.
. o. What are the visual and auditory imagery in the story?
. Ans: a. Visual imagery
. . The elevator was too small
. . It seemed crowded with only two people
. . The elevator trembled and began to go up
. (etcetera)
. b. Auditory imagery:
. . …..the door slammed shut with a loud clanging noise
. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@2