Through the Tunnel Group at eNotes

Jerry simply has to swim long and hard enough underwater to make it to...

Wed, 7 Oct 2009 05:52:01 PST

Jerry simply has to swim long and hard enough underwater to make it to the other side before coming up for air. As the tunnel has no air holes along the way, this is a "win all/lose" all situation. Swimming through the underwater tunnel is a challenge Jerry is taking on in secret. He has nothing to prove to anybody except himself. Risk taking is not really so rare during puberty and adolescence, though, and some psychologists consider it a...

What physical challenges does Jerry face in "Through the Tunnel"?

Tue, 6 Oct 2009 18:44:50 PST

What physical challenges does Jerry face in "Through the Tunnel"?

What Issues are highlighted DUE to this text?

Wed, 9 Sep 2009 07:34:50 PST

and what commentary can be gathered from this text in regards to these issues?

This occurs because Jerry puts so much thought and effort into reaching...

Sun, 6 Sep 2009 09:29:59 PST

This occurs because Jerry puts so much thought and effort into reaching his goal. He investigates what the other boys are doing. When he attempts it and realizes he is not yet capable, he devises a well thought out plan. Getting goggles, practicing his breathing, and etc. help him evolve to the point where he is able to achieve the goal (barely maybe, but he did succeed.) Conquering this enormous physical obstacle as a result of good thinking...

For Jerry, how does overcoming physical obstacles give him the ability...

Sun, 6 Sep 2009 08:28:59 PST

For Jerry, how does overcoming physical obstacles give him the ability to succeed in overcoming mental ones?

Jerry wasn't crazy, but he was very foolish to take such risks. He...

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 01:09:37 PST

Jerry wasn't crazy, but he was very foolish to take such risks. He easily could have drowned in the dark tunnel, and it is reasonable to assume that his body might never have been found. His young life would have been lost, and his mother, who loved him and tried hard to keep him safe, would never have known what had happened to him. One can only imagine her heartbreak and continuing sense of loss and confusion. She might have spent the rest...

Is Jerry crazy to risk his life, or does he get something important out...

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:41:24 PST

Is Jerry crazy to risk his life, or does he get something important out of his ordeal?

The short story "Through the Tunnel" is a story about the coming of age...

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:28:54 PST

The short story "Through the Tunnel" is a story about the coming of age of the protagonist, Jerry. With the absence of his father, an overprotective mother, and lack of friends, Jerry needs to prove to himself as well as others that he is capable of accomplishing this dangerous act. In so doing, Jerry's personal challenges is a "rite of passage" and thus gives him the independence he needs to stand on his own and separate from this...

In the short story "Through the Tunnel", why does Jerry make himself...

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:10:56 PST

In the short story "Through the Tunnel", why does Jerry make himself swim through the tunnel?

I am not going to give you 10 - I will give you a few and then you can...

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 07:38:27 PST

I am not going to give you 10 - I will give you a few and then you can use them as examples to re-read the story and find some more. Obviously what you want to do after you have found these examples is to consider how they relate and add to the story as a whole. One aspect you will want to consider is how the two beaches - where Jerry's mother is and the other beach where the tunnel is - are compared, and the kind of imagery that is used to...

What is the time period for Doris Lessing's Through the Tunnel?

Wed, 5 Aug 2009 21:36:56 PST

What is the time period for Doris Lessing's Through the Tunnel?

Jerry's and his mother's separate conflicts ring true, I think, as they...

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 22:51:20 PST

Jerry's and his mother's separate conflicts ring true, I think, as they both deal with his moving into adolescence, especially considering that she is a widow. Jerry feels the need to break away from her and be on his own, to some extent, but he feels guilty when he wants to go to the wild beach without her. She knows he is starting to grow up, and she worries about how she should deal with it: She was thinking. Of course he's old enough to...

Jerry, a boy of eleven, has come to the shore with his mother. She is...

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:50:00 PST

Jerry, a boy of eleven, has come to the shore with his mother. She is very protective of him, treating him as the little boy he has always been, although she is aware that he growing up and worries that she might be "keeping him too close." At their vacation site, the path divides, one way leading to the crowded, "safe" beach where they usually swim and the other leading to the "wild and rocky bay." Although he feels guilty for sending his...

In "Through the Tunnel," why is it so important to Jerry to be with the...

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:44:37 PST

In "Through the Tunnel," why is it so important to Jerry to be with the boys on the wild beach?

Adolescence is a time when many changes takes place in life of a person....

Fri, 22 May 2009 09:27:29 PST

Adolescence is a time when many changes takes place in life of a person. Thees include both physical changes in body as well as psychological changes in mental make up. A person may feel anxiety due to these changes. Another major problem of adolescent is of identity. Adolescents must stop behaving like children and stop behaving like adults. This change does not come overnight, and during this extended process of change they may have...

Adolescence is probably the most tumultuous time for any individual. As...

Fri, 22 May 2009 05:08:56 PST

Adolescence is probably the most tumultuous time for any individual. As young people search for their identity and place in the world, parents have to cope with the results of that searching and discovery, whether it is good or bad. No matter how hard parents try to do the best they can, adolescent peer pressure is even stronger. It is a constant battle between growing up and ensuring that young people grow up. The best that any one can do...

Not only is adolescence emotionally and hormonally charged, but it is...

Thu, 21 May 2009 12:47:03 PST

Not only is adolescence emotionally and hormonally charged, but it is also the period of time when children tend to rebel more overtly against their parents because these kids are in search of their own identities separate from mama and daddy. In "Through the Tunnel" Jerry faces this very problem: he is afraid to venture out on his own, but he cannot just stay mama's little boy either.

Adolscence is something difficult to cope with for both: parents and...

Thu, 21 May 2009 09:14:23 PST

It should be related to Through the Tunnel and to The Madnees within him.

Find ten examples of imagery that pertain to SHAPES AND COLORS.

Tue, 5 May 2009 07:26:35 PST

Find ten examples of imagery that pertain to SHAPES AND COLORS.

What does "Through the Tunnel" symbolize, and how is it related to life?

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:35:41 PST

What does "Through the Tunnel" symbolize, and how is it related to life?